Saving Seafood

NORTH CAROLINA: Division of Marine Fisheries accepting applications for CARES Act Fisheries Relief Program

October 27, 2020 — The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is accepting applications for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Fisheries Relief Program. The financial assistance is available to eligible commercial fishermen, for-hire fishing operators, seafood dealers and processors, and marine aquaculture operations with revenue losses in the spring of 2020 greater than 35% as compared to the prior 5-year average revenue.

The division has mailed application packets to eligible license, lease, and permit holders. Application packets are available on the CARES Act Fisheries Assistance Information webpage or at division offices for eligible stakeholders who are not licensed by the division.

North Carolina received $5.4 million from the CARES Act to provide financial relief through direct payments to fishery-related stakeholder groups affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants will be required to complete the application, an affidavit, and provide supporting materials that document loss of revenue greater than 35% from March 1 to May 31, 2020 as compared to the average revenue from the same period of the previous five-years (March 1 to May 31, 2015-2019).

Read the full story at the Island Free Press

Flounder: Summer landings on track; reductions coming for southern allocations

August 18, 2020 — Summer flounder is a popular commercial fishery in the Mid-Atlantic region, with North Carolina allocated the largest share at 27.44 percent. Despite the widespread disruption in markets from covid-19, the state’s fleet by early summer was on track for landings just slightly lower than 2019.

Preliminary statistics show 69 North Carolina vessels representing 131 trips had landed 744,479 pounds of summer flounder by late June, with a value of $2.67 million distributed to 16 dealers.

“Landings of summer flounder appear to be somewhat down from last year, but the trend seems similar,” said Lee Paramore, biologist supervisor with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. “Since we can modify trip limits to stay within quota, it may be possible to allow for increased harvest if landings remain down relative to last year.

“There a lot of factors that can impact landings, and we haven’t yet determined if covid will play a part, but currently the fish houses here that typically land summer flounder have been operating at same level.”

The state’s commercial landings for summer flounder have been consistent since 2008 ,with the exception of 2012-13, where excessive shoaling in Oregon Inlet limited the number of trawl boats able to land in North Carolina. Annual commercial landings averaged 2.25 million pounds of summer flounder since 2008.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

NORTH CAROLINA: Recreational fishermen sue trawlers, state over coastal shrimping

August 6, 2020 — A group of recreational fishermen and fishing guides sued some of the state’s largest shrimping companies and state regulators this week, taking a long-running fight over coastal fishing rules to federal court.

The lawsuit accuses shrimp trawlers of violating state and federal rules, killing off large populations of fish and churning up sediment as a byproduct of dragging shrimp nets across the sea floor. The group asks a federal judge to enforce the rules in place.

“Each defendant independently and significantly has harmed North Carolina’s coastal waters by using non-selective, destructive trawling equipment to harvest shrimp, or by allowing such shrimp trawling practices to continue despite federal and state laws prohibiting such activities,” the lawsuit states.

Read the full story at WRAL

NORTH CAROLINA: Commercial Flounder Season Announced

June 16, 2020 — The open and close dates for 2020 commercial flounder seasons in North Carolina were announced Monday by Division of Marine Fisheries Director Steve Murphey.

The season for the Northern Management Area, which includes Albemarle, Roanoke, and Croatan sounds and their tributaries, will open Sept. 15 and close Oct. 6

The season for the Central Management Area, which includes Pamlico Sound, and the Tar, Pamlico, Neuse and Pungo rivers and their tributaries, will open Oct. 1 and close Oct. 19.

The season for the Southern Management Area, which includes Core Sound and all internal coastal waters south of Core Sound to the state line, will open Oct. 1 and close Nov. 2.

The minimum size limit will remain at 15 inches total length. For specific management area lines, coordinates, maps and gear restrictions, see Proclamation FF-25-2020.

Read the full story at Coastal Review Online

NORTH CAROLINA: Input Sought on CARES Act Fisheries Plan

June 15, 2020 — The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries is seeking input from the public on a draft spending plan for $5.4 million in federal coronavirus fisheries assistance.

