Press Releases

The NC Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) will hold its quarterly business meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at the Holiday Inn Resort Lumina, 1706 N Lumina Ave., Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480. The meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed on YouTube. The one-day meeting will begin at 9 a.m. with a public comment period.

The NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries’ (DMF) peer review workshop for the Blue Crab stock assessment ended today. The workshop session that was scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon tomorrow has been cancelled.

The NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public informational meeting on establishing a new estuarine artificial reef in Albemarle Sound. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, 2026, in Room 110 at the College of the Albemarle, 205 US-64, Manteo, N.C. 27954.

The NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026, on proposed shellfish leases in Onslow County. The hearing will be held at the Holly Ridge Community Center, 404 Sound Road, Holly Ridge, N.C. 28445, and by Webex.

The 2027 commercial Spot season will close Jan. 1 through April 28 in Coastal and Joint Fishing Waters of the state, a change from dates set for the 2021-2026 commercial Spot season closures.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, on a proposed water column lease in Pamlico County. The hearing will be held at the Patsy H. Sadler Room of the Pamlico County Courthouse, 202 Main St., Bayboro, N.C. 28515, and through Webex.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a workshop Nov. 3-5 for independent experts to review the Blue Crab stock assessment. The workshop will be held at Craven Community College, Room CTC 118 DE, 800 College Court, New Bern 28562 and by Webex.

Jonathan Howell will be the new director of the NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). Howell, currently the Deputy Director of the Division of Coastal Management (DCM), will take the helm at DMF Oct. 26.

The NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will collect Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) carcasses from recreational fishermen during the 2026 federal recreational Red Snapper fishing season, held Oct. 9-11. The carcasses will be used for research purposes.

The NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries’ scoping period for Red Drum begins today, providing fishermen and other stakeholders an opportunity to share ideas on potential management strategies for the scheduled comprehensive review of the N.C. Red Drum Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

Red Drum is North Carolina’s official state saltwater fish, and a popular one at that. Those who fish for Red Drum, also known as puppy drum, redfish, bull drum and channel bass, should save the dates for an upcoming scoping period, which includes four public meetings.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has fixed a technical issue with the Observer Trip Scheduling System (OTSS) that had been affecting the system’s automated fisherman selection and confirmation number notifications.

Wondering about the science behind management of state marine fisheries species? Check out the 2025 Fishery Management Plan Review, released today by the NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF).

The NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries recently certified a new state record for the Jolthead Porgy (Calamus bajonado).

The Division of Marine Fisheries’ scoping period for Kingfishes (sea mullet) begins today, providing fishermen and other stakeholders an opportunity to provide input about stock and fishery issues, and share ideas on management strategies for the scheduled 5-year review of the N.C. Kingfishes Fishery Management Plan (FMP).