News & Events
July 12, 2024
New recreational, commercial harvest reporting
requirements delayed to Dec. 1, 2025
MOREHEAD CITY – New harvest reporting requirements for recreational and commercial fisheries have been delayed by one year and will now become effective on Dec. 1, 2025.
The N.C. General Assembly recently passed Session Law 2024-45, which, in part, amends legislation from last fall that would have implemented the harvest reporting requirements on Dec. 1, 2024.
This extension will allow the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) to engage with stakeholders, not only to inform them about the requirements, but also to ensure that the reporting process and tool(s) are robust and user-friendly.
The legislation from last fall requires that any person who recreationally harvests Red Drum, flounder, Spotted Seatrout (speckled trout), Striped Bass and Weakfish (gray trout) must report that harvest to the DMF. This requirement applies to fish harvested from coastal fishing waters, joint fishing waters and inland fishing waters adjacent to coastal or joint fishing waters.
Additionally, the law requires anyone holding a commercial fishing license who is engaged in a commercial fishing operation to report all fish harvested to DMF, regardless of sale.
More information, including links to temporary rules to implement the laws, can be found on the Mandatory Harvest Reporting webpage at https://www.deq.nc.gov/mandatory-harvest-reporting. The webpage will continue to be updated as new information becomes available.
For More Information:
DMF Contact: Patricia Smith
Phone: 252-515-5500
P.O. Box 769, 3441 Arendell St.,
Morehead City N.C. 28577
State Coastal Agency accepting public comments regarding NOAA’s proposed amendments to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management is accepting
public comment on a request for review of a federal consistency submission from the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) Office of Protected Resources proposing amendments to the North Atlantic
Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule, (also known as the“speed rule”).
The proposed action includes:
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Modifying the boundaries and timing seasonal speed restrictions of 10 knots or less
(renamed as Seasonal Speed Zones or SSZs) to better align with areas characterized by
elevated collision-related mortality risk;
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Creating a Dynamic Speed Zone (DSZ) program to implement temporary mandatory
speed restrictions when whales are known to be present outside active SSZs;
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Extending the size threshold of regulated vessels to include most vessels 35 ft (10.7 m) or
greater in length; and
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Updating the speed rule’s safety deviation provision. See 87 FR 46921 (August 1, 2022).
A more thorough description of the proposed federal actions may be examined online
at https://www.deq.nc.gov/news/events/notice-federal-consistency-review-bureau-ocean-energy-
managements-boem-consistency-determination-1.
The public may comment in writing or at a meeting scheduled for July 23,
2024, at the Crystal Coast Civic Center, 3505 Arendell St., Morehead City.
The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. and run until 6:30 p.m. or until comments
are concluded (whichever comes first). Each speaker will be allowed to
comment for up to 3 minutes.
The division will accept written comments on the proposal until 5 p.m. on July
31, 2024.
Written comments should be mailed to Daniel Govoni, Federal Consistency Coordinator, 400
Commerce Avenue, Morehead City, NC 28557 or emailed to DCMComments@deq.nc.gov.
Please put “North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule” in the subject line.
All comments will be considered in developing the state’s
consistency response. Notice of the decision regarding this matter will be provided upon request.