Press Releases

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public hearing on proposed shellfish leases in Craven County at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 24. The hearing will be held in-person at Craven Community College (Havelock Campus), STEM Building, Room 134, 305 Cunningham Blvd, Havelock and by WebEx.

New commercial weekend closures and recreational possession limits for striped mullet will take effect Monday, June 24, to implement Amendment 2 to the Striped Mullet Fishery Management Plan, adopted by the Marine Fisheries Commission in May.

Coastal Recreational Fishing License fees will increase July 1. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC), which administers the recreational fishing license sales system for the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), announced last week that it will increase hunting, fishing, trapping and activity licenses, permits, stamps and certifications

Changes to three Marine Fisheries Commission rules became effective today, but there will be no impact to fishermen because they simply codify existing practices or regulations already implemented by proclamation.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries recently certified three state record fish – a near world record size Yellowmouth Grouper, a White Grunt and an Almaco Jack.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Commercial Resource Fund Committee and the Funding Committee for the N.C. Commercial Fishing Resource Fund are accepting proposals for the 2024 funding cycle.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is encouraging fishermen who plan to renew their licenses and permits in-person to do so as soon as possible, especially those who plan to go to the Manteo License Office.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public hearing on proposed shellfish leases in Carteret County at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 17. The hearing will be held in-person at the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Central District Office, 5285 Highway 70 West, Morehead City and by WebEx.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission today adopted temporary rules to implement mandatory harvest reporting required by a new state law.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet by web conference on June 6 at 11 a.m. The meeting will be livestreamed on Webex. A listening station will be established at the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries Central District Office at 5285 Highway 70 West, Morehead City.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission agreed this week that the Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Marine Fisheries should take a broader look at the protection of submerged aquatic vegetation.

In order to preserve the southern flounder resource, the North Carolina recreational flounder season will not open for harvest in 2024. Estimates from 2023 indicate the recreational catch exceeded the quota allowed under a stock rebuilding plan that was included in Amendment 3 to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan and adopted by the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are still accepting public comments on temporary rules to implement mandatory harvest reporting requirements passed by the N.C. General Assembly in Session Law 2023-137, Section 6. The comment period will close at 5 p.m. May 20, 2024.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet in-person May 22-24 at the Beaufort Hotel, 2440 Lennoxville Road, Beaufort, N.C. 28516. The meeting will also be livestreamed on YouTube.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are accepting public comments on temporary rules to implement mandatory harvest reporting requirements passed by the N.C. General Assembly in Session Law 2023-137, Section 6. The comment period will close at 5 p.m. May 20, 2024.