NCMFC Special meeting to open menhaden fisheries

[Fishfinder]

The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission is having a emergency meeting in Morehead City at the Crystal Coast Civic Center on Monday November the 22nd.at 1 pm. They have been petitioned to look into reopening the commercial menhaden netting season south of Cape Lookout all the way to the South Carolina line from the beaches out to 3 miles. I don't think this will go thru, but if it does it will be devistating to many of the inshore fisheries such as the old red drum fisheries, the spring cobia fisheries, the striped bass, king mackerel and especially our December, January bluefin tuna fisheries. If you can attend the meeting this would be great. If you are a bluefin tuna fishermen that comes to the Morehead City area or the Hatteras area to either commercially fish for bluefin or to recreationally fish for bluefins we would like for your comment to be heard as well. If you hold an out of state commercial fishing license or a out of state recreational fishing license to fish for the bluefin tuna you can e-mail your comments to bizzyb@coastalnet.com and they will be counted and taken into acount at the meeting. We need all the help we can get, if there is no bait there will be no bluefin.

Capt. Joe Shute

[mike the plumber]

well said captain joe shute.if there is no bait then there are no bluefin.100%correct in my opinion.i was down MHC 3 years ago and caught a 94 inch bluefin that had about 24 to 30 bunker in his belly.hopefully this season is way bettor than last year.

[Robja]

Joe,

You might want to let Rube McMullen at Ocean Isle Fishing Center know about this just in case he hasn't heard. He was very involved in getting the ban in southeastern NC going. I will voice my opinion on the link you posted. Thanks for the heads up

[Fishfinder]

Thank you for the support. I have also posted this on some of the NC boards.

Capt. Joe

[Bluewater Sportfishing]

Joe,
Who is pushing for this the most? Sent my comment in via e-mail.
thanks for the heads up.
Kobey

[mike the plumber]

kobie when you headed down or should i say start to fish?

[Fishfinder]

Thanks for your reply Kobie. Mostly it is some of the local ex menhaden fihermen. But if they get this passsed, there will be nothing to stop Omega Fisheries from steaming in and catching all they want. I can't proce it, but I would have to believe that they have some type of ties to this since they would benefit from the opening the most. By the way Kobie, I have just started making a new 5 3/4 oz head with 1/2 inch eyes for the tuna and wahoo. It has already been doing pretty well.

Capt. Joe

[Bluewater Sportfishing]

Thanks for your reply Kobie. Mostly it is some of the local ex menhaden fihermen. But if they get this passsed, there will be nothing to stop Omega Fisheries from steaming in and catching all they want. I can't proce it, but I would have to believe that they have some type of ties to this since they would benefit from the opening the most. By the way Kobie, I have just started making a new 5 3/4 oz head with 1/2 inch eyes for the tuna and wahoo. It has already been doing pretty well.

Capt. Joe

Joe,
Kinda figured Omega would be in there somehow. Makes me wonder that if they are the guys pushing from the behind the scenes then what in the world have they doen to the bunker stocks up in the cheasapeake. I hope this can be stoped. I will have to check out those new heads when I get there.

Mike I hope to be fishing by the 1st of december but this weather needs to lay out first, my god its blowing

[Capt. Jon Tennant]

if i had to guess, it probably a direct pushback from Omaga aimed and the Brunswick co. beaches ie: ocean isle beach. more or less because of the efforts the Mcmullans have been making to have the NC menhaden season remain closed until after the bluefin season. in other words Omaga is basically saying... you go after ours and we'll go after yours. you can read more on the mcmullans efforts on the oifc website at- http://www.oifc.com/Menhaden.cfm

If it were up to me, Omaga would not be allowed to fish anywhere in NC waters.... it's bad enough whats been done to the Chesapeake Bay.

[Bluewater Sportfishing]

if i had to guess, it probably a direct pushback from Omaga aimed and the Brunswick co. beaches ie: ocean isle beach. more or less because of the efforts the Mcmullans have been making to have the NC menhaden season remain closed until after the bluefin season. in other words Omaga is basically saying... you go after ours and we'll go after yours. you can read more on the mcmullans efforts on the oifc website at- http://www.oifc.com/Menhaden.cfm

If it were up to me, Omaga would not be allowed to fish anywhere in NC waters.... it's bad enough whats been done to the Chesapeake Bay.

Good read, you can tell by the response that they know they are wrong, and in true political form they are sandbagging commen sense. All I can sense is a big payday from omega to the powers that be. They have fished out the Chesapeake, now they will fish out cape lookout. Whats it going to take?
I'm sorry but during Dec/Jan Morehead City would be a Ghost town if the Bluefinners were not there. The buisness owner(s) should be there at the meeting as well to voice what business they will loose if this goes thru.