Time to stand up for Speckled Trout: Amendment 1 Speckled Trout FMP
Fisheries Gone Wild Podcast is back again to discuss the upcoming Marine Fisheries Commission meeting on August 21-23. Please come out for Public Comment in Raleigh 6:00pm August 21 and 9:00am August 22. The Division of Marine Fisheries will be presenting their management recommendations to the Marine Fisheries Commision on updating Amendment 1 to the Spotted Seatrout Fisheries Management Plan.
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENT: Public Comment Period for August 2024 Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting | NC DEQ
The Division of Marine Fisheries has come out with their recommendations that go against what the Speckled Trout Advisory Committee proposed earlier this year. CCA NC supported the recommendations from the Advisory Committee.
Click here for the full meeting briefing materials: August 2024 MFC Briefing Book (nc.gov)
Summary of DMF Management Recommendations for Spotted Seatrout FMP Amendment 1
Based on recreational harvest from 2019-2022, the recommendations for the recreational sector equate to a 39.5% reduction in recreational harvest. Based on commercial harvest from 2019-2022, the recommendations for the commercial sector equate to a 40.2% reduction in commercial harvest. When combined across sectors, the Division is preliminarily recommending a 39.6% total harvest reduction. Please note, these are the Division’s initial recommendations and are subject to change.
The DMF recommends the following options that are projected to end overfishing with a greater than 70% probability of keeping SSB above the target:
Recreational Recommendations:
o 3 fish recreational bag limit (Appendix 2: Sustainable Harvest Issue Paper)
o 14”–20” recreational slot limit with allowance for one fish >26” (Appendix 2: Harvest Issue Paper)
o Jan–Feb statewide recreational harvest closure
o Eliminate the captain/crew allowance on for-hire trips with no broader vessel limit (Appendix 3: Supplemental Management Issue Paper)
Commercial Recommendations:
o Oct–Dec, 11:59 p.m. Friday to 12:01 a.m. Tuesday statewide commercial harvest closure (Appendix 2: Sustainable Harvest Issue Paper)
o Jan–Feb statewide commercial harvest closure (Appendix 2: Sustainable Harvest Issue Paper) o Stop Net Management (Appendix 2: Sustainable Harvest Issue Paper)
o Restrict stop nets to the Atlantic Ocean on Bogue Banks with a 4,595 lb. Spotted Seatrout season quota. o A maximum of four stop nets are allowed between Beaufort Inlet and Bogue Inlet at any one time and each combined fishing operation is limited to a maximum of two stop nets at any one time. o The season will open no sooner than October 15 and close when the Spotted Seatrout quota is reached or no later than December 31. o Stop net crews must contact N.C. DMF Marine Patrol Communication each time a stop net is set and two hours prior to each time a stop net is fished. o The same day a stop net is fished, and the catch is landed at the fish house, a representative of the stop net crew must contact DMF Fisheries Management Section to report the daily total of Spotted Seatrout in pounds as it appears on the trip ticket. Same day reporting is required even if zero Spotted Seatrout are harvested. o Failure to follow reporting requirements will result in an immediate closure of the stop net fishery. o Additional gear and setback requirements from previous proclamations will continue.