Daily Bible Verse

November 1, 2008

Gill Nets

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats

2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide for Sports Fishermen


Hello from Surf City!
This is a post I received from Capt. Chris Medlin at East Coast Sports.

Click on the picture for a bigger version that you can read.






This is a guide for email or postal mail to the powers that be, letting them know your position. Copy and paste it to your email. Thanks

To whom it may concern,

In my opinion, the most important regulation in this plan is to adopt the required attendance of small mesh gill nets within 200 yards of any shoreline of any tributary of the Neuse, Pamlico and Pungo Rivers . This rule has already been endorsed by the Red Drum Advisory Committee and preliminarily approved by the Marine Fisheries Commission.

I strongly encourage you to adopt this rule. Furthermore, the Director of the Division of the Marine Fisheries needs to implement the intent of this rule by immediately issuing a Proclamation which will put the rule into law within the next two weeks.

Mandatory attendance of small mesh gill nets in these areas will:

allow commercial fishing to continue, but

reduce the amount of gear in the water

reduce the amount of soak time

force commercial fishermen to change tactics, less set netting and more strike netting which is less destructive

reduce bycatch

bycatch that is caught can usually be released alive with short soak times.

reduce conflicts between recreational and commercial fishermen



The MFC and the Director need to be reminded how important this rule is when it comes to protecting sub-legal size red drum. The intent of this rule is to protect these fish over the winter and it should be implemented immediately.



Respectfully,

(Insert your Name)



Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny