The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission has amended the state’s Eastern Oyster and Hard Clam fishery management plans.
The changes include the establishment of deep-water oyster recovery areas that would not open to the mechanical harvest of oysters; linking mechanical harvest management in Pamlico Sound to the Division of Marine Fisheries’ cultch planting effort, with the length of the season based on pre-season sampling of oyster resources; and rotating mechanical harvest on 10-acre planting sites.
A change to the hard clam fishery management plan would phase out mechanical clam harvest from public bottom, including harvest associated with maintenance dredging, over the next three years.
Both included a provision to explore options to estimate recreational shellfish participation and landings and to communicate necessary health and safety information to fishermen.
The commission also selected its preferred management option for the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 4, which would move the already scheduled shift to 50/50 commercial/recreational to this year instead of next.