The spending plan must be approved by National Marine Fisheries Service for the state to receive the funding provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act.

The draft spending plan proposes an approach for disbursement of the funding through direct payments to eligible commercial fishermen, charter businesses, seafood dealers and processors, and qualified aquaculture operations who can document a greater than 35% revenue loss compared to the previous five-year average due to COVID-19.

The draft spending plan and other information pertaining to the draft can be found online on the CARES Act Fishery Assistance Information page. Written comments on the plan may be submitted through an online form that can be accessed via the website or by mail to: Draft CARES Act Fisheries Assistance Spending Plan Comments, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, N.C. 28557.

Read the full story at Coastal Review Online

NORTH CAROLINA: Calls for reform and a coming resignation as fight rages over coastal fisheries

November 25, 2019 — A wildlife conservation group called this week for an overhaul in the way North Carolina manages its coastal fisheries, and a member of the policy-setting commission in charge is contemplating resignation.

The North Carolina Wildlife Federation voted Saturday to recommend a massive management consolidation over one of the state’s most contentious issues. Under their plan, the Marine Fisheries Commission, a board appointed by the governor, and the Division of Marine Fisheries, which enforces rules day to day along the North Carolina coast, would be folded into the state Wildlife Resources Commission.

Wildlife Resources is a stand-alone entity whose board is appointed by the governor and leadership in the General Assembly, and it already manages freshwater fishing in North Carolina’s lakes and rivers. The commission is jousting now with the Division of Marine Fisheries over just where each entity’s boundaries are when freshwater meets saltwater along North Carolina’s coast.

Read the full story at WRAL

North Carolina’s summer flounder deemed ‘overfished’

July 30, 2019 — One of the US state of North Carolina’s most valuable stocks has been deemed “overfished” and harvesters will likely face steep cuts to catch limits, Carolina Coast Online reported.

According to the state’s Division of Marine Fisheries, the most recent stock assessment for southern flounder shows that it is both “overfished” and undergoing “overfishing”, key designations that will trigger cuts.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Cobia Draft Amendment 1

May 13, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board approved Draft Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Migratory Group Cobia (Atlantic cobia) for public comment. Atlantic coastal states from Virginia through South Carolina have scheduled their hearings to gather public input on Draft Amendment 1. The details of those hearings follow.

Virginia Marine Resources Commission

  • June 12, 2019; 6:00 PM
  • 380 Fenwick Rd, Building 96
  • Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
  • Contact: Pat Geer at 757.247.2200

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

  • June 13, 2019; 7:00 PM
  • Dare County Commissioners Office
  • 954 Marshall Collins Drive, Room 168
  • Manteo, NC
  • Contact: Chris Batsavage at 252.808.8009

Read the full release here

North Carolina fishermen getting $11.6 million in Hurricane Florence relief funding

April 8, 2019 — North Carolina commercial fishermen will soon get a second round of checks as part of $11.6 million being distributed by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries under the Hurricane Florence Commercial Fishing Assistance Program.

For this round, 1,002 checks totaling $7,231,500 are going to fishermen to help compensate for October and November harvest reductions due to Hurricane Florence.

“When the storm hit, coastal communities suffered tremendous damage to homes, businesses, schools and their entire economy,” Governor Cooper said. “Helping the commercial fishing industry recover is critical for the people and places who rely on it for their livelihood, and these funds are an important boost.”

The program is designed to help make up for losses to the state’s nearly billion-dollar commercial fishing industry due to the storm and is part of a package of Hurricane Florence relief efforts Governor Cooper signed into law on December 3, 2018.

The first round of checks to fisherman went out in February and included 678 checks totaling more than $3.2 million to help compensate fishermen for reductions in the September harvest.

Distribution of the money is based on reported commercial fishing landings in September, October, and November 2018 as compared to the same months in 2015, 2016, 2017. The state collects records of all marine fish and shellfish sold at North Carolina docks.

Read the full story at WNCT