Important Fisheries Meeting in Pine Knoll Shores!! (Morehead City, Kill Devil Hills: budget, approval)

[Bill Hitchcock]

MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION AGENDA SET


MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet Sept. 24-26 at the Clamdigger Inn in Pine Knoll Shores.

The commission is scheduled to discuss a number of state fisheries issues, including user group conflicts and bycatch in gill nets used in the Southern flounder fishery. The discussion is in preparation for an upcoming revision to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan.

Additionally, the Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public hearing on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Draft Addenda II & III to the Interstate FMP for Spiny Dogfish. The inter-state fisheries commission is proposing management options for state-by-state quotas that reflect the historic regional distribution of the spiny dogfish landings. North Carolina requested the proposals because the current seasonal allocation program disadvantages North Carolina spiny dogfish fishermen.


The meeting begins with a public comment period at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, followed by the public hearing on spiny dogfish at 7 p.m. The commission’s regular business meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, and at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 26.


A meeting agenda is attached. For more information, contact Nancy Fish in the Marine Fisheries Commission office at 252-808-8021 or Nancy.Fish@ncmail.net.


MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION BUSINESS MEETING
CLAMDIGGER INN, PINE KNOLL SHORES, N.C.
SEPTEMBER 24-26, 2008



Executive Order One mandates the Chair inquire as to whether any member knows of any known conflict of interest or appearance of conflict with respect to matters before the commission. If any member knows of a conflict of interest or appearance of conflict, please so state at this time in accordance with N.C.G.S. 138A-15(e).


Sept. 24
6 p.m. Public Meeting

7 p.m. Public Hearing


Sept. 25
9 a.m. Call to Order*

Executive Order One

Roll Call

Approval of Agenda**

Approval of June Business Meeting Minutes**

9:15 a.m. Public Comment

9:45 a.m. Issues from Commission Members

10:15 a.m. Chairman’s Report

§ MFC Advisor Appointments

§ Letters

§ Fisheries Forum

§ 2009 Meeting Schedule

10:45 a.m. Committee Reports

§ Habitat and Water Quality – Jess Hawkins

-Endocrine Disruptor Update – Dr. B. J. Copeland

§ Civil Penalties and Law Enforcement – Dr. B.J. Copeland

§ Blue Crab Scientist Subcommittee – Sean McKenna

§ Strategic Habitat Area Advisory Committee – Katy West

§ CHPP – Jimmy Johnson

11:30 a.m. Spotted Seatrout FMP – Beth Burns

§ Approve Timeline**

Noon Lunch

1:30 p.m. Southern Flounder FMP

§ Assessment Update – Chris Batsavage

§ Bycatch and Catch Associated with Flounder Gill Nets – Dr. Louis Daniel

3 p.m. Joint Enforcement Agreement – Col. Rex Lanier, Mike Frye and Otha Easley

4 p.m. Rules

§ Upcoming Hearings – Nancy Fish

§ Effective Date Change – Mike Marshall

§ Transfer Criteria for Eligibility Pool SCFLs – Rich Carpenter

4:30 p.m. SCFL License Eligibility Report – Rich Carpenter

§ Set Eligibility Pool Cap**

4:45 p.m. Suspension of Rules – David Taylor

§ Striped Bass Permit (two rules)**

§ Snapper-Grouper**

5 p.m. Recess


Sept. 26
8:30 a.m. Atlantic Ocean Striped Bass Subgroup Report – Sara Winslow and Dr. Scott Crosson

9:30 a.m. Shad Update – Sara Winslow

10:15 a.m. Director’s Report

§ Legislative Update – Dr. Louis Daniel

-Budget

-Seafood and Aquaculture Meetings



§ Waterfront Access and Marine Industry Fund – Dr. Louis Daniel

§ Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission – Dr. Louis Daniel

-Spiny Dogfish

§ Red Drum Landings Update – Dr. Louis Daniel

§ Coastal Recreational Fishing License

-RFP Update – Dr. Louis Daniel

-Sales Update – Don Hesselman

§ Shellfish Update – Craig Hardy

§ Artificial Reef Master Plan – Craig Hardy

§ River Herring Update – Sara Winslow

§ Striped Bass Season Update – Sara Winslow

§ Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council – Red Munden

§ South Atlantic Fishery Management Council – Dr. Brian Cheuvront

§ Marine Patrol Report – Col. Rex Lanier

Noon Adjourn



* Times indicated are merely for guidance. The Commission will proceed through the agenda until completed.

**Action Items



2008 Meeting Schedule
-November 6 & 7 Ramada Inn, Kill Devil Hills



ETHICS EXECUTIVE ORDER: Every member of the Marine Fisheries Commission has the duty to avoid conflicts of interest or appearances of conflict with respect to matters before the Commission, or Committees and Councils of the Commission. In addition, the ethics executive order mandates that the Chairman inquire whether any Commissioner knows of any known conflict of interest or appearance of conflict with respect to matters before the Commission, Committee or Council. If any Commissioner knows of a conflict of interest or appearance of conflict, he should so state at the beginning of this meeting. Commissioners having questions about a conflict of interest or appearance of conflict should consult with counsel to the Marine Fisheries Commission or the Secretary’s ethics liaison. Upon discovering a conflict consistent with Executive Order One, the Commissioner should inform the Chairman of the Commission, Committee or Council in accordance with N.C.G.S. 138A-15(e).

[Rtom45]

Thank you for that information. Having been a lifetime fisherman and I expect one of these days a NC resident, these things are important to me.