The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet Aug 20-21 at the Hilton Raleigh North Hills, 3415 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, N.C. 27609. The meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed on YouTube.
The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20 and at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21. Public comment sessions will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20, and at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21.
AT-A-GLANCE
| WHO: | N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission |
| WHAT: | Quarterly Business Meeting |
| WHEN: | Aug. 20 at 1 p.m. (public comment begins at 6 p.m.) |
| Aug. 21 at 9 a.m. (public comment begins at 9 a.m.) | |
| WHERE: | Hilton Raleigh North Hills 3415 Wake Forest Road Raleigh, N.C. 27609 Click here for YouTube link |
The following information pertains to the in-person public comment sessions:
- Those who wish to speak may sign up at the hotel prior to the public comment period.
- To accommodate as many speakers as possible, the chair will limit each speaker to 3 minutes.
- Those making comments will be asked to speak only once, either Wednesday evening or Thursday morning, but not during both public comment periods.
- Those who wish to submit handouts to the commission during the public comment period should bring at least 12 copies to the meeting.
The public may also submit written comments via the following methods:
- An online form accessible through the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage.
- Mail to Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting Comments, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, N.C. 28557.
- Dropped off at the Division of Marine Fisheries’ Morehead City Headquarters Office at 3441 Arendell St., Morehead City.
The deadline to submit written comments for this meeting is 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 18.
The Commission is scheduled to vote on:
- Adoption of Amendment 4 to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan. If approved, Amendment 4 will expedite the sector allocation transition to 50/50 (commercial/recreational) in 2025 rather than in 2026 as scheduled in Amendment 3.
- Setting the annual cap on the number of Standard Commercial Fishing Licenses available through the eligibility pool.
- Election of a vice chair.
Other agenda items include:
- Commission discussion and input on management issues to explore in Draft Amendment 5 to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan.
- A presentation on North Carolina’s Sheepshead fishery, highlighting current trends in the commercial and recreational sectors, and outlining potential next steps for exploring changes to management.
- A presentation on North Carolina's Black Drum fishery, including current trends in the commercial and recreational sectors.
- A presentation reviewing data on the Striped Bass harvest closure in the Neuse and Tar/Pamlico rivers within the Central/Southern Management Area, including information about potential opportunities for reinstating harvest.
A link to the YouTube live stream, as well as a full agenda and briefing book are posted on the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage.