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Source: NCDEQ, 5/11/22 New shrimp management measures will go into effect May 15 in North
Carolina state waters. The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission approved the
measures to reduce bycatch and protect habitat with the adoption of the Shrimp
Fishery Management Plan Amendment 2 at its February business meeting. Division of Marine Fisheries Director Kathy Rawls implemented the
new measures through Proclamation SH-4-2022, Proclamation SH-5-2022, Proclamation SH-6-2022, and Proclamation M-12-2022. Proclamations are
available on the division website at https://deq.nc.gov/proclamations. Management measures in the proclamations include:
- Prohibit shrimp trawling in the Carolina Beach Yacht Basin
and Bogue Sound and its tributaries except the Intracoastal Waterway.
- Prohibit all trawling in the Crab Spawning Sanctuaries.
- Statewide recreational cast net creel limit of 48-quarts
heads on or 30-quarts heads off.
The division will further explore initiatives identified in the
Shrimp Amendment 2, including:
- Continue collaboration with the industry workgroup to
identify and test gear modifications to further reduce bycatch in the
shrimp fishery.
- Provide future action through adaptive management to address
submerged aquatic vegetation issues identified through collaboration of
the division, Coastal Habitat Protection Plan support staff, Habitat and
Water Quality Advisory Committee, and stakeholder groups.
- Adaptive management to implement headrope limits to resolve
user conflict.
- Investigate a long-term shrimp trawl observer program.
Information on Amendment 2 can be found on the Shrimp Fishery Management Plan Information webpage. For more information, contact division biologist Chris
Stewart at Chris.Stewart@ncdenr.gov or
(910) 796-7370.
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