The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission is accepting public comment on nine proposed rules pertaining to permits, and franchises and shellfish leases.
A public hearing will be held by WebEx on Aug. 26, 2025, at 6 p.m. A listening station will be established at the NCDEQ Division of Marine Fisheries Central District Office at 5285 Highway 70 West, Morehead City.
The public may join the meeting online; however, those who wish to comment during the hearing must register to speak by noon on the day of the hearing. Those who wish to speak at the listening station may sign up when they arrive.
WHO: Marine Fisheries Commission
WHAT: Public Hearing for Proposed Rules
WHEN: Aug. 26, 2025, at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Meeting by Web Conference
Members of the public may also submit written comments through an online form or through the mail to:
N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rules Comments
P.O. Box 769
Morehead City, N.C. 28557
Comments must be posted online or received by the Division of Marine Fisheries by 5 p.m. Sept. 30, 2025.
Links to the public hearing registration form and online comment form, as well as text of the proposed rules and links to join the meeting, can be found on the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2025-2026 Proposed Rules Webpage.
Permit Rule Amendments – Proposed amendments to five rules (15A NCAC 03I .0101, .0114, 03O .0501-.0503) would:
• Require any seafood dealer that reports trip tickets electronically to report quota monitoring logs electronically;
• Add four permits to permanent rule that are currently issued by proclamation, including a dealer permit for the estuarine flounder fishery and the Estuarine Gill Net Permit. There are no changes to current requirements;
• Clarify a fish dealer is required to submit a trip ticket for fish not sold consistent with North Carolina law and MFC rules for commercial harvest reporting requirements;
• Relocate from proclamation to rule the permit condition that makes it unlawful to refuse to allow DMF employees to obtain data for the conservation and management of marine and estuarine resources;
• Broaden the definition of "educational institution" to include schools and educational organizations;
• Add links to webpages in rules for supporting information that can change frequently;
• Repeal the Horseshoe Crab Biomedical Use Permit due to lack of use. Harvest would continue to be allowed during the open commercial bait harvest season;
• Add email as an additional means to satisfy call-in requirements for two permits; and
• Remove the requirement to notarize a permit application and instead require only the initial permit general condition form to be notarized.
Shellfish Leases and Franchises Rule Amendments: Proposed amendments to 5 rules (15A (NCAC 03I .0101, 03O .0201, .0207, .0208, .0210) would codify current procedures and align rules with state laws by:
• Removing franchises from productions requirements and termination procedures;
• Clarifying that production requirements for shellfish leases are based on the date a shellfish lease was granted or last renewed; and
• Clarifying who determines eligibility for additional shellfish lease acreage, the time at which the determination of eligibility for additional acreage occurs, what is considered additional shellfish lease acreage, and what is considered acres under a shellfish lease.
The proposed rule changes will be presented to the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission for final approval in November 2025. If approved, the effective date of the rules would be pending legislative review in 2026.
For questions about the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission rulemaking process, email Catherine Blum, rules coordinator for the Division of Marine Fisheries.