Press Releases

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries recently certified a new state record Graysby Grouper (Cephalopholis cruentata) that may also be a world record.

Edward J. Tait of Little River, S.C. caught the 3-pound, 0.8-ounce fish offshore of Ocean Isle Beach on June 30.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will collect Red Snapper carcasses from recreational fishermen during the upcoming Red Snapper-mini season.

An advisory against swimming was posted today at a sound-side site in Carteret County, where state recreational water quality officials found bacteria levels in the water that exceed the state’s and Environmental Protection Agency’s recreational water quality standards.

An advisory against swimming was posted today at a sound-side site in New Hanover County, where state recreational water quality officials found bacteria levels in the water that exceed the state’s and Environmental Protection Agency’s recreational water quality standards.

One newly amended marine fisheries rule will go into effect July 1. The change clarifies definitions and formalizes procedures for transferring ownership or subleasing of a shellfish lease.

The N.C. Division of Coastal Management and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office are urging the public to act responsibly during the upcoming July Fourth holiday at the Masonboro Island Reserve, a research reserve and dedicated state nature preserve. In preparation for the holiday, the state coastal agency and the sheriff’s office are working together to provide public safety resources and increase public awareness of responsible visitor behavior on the island.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will host an in-person community information meeting on Tuesday, July 26, at the Crown Theatre, located in the Crown Complex at 1960 Coliseum Drive in Fayetteville to share information and answer questions about how the Environmental Protection Agency’s newly released, lower health advisory for GenX impacts private drinking water well sampling in Bladen, Cumberland, Robeson and Sampson counties.

The State Water Infrastructure Authority will meet Wednesday, July 13, at 10:00 a.m. and Thursday, July 14 at 9:00 a.m. at the Steve Troxler Agricultural Sciences Center in Raleigh. The public may listen to the meeting online or by phone.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) today filed a proposed Consent Order for entry by the Mecklenburg County Superior Court to hold Colonial Pipeline accountable as the responsible party in the state’s largest gasoline spill. The Consent Order, if approved by the court, would require Colonial to take specific remedial actions and pay nearly $5 million related to the August 2020 fuel release in the Oehler Nature Preserve near Huntersville.

The Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR) has issued digester system general permits for qualified animal feeding operations. The general digester permits were developed following a comprehensive stakeholder and public engagement process and thorough review of public comments. These general permits are in effect through September 2024.