North Carolina Marine Patrol Archives

NORTH CAROLINA: DMF asks public to report cold stunned trout

December 29, 2020 — State fisheries managers ask residents and visitors who are out on the water or near it to keep an eye open for cold stunned fish.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries reminded the public Monday to report any cold stunned spotted seatrout they may see in North Carolina coastal waters.

During the winter, spotted seatrout move to relatively shallow creeks and rivers, where they can be vulnerable to cold stun events. Cold stun events have the potential to occur when there is a sudden drop in temperature or during prolonged periods of cold weather, making fish so sluggish they can be harvested by hand.

According to the DMF, many fish that are stunned die from the cold or fall prey to birds and other predators.

“Studies suggest that cold stun events can have a significant negative impact on spotted seatrout populations,” the DMF said.

Spotted seatrout cold stun events may be reported at any time to the N.C. Marine Patrol at 1-800-682-2632 or during regular business hours to DMF spotted seatrout biologist Tracey Bauer by phone at 252-808-8159 or by email tracey.bauer@ncdenr.gov.

Read the full story at the Carteret County News-Times

NORTH CAROLINA: Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project Begins Mid-January

January 4, 2019 — A large scale cleanup project to improve water quality, remove fishing debris and collect derelict crab pots from all of Eastern North Carolina’s coastal sounds will soon get underway.

Commercial fishers and North Carolina Marine Patrol will participate in the annual cleanup effort which takes from January 15th to February 7th. Now in its third year, the project received $100,000 in funding from the General Assembly, allowing the North Carolina Coastal Federation to hire and train 76 local fishers to remove lost fishing gear during the “no-potting” period.

“This is helping the economy,” said Sara Hallas, the Coastal Education Coordinator for the North Carolina Coastal Federation. “This is a slower time of the year for the fishing industry, especially for the crabbing industry, the fishing would be closed during this time of the year. So it does give them an option for employment during the slow winter season.”

Crews, which are comprised of two people, are paid $450 per day. Last year, 3,496 crab pots were collected from coastal fishing waters. But Hallas expects crews will encounter more marine debris this year because of Hurricane Florence.

Read the full story at Public Radio East

NORTH CAROLINA: Fishermen Recover 4,270 Lost Crab Pots

February 16, 2017 — Commercial fishermen hired by the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s annual Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project collected 4,270 lost and derelict crab pots this year from sounds up and down the state’s coast.

The project was able to hire 72 fishermen during a week and a half timeframe in January to remove the crab pots. Thanks to a $100,000 appropriation from the General Assembly, this was the first time the project had expanded beyond northeastern North Carolina. The program extended across three North Carolina Marine Patrol districts along the state’s coast, from the Virginia state line to the South Carolina line.

Read the full story at CoastalReview.org

NORTH CAROLINA: Commercial fishermen needed to help clean up fishing gear in coastal waters

November 29, 2016 — The North Carolina Coastal Federation is currently accepting applications from commercial fishermen interested in assisting with an on-water cleanup of lost fishing gear from coastal waters.

Watermen are selected to participate in the Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project annually to help the federation and the North Carolina Marine Patrol remove lost fishing gear from coastal waters during the “no-potting” period, typically from Jan. 15 to Feb. 7.

In January of this year, eleven crews removed 753 pots from select areas in District 1. Combined with a shoreline cleanup, the project led to the removal of more than 7.5 tons of fishing gear and various marine debris from northeastern North Carolina waters, according to the NCCF news release.

The 2017 project will take place in select areas within all three Marine Patrol districts, statewide.

To qualify, watermen must have a valid Standard Commercial Fishing License and guarantee availability for work during the period of Jan. 18 through Feb. 7. They must also attend a mandatory training session to learn general project protocol and how to use project equipment.

Compensation is $400 per boat, per day. Each boat is required to have two people onboard for safety reasons. In some locations, more than one week of work could be possible for those accepted to this program.

The project is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program and is intended to improve habitat and water quality, as well as support coastal economies.

Read the full story at the Jacksonville Daily News

NORTH CAROLINA: Director of Marine Fisheries resigns abruptly

February 29, 2016 — In a move that surprised commercial and recreational fishermen alike, Dr. Louis Daniel, III resigned as director of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries this afternoon.

John Evans, chief deputy secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality sent an e-mail to all NCDEQ personnel that Daniel had stepped down, effective immediately, and that Col. Jim Kelley of the N.C. Marine Patrol would serve as acting director until a replacement for Daniel is selected.

Daniel, who received his B.A. in Biology from Wake Forest University, a M.S. in Marine Science from the College of Charleston, and a Ph.D. in Marine Science from the College of William and Mary, School of Marine Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, followed Preston Pate as the DMF director on Feb. 1, 2007.

Daniel worked a year with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before joining DMF as a biological supervisor in 1995. Before being appointed director, he served nine years as an executive assistant to director Pate, working extensively with the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAFMC). Daniel served as chairman of the SAFMC from 2004 to 2006.

Daniel began as the North Carolina commissioner to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in 2007 and was elected ASMFC Chair in 2013. He is a recipient of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Distinguished Service Award and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Outstanding Service Award.

Read the full story at North Carolina Sportsman