The Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries is hosting a series of meetings to train fishermen on the use of the Observer Trip Scheduling System (OTSS).
The OTSS is an automated system that will be used to schedule observer trips for Estuarine Gill Net Permit holders in North Carolina.
The division is planning to launch the system in February.
The Division holds an Endangered Species Act Section permit for the incidental take of five species of sea turtles and two species of sturgeon associated with the use of gill nets, and the conservation plan requires the division must observe 7% to 10% large-mesh gill-net trips and 1% to 2% of small-mesh gill-net trips.
Permit-holders will be required to use OTSS to report their planned fishing trips by either calling an automated hotline or using an online website.
The first training will take place at the Marine Fisheries office in Morehead City on January 16, and there is another at the DEQ’s regional office in Washington on January 28. Both start at 6 p.m.
Those required to use that system that can't attend one of the meetings is asked to contact the Observer Coordinator, Christina Bland, for more information at Observer.Program@deq.nc.gov or 252-515-5625.
