North Carolina Marine Fisheries
Unhappy wirh DMF rules and the direction our fisheries are heading? Here is your chance to let your voice be heard. Attend ths meeting and let your objections be heard.
Proposed Rule Changes
The proposed rules would:
·
Amend 15A NCAC 03M .0509
to prohibit possession of tarpon and make it illegal to gaff, spear, or puncture tarpon by any method other than hook and line.
·
Modify 15A NCAC 03O .0108 to clarify the
circumstances under which transfers of Standard Commercial Fishing
Licenses are allowed, including the following:
- Add grandparents, grandchildren, and legal guardians to the list of immediate family members eligible to receive a transferred license.
- Codify the existing requirement of a certification statement from the transferee that affirms the information provided to the division is true and accurate.
- Allow an individual license holder to transfer the license to a business in which the license holder is also an owner.
- Allow a business that is dissolved to transfer a license to an individual owner of the business.
- Allow a business that is sold to transfer a license to the successor business at the time of sale.
- Allow a business to transfer a license back to an owner who is leaving the business, if the owner originally held the license as an individual.
- Restrict business transfers to corporations and limited liability companies.
- Define “owner” to include shareholder of a corporation and member of a limited liability company.
The proposed rule
changes come at the request of the Marine Fisheries Commission, which
voted in February 2018 to start the process of amending the tarpon rule
to improve
the survivability of the fish and has, over the past couple of years,
expressed concern about the types of license transfers allowed by
statute and rule.
Modification of the two rules also meets a
state-mandated periodic review schedule under which state agencies must
review existing rules at least once every 10 years.
The proposed effective date of the rules is subject to legislative review.
For specific wording of the rule changes, go to the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission’s
Proposed Rules Page.
Information on the meeting.......
Marine Fisheries Commission accepting public comment on two proposed rule changes
MOREHEAD CITY – The
N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission is accepting public comments on changes
to two rules, one pertaining to tarpon and the other pertaining to
transfers of commercial fishing licenses.
The public may comment in
person at a public hearing scheduled for Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. at the
division’s Central District Office, 5285 Highway 70 West, Morehead City.
The public may also comment in writing to division
Rules Coordinator Catherine Blum at P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, N.C.
28557 or via email at
Catherine.Blum@ncdenr.gov. The deadline for written comments is Dec. 2.
Website:
http://www.ncmarinefisheries.
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/ncdeq
Twitter:
http://www/twitter.com/NCDEQ
P.O. Box 769, 3441 Arendell St., Morehead City N.C. 28557
Patricia Smith
Communications Director
Division of Marine Fisheries/Division of Coastal Management
252-808-8025 (Work)
252-342-0642 (Mobile)
Till next time.....
Tight lines!
Johnny
