M-60-2012
PROCLAMATION
RE: GILL NETS — ALBEMARLE SOUND AREA
Dr. Louis B. Daniel III, Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M. on Tuesday, January 1, 2013, the following provisions shall apply to the use of gill nets in the following areas:
I.AREA DESCRIPTION
A. In Croatan and Roanoke, Albemarle and Currituck sounds, north and west of the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge and the Washington Baum Bridge described below: 1. Croatan Sound — beginning at a point 35° 53.1720’ N — 75° 45.6160’W on the mainland shore; running easterly along the south side of the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge to a point at 35° 53.1630’N — 75° 40.1640’W on Roanoke Island.
2. Roanoke Sound — beginning at a point 35° 53.6240’N — 75° 38.4170’W on shore at Roanoke Island; running easterly along the south side of the Washington Baum Bridge to a point at 35° 54.3820’N — 75° 35.9240’W on the Outer Banks shore.
B. The area between the lines referenced in I.A.1. and 2. and the southern boundary of the Albemarle Sound Management Area described as a line beginning at a point 35° 48.3693’N — 75°43.7232’W on Roanoke Marshes Point, running southeasterly to a point 35° 44.1710’N — 75° 31.0520’W on the north point of Eagle Nest Bay.
II. NET RESTRICTIONS
Only gill nets meeting the specified mesh lengths may be used in the described areas. A fishing operation, regardless of the number of vessels or persons involved, shall adhere to the gill net restrictions specified for the following areas:
A. Albemarle Sound (areas described in I.A.1. and 2): 1. Gill nets with a mesh length less than 3 ¼ inches shall not be used.
2. Gill nets with a mesh length of 3 ¼ inches shall not exceed 800 yards in any combination.
3. Gill nets with a mesh length greater than 3 ¼ inches and less than 5 ½ inches shall not be used except as described in II.A.7.
4. Gill nets with a mesh length greater than 6 ½ inches shall not be used.
5. Gill nets with a mesh length of 5 ½ inches and larger are required to be equipped with tie downs spaced no farther apart than 10 yards, restricting the vertical distance between the top and bottom lines to 48 inches or less unless they are equipped with floats that do not exceed 2 inches in diameter and 6 inches in length placed a minimum of 10 yards apart, not to exceed 11 floats per 100 yards of net. Gill nets must be set so as to fish the bottom not to exceed a vertical height of 48 inches.
6. Gill nets with a mesh length of 5 ½ inches and larger can only be used as described in II.A.5 and may not exceed 2,000 yards combined.
7. Gill nets with a mesh length of 3 ¾ and 4 inches may be used east of a line from Baum Point 35° 55.1602’N — 75° 39.5736’W to Rhodoms Point 36° 00.2146’N — 75° 43.6399’W and east of a line from Eagleton Point 36° 01.3178’N — 75° 43.6585’W to Long Point 36° 02.4971’N — 75° 44.2261’W at the mouth of Kitty Hawk Bay. Gill nets with a mesh length of 3 ¼, 3 ¾, and 4 inches shall not exceed 800 yards in any combination in this area.
8. It is unlawful to fail to be present at the nets at least once during a 24 hour period no later than noon each day.
