Source: NCDEQ, 8/27/21
The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission voted
Thursday to approve the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan 2021 Amendment for public
comment and advisory committee review. The overarching goal of the CHPP is
long-term enhancement of coastal fisheries through habitat protection and
enhancement efforts. The 2021 Amendment contains a suite of recommendations
focused on achieving this goal. The Coastal Habitat Protection Plan is a
Department of Environmental Quality plan and will now be presented to the
Coastal Resources Commission and the Environmental Management Commission during
their September meetings. In another matter, the commission decided not
to immediately initiate modifications to small mesh gill net rules but instead
to address gill net issues as they come up through the fishery management plan
process. The commission considered a suite of potential
management options for the small mesh gill net fishery that focused on reducing
regulatory complexity, potential bycatch, and user conflict. The Division of
Marine Fisheries developed the proposals at the direction of the commission.
Division Director Kathy Rawls
assured the commission that the division already does and will continue to
address gill net issues through the fishery management plan process.
In other business, the commission voted to: =
Ask the division to develop an
issue paper to assess needed changes the mutilated finfish rule (15A NCAC 03M
.0101). =
Set the cap on the number of
licenses in the Standard Commercial Fishing License Eligibility Pool for fiscal
year 2021-2022 at 500. =
Approve the five-year Fishery
Management Plan schedule for review and final approval by the secretary of the
Department of Environmental Quality. =
Approve notice of text to begin
the process of readoption, repeal, adoption, and amendment of a slate of rules
under a mandatory periodic review schedule (G.S. 150B-21.3A). =
Re-elect Doug Cross as
commission vice-chairman. |