The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission took a step toward state management of Atlantic Bonito, including a five-fish recreational bag limit in draft rule language. The vote occurred at the Commission’s quarterly business meeting this week.
The proposed rule would also give the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries proclamation authority to set additional regulations for the recreational and commercial Atlantic Bonito fisheries with prior consent from the Commission.
The Division will complete the required fiscal analysis of the proposed rule so that the Commission can vote on the Notice of Text at its May 2026 meeting. This would begin the formal rulemaking process, which requires a 60-day public comment period that would occur later this year.
In other business, the Commission completed the first step in a prescribed process for a state-mandated periodic review and expiration of existing rules (NCGS 150B-21.3A) that requires state agencies to review its existing rules every 10 years. The Commission approved an initial determination that all 335 of its rules are necessary. The Commission will hold a public comment period on the rules and the initial determination from March 2 to May 1, 2026. Details will be announced in a news release at a later date.
Find a full meeting recording and other meeting information on the Marine Fisheries Commission meetings webpage.