Press Releases

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 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 (NCDEQ) Division of Coastal Management (DCM) will hold a public hearing on April 16 from 5-7 p.m. at the Currituck Extension Center located at 120 Community Way, Barco, to hear public comment on North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and North Carolina Turnpike Authority’s (NCTA) Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) application for the proposed Mid-Currituck Bridge project.

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 State Water Infrastructure Authority will meet in person in Edenton and by teleconference, via Webex, on Wednesday, April 16 and Thursday, April 17. The public may attend in person or listen to the meeting online or by phone.

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.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) State Energy Office will hold a public hearing on April 17 and accept public comments on the Weatherization Assistance Program’s Annual State Plan. Members of the public are invited to attend in person or online.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources (DWR) will hold a public hearing on April 22 to hear public comment on proposed changes to North Carolina’s surface water quality standards, including the addition of standard for E. coli as an indicator of pathogens, or disease-causing organisms, in recreational waters.

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.

The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve will hold Spring local advisory committee meetings April 22-23 for the following reserve sites. All meetings are in-person only and open to the public.