Press Releases

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is accepting applications for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Fisheries Relief Program. The financial assistance is available to eligible commercial fishermen, for-hire fishing operators, seafood dealers and processors, and marine aquaculture operations with revenue losses in the spring of 2020 greater than 35% as compared to the prior 5-year average revenue.

The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) will hold a public hearing on Nov. 3 at 11 a.m. by web conference to consider amendments to 15A NCAC 07H .0304 and 15A NCAC 07H .0312. The public may join the meeting online.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR) is awarding $11.5 million in grants to eight communities in coastal North Carolina for projects related to Hurricane Florence damage.

State recreational water quality officials lift two water quality swimming alerts at ocean-side sites in Pender County.

State recreational water quality officials today are alerting the public that initial testing at two ocean-side sites in Pender County showed levels of bacteria exceeding the state’s and Environmental Protection Agency’s recreational water quality swimming standards.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are developing Amendment 2 to the N.C. Estuarine Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan. The Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public scoping period Nov. 2-15, 2020 to solicit public comments on potential management strategies for the upcoming amendment.

An advisory against swimming was posted today at a sound-side site in Dare County, where state recreational water quality officials found bacteria levels in the water that exceed state’s and Environmental Protection Agency’s recreational water quality standards.

The Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Division of Water Resources (DWR) will conduct an online public hearing on October 20, 2020 to discuss the proposed removal of the supplemental Swamp (Sw) classification and a port

State recreational water quality officials today lifted a precautionary swimming advisory in Oak Island. The advisory was lifted because floodwaters have rescinded, and pumping has ceased.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Commercial Resource Fund Committee and the Funding Committee for the N.C. Commercial Fishing Resource Fund will meet jointly on Oct. 27 at 1:30 p.m. by webinar.