NCMFC meeting has been rescheduled!!! August 30-Sept. 1 Brownstone, Raleigh

[gottaflylee]

Please do your best to be at these meetings if your a rec angler There are some things that I am not happy about and your voice needs to be heard.



Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting Rescheduled


MOREHEAD CITY – A N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission meeting has been rescheduled for Aug. 30 through Sept. 1. It will be held at the Holiday Inn Brownstone, 1707 Hillsborough St., Raleigh.

The meeting, originally slated for this week at the same location, was postponed Tuesday evening after the commission chairman learned there would not be a quorum.

Agenda items include a review of public input received about allowing an Atlantic Ocean striped bass commercial hook-and-line fishery. The commission is also slated to decide how it wants to manage the ocean striped bass fishery for the upcoming season.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries held five meetings in different regions of the coast and in Raleigh to receive public comment on this idea. The commission directed the division to examine a commercial hook-and-line fishery for ocean-caught striped bass to help avoid waste after reviewing incidents of dead discards of striped bass in the ocean trawl fishery this winter.

Also scheduled is a review of management options for ending overfishing within two years of adoption of the Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan. The commission will be asked to vote to send these options out for public input.

A new law passed last year requires all fishery management plans to end overfishing within two years of final adoption. A draft Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan that was developed prior to passage of the law and tentatively approved in November, does not meet this criteria.

The meeting begins with a public comment session at 6 p.m. Aug. 30. Anyone who wishes to speak to the commission on a fisheries-related matter may do so then or at 9:15 a.m. Aug. 31. Due to time constraints, the commission chairman asks individuals to speak only once, either on Aug. 30 or on Aug. 31, but not during both public comment periods.

The business session of the meeting begins at 9 a.m. Aug. 31 and 8:30 a.m. Sept. 1.

A full revised meeting agenda is attached.

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nr-33-11

Aug. 30
6 p.m. Public Meeting



Receive public comment relative to fisheries management issues.

Aug. 31
9 a.m. Call to Order*

Pledge of Allegiance




Invocation

Conflict of Interest Reminder

Roll Call




Approval of Agenda**

Approval of Meeting Minutes**

9:15 a.m. Public Comment




Receive public comment relative to fisheries management issues.

9:45 a.m. Issues from Commissioners

10 a.m. Chairman’s Report




Review administrative actions and issues from the chair.

· Welcome to New Commissioners

· Letters

· 2012 Meeting Schedule

· Election of Vice Chairman**

10:30 a.m. Committee Reports

Review of advisory committee and committee meetings.

· Sea Turtle

· Strategic Habitat Area - Region Two

10:45 a.m. Spotted Seatrout FMP – Chip Collier

Review management options to end overfishing within two years of final plan adoption and vote to send out to advisory committees/public meetings.

· Vote to send out to advisory committee/public meetings review**

Noon Lunch Recess

1:30 p.m. Estuarine Striped Bass FMP Amendment 1 – Charlton Godwin and Katy West

Review plan amendment and vote to send out to advisory committees/public meetings.

· Vote to send out to advisory committee/public meetings review**

3 p.m. Blue Crab FMP Amendment 2 – Laura Lee, Ray Mroch and Lynn Henry

Review the Division of Marine Fisheries’ stock assessment for blue crabs.

4 p.m. Stock Status Update – Kathy Rawls

Review of the Division of Marine Fisheries’ annual stock status report.

4:15 p.m. Fishery Management Plan Schedule – David Taylor

· Approval of Five-Year Schedule**

4:30 p.m. Rule Suspensions – David Taylor

The commission must vote to continue suspension of any rules the Division of Marine Fisheries Director has suspended by proclamation.

· Vote on Rule Suspension for Spotted Seatrout**

· Vote on Rule Suspension for Gill Net Yardage Restrictions**

4:45 p.m. Rulemaking Update – Catherine Blum

· Hearing Reminder – Sept. 14, 6 p.m., Central District Office, Morehead City

5 p.m. Temporary and Permanent Rulemaking

The commission will review proposed temporary and permanent rules for procedures for submission of petitions for declaratory rulings.

· Vote on Approval of Temporary Rule**

· Vote on Approval of Notice of Text of Permanent Rule**

5:15 p.m. SCFL Eligibility Report/Set Eligibility Pool Cap – Rich Carpenter

Each year the commission must set a cap on the number of Standard Commercial Fishing Licenses in the License Eligibility Pool.

· Set Eligibility Pool Cap**

5:30 p.m. Recess

Sept. 1

8:30 a.m. Declaratory Ruling on Mechanical Harvest of Clams – Mike Marshall

9:30 a.m. Atlantic Ocean Striped Bass Commercial Hook-and-Line Public Meetings – Michelle Duval

Review advisory committee/public input on allowing this fishery and resolution of gear permit requirements for upcoming season.

· Select management options for upcoming season**

10:30 a.m. Coastal Habitat Protection Plan – Jimmy Johnson

· Approval of 2011/2013 Implementation Plan**

11 a.m. Director’s Report

Reports and updates of recent Division of Marine Fisheries activities.

· Legislative Update

- Review of Fisheries-Related Bills from the 2011 General Assembly

· Budget Update

- Overview of 2011/2012 Budget for the Division of Marine Fisheries

· Shellfish Sanitation/Recreational Water Quality Section Overview – Patti Fowler

· Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Update – Michelle Duval

· Protected Resources Update – Red Munden

- Incidental Take Permit

- Observer Program

- Sea Turtle Settlement Agreement Modifications

· Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Update – Red Munden

· South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Update – Louis Daniel

Recurring Updates

· Marine Patrol Report

· Coastal Recreational Fishing License Sales Report

· Coastal Angler Program Update

· Red Drum Quota Update

· Striped Bass Quota Update

· Annual FMP Update

12:45 a.m. Issues from Commissioners

1 p.m. Adjourn

2011 Meeting Schedule:

Feb. 10-11 Pine Knoll Shores Aug. 10-12 Raleigh

May 11-13 Atlantic Beach Nov. 2-4 Atlantic Beach

* Times indicated are merely for guidance. The commission will proceed through the agenda until completed.

**Action Items

Cheryl Gilgo

Public Affairs Assistant

252-808-8137
46 minutes ago

[HOLWACHAGOT]

We're all gonna need bandannas soon Captain Lee. You won't be allowed to net a goldfish in your own fishbowl before long.
Holwachagot

[gottaflylee]

Bumping this to the top. Hope some of you can make the meeting on the 31st, Hope to see some of you there. This is one of the most important meetings of the year as this is when they will vote many things into affect.