Press Releases

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a meeting of the Shellfish Cultivation Lease Review Committee at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 25, at the Division’s Central District Office, 5285 U.S. 70 West, Morehead City.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries has opened the 2025 application period for the state’s shellfish lease and aquaculture program. Applications will be accepted through Aug. 1 from individuals, businesses, and partnerships interested in leasing public coastal waters to farm oysters or clams.

North Carolina’s Spotted Seatrout fishery will reopen to recreational and commercial harvest in joint and coastal waters on July 1, 2025, following a cold stun closure. Upon reopening of the fishery, new management from Amendment 1 to the Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan will be implemented.

Starting July 1, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will implement requirements of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact Act ("Act") for marine and estuarine fisheries violations, as directed by the N.C. General Assembly. The Act provides reciprocal recognition of license suspensions with participating states.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission amended the state’s Eastern Oyster and Hard Clam fishery management plans at its business meeting this week.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) recently established a new state record for White Trevally (Pseudocaranx dentex).

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet May 21-23 at the Beaufort Hotel, 2440 Lennoxville Road, Beaufort, N.C. 28516. The meeting will be livestreamed on YouTube.

NCDEQ’s Division of Marine Fisheries is urging those who hold commercial fishing, seafood dealer and for-hire licenses and permits to go ahead and renew those licenses and permits this month.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries recently established a new state record for Vermilion Snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens).

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, 2025, on proposed shellfish leases in Hyde County. The hearing will be held in person at the Hyde County Courthouse, 40 Oyster Creek Road, Swan Quarter, N.C. 27885, and virtually via Webex.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, 2025, on proposed shellfish leases in Onslow County. The hearing will be held both in person at the Holly Ridge Community Center, 404 Sound Road, Holly Ridge, N.C. 28445 and virtually via Webex.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will begin renewing commercial fishing, seafood dealer and for-hire licenses and permits on April 15, and the Division is asking fishermen go ahead and get this business done in April or May.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries has extended the Spotted Seatrout cold stun harvest closure through June 30, in accordance with the state’s fishery management plan.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, 2025, on proposed shellfish leases in Pender County. The hearing will be held both in-person at the Topsail Beach Town Hall, 820 S. Anderson Blvd., Topsail Beach, N.C. 28445, and virtually via Webex.

Anglers who catch Bluefin Tuna and billfishes in North Carolina no longer need to report those catches to the state. As of today, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries has discontinued its Highly Migratory Species Catch Card Program.