Marine Fisheries Commission to meet Feb. 21-23 in New Bern

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet in-person Feb. 21-23 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel New Bern Riverfront, 100 Middle St., New Bern. The meeting will also be livestreamed on YouTube.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 21; at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22; and at 9 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 23. The commission will hold in-person public comment sessions at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 21, and at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22.

The following information pertains to in-person public comment:

• Those who wish to speak may sign up at the hotel prior to the public comment period in which they wish to speak.
• To accommodate as many speakers as possible, the chair will limit each speaker to 3 minutes.
• Those making comments will be asked to speak only once, either Wednesday night or Thursday morning, but not during both public comment periods.
• Those who wish to submit handouts to the commission during a public comment period should bring at least 12 copies to the meeting.

The public may also submit written comments via the following methods:

• An online form accessible through the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage.
• Mail to February 2024 Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting Comments, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, N.C. 28557. 
• Dropped off at the Division of Marine Fisheries’ Morehead City Headquarters Office at 3441 Arendell St., Morehead City.

The deadline to submit written comments for this meeting is 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19.

The YouTube link will be posted on the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage. After the meeting, a recording will be posted online.

Agenda items include:

• Review of public comment and advisory committee recommendations and a vote on preferred management options for the Striped Mullet Fishery Management Plan Amendment 2. Final action is not scheduled to occur until the commission's May 2024 business meeting.
• An update on the Strategic Habitat Areas Study Report.
• Two presentations on implementation items from the 2022 Shrimp Fishery Management Plan Amendment 2:
  • One on the feasibility and utility of a shrimp trawl observer program, and
  • Another on an adaptive management strategy to further protect submerged aquatic vegetation through shrimp trawl area closures.
• Votes on preferred management options and associated proposed language for rulemaking pertaining to false albacore management and simplifying pot marking requirements.

The full agenda and briefing book are posted on the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage.