New fishing reporting requirements will begin on December 1, and both the Division of Marine Fisheries and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission are working to inform both commercial and recreational fishermen of the changes.
Division of Marine Fisheries Director Kathy Rawls said people who fish recreationally must report any flounder, Red Drum, Striped Bass, Spotted Seatrout and Weakfish they catch in the division’s website. An iPhone app for reporting will soon be released and an Android app is currently being developed.
NCWRC Inland Fisheries Chief Corey Oakley said reporting is required in waters upstream of coastal fishing waters, as far inland as Chatham and Wake counties.
The reports are intended to help fisheries managers better understand harvest rates for those species.
Commercial fishermen will continue to report harvest they sell through a North Carolina Trip Ticket licensed seafood dealer. A new requirement means they also have to report any finfish, shellfish, and crustacean that is kept, but not sold.
