The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission will meet Nov. 16-18 at Hilton Garden Inn, 5353 N. Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk.
Public comment periods will begin at 6 p.m. Nov. 16 and 9 a.m. Nov. 17. The chairman will allow each speaker to comment for up to three minutes. Due to time constraints, those making comments will be asked to speak only once, either at the Nov. 16 or at the Nov. 17 session, but not during both public comment periods.
The business meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Nov. 17 and 8:30 a.m. Nov. 18.
The deadline for submitting written correspondence to the commission, including email, through the Marine Fisheries Commission Office is noon on Nov. 14. Those who wish to forego this process and give handouts to the commission during the public comment periods should bring at least 12 copies of the handout.
The public may listen to the meeting on the Internet. Up to 200 participants may listen to audio and view presentations in real-time on a first-come, first-served basis. Directions for participating in the webcast, including information on system requirements and testing, can be found at: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/listen-online. Following the meeting, an audio recording will be posted online.
At this meeting, the commission is scheduled to receive a presentation on a petition for rulemaking from the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. The petition asks the commission to designate all coastal fishing waters not otherwise designated as nursery areas as special secondary nursery areas; establish clear criteria for the opening of shrimp season; and define the type of gear and how and when gear may be used in special secondary nursery areas during shrimp season.
Other agenda items include:
- Possible recommendations that state lawmakers change the criteria for receiving a standard commercial fishing license in North Carolina. A Standard Commercial Fishing License is the main license required for a fisherman to sell his catch. The commission will consider recommending that the state limit this license to full-time commercial fishermen and create part-time and heritage commercial fishing licenses for other purposes.
- Consideration of a proclamation that prohibits using gill nets within 200 feet of any dock, bulkhead or shoreline structure in Currituck Sound between Martins Point and the Wright Memorial Bridge. The proclamation is meant to resolve a conflict between homeowners and fishermen in this area.
- A presentation on a genetics study of striped bass in the Central Southern Management Area of the state.
- An update on the Collaborative Shrimp Trawl Gear Study.
A full meeting agenda and briefing book can be found here.