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Published: August 23, 2010
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The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission is well on its way toward adopting a new way to determine when to open waters to bay scallop harvesting.
At a recent meeting in Wilmington, the commission tentatively adopted an amendment to the Bay Scallop Fishery Management Plan that sets up progressive management triggers, based on sampling data from 1984-85, prior to a red tide event in 1987-88.
“This amendment will provide more flexibility in opening bay scallop season when bay scallop abundance meets specific levels,” said Louis Daniel, director of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries.
Every year, division biologists sample the abundance of bay scallops in different water bodies. Currently, bay scallop season opens only if the annual sampling shows the abundance of bay scallops in a given water body is at 100 percent of where it was in 1984-85.
Under the proposed new management method, limited harvesting could occur when division sampling indicates bay scallop abundance in a given water body is at 50 percent of the level it was in 1984-85. Trip limits and fishing days would progressively increase if sampling showed bay scallop abundance was at 75 percent or 125 percent of 1984-85 levels.
The draft amendment now goes to the secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood and Aquaculture for review. It is scheduled to come back to the commission for final adoption in November, in time for the 2011 bay scallop season.
source: NC DENR
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Published: August 23, 2010
Print
EmailThe N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission is well on its way toward adopting a new way to determine when to open waters to bay scallop harvesting.
At a recent meeting in Wilmington, the commission tentatively adopted an amendment to the Bay Scallop Fishery Management Plan that sets up progressive management triggers, based on sampling data from 1984-85, prior to a red tide event in 1987-88.
“This amendment will provide more flexibility in opening bay scallop season when bay scallop abundance meets specific levels,” said Louis Daniel, director of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries.
Every year, division biologists sample the abundance of bay scallops in different water bodies. Currently, bay scallop season opens only if the annual sampling shows the abundance of bay scallops in a given water body is at 100 percent of where it was in 1984-85.
Under the proposed new management method, limited harvesting could occur when division sampling indicates bay scallop abundance in a given water body is at 50 percent of the level it was in 1984-85. Trip limits and fishing days would progressively increase if sampling showed bay scallop abundance was at 75 percent or 125 percent of 1984-85 levels.
The draft amendment now goes to the secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood and Aquaculture for review. It is scheduled to come back to the commission for final adoption in November, in time for the 2011 bay scallop season.
source: NC DENR
Submit Article