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North Carolina Marine Fisheries Proclamation M-6-2022 removed gill nets configured for harvesting American shad and continued restrictions on use of small mesh in the Albemarle Sound Area in Management Unit A.

The proclamation became effective at 12:01 a.m. on March 15, 2022.

It remains unlawful to use fixed or stationary gill nets with a stretched mesh length other than 3¼ inches. It opens an exempted portion of Management Unit A that allows the use of run-around, strike, drop and trammel gill nets with a stretched mesh length of 5½ inches through 6½ inches to harvest blue catfish.

It is unlawful to use drift gill nets in the Joint Fishing Waters portion of the Roanoke, Middle, Eastmost, Cashie, Chowan and Meherrin rivers and all other joint water tributaries of the Albemarle Sound Management Area as defined in N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rule 15 NCAC 03R. 0201.

It is unlawful for Recreational Commercial Gear License holders to use gill nets with a stretched mesh length of 5½ inches through 6½ inches.

It is unlawful to use drift gill nets with a stretched mesh length less than 3¼ inches and greater than 4 inches.

It is unlawful to use run-around, strike, drop and trammel gill nets with a stretched mesh length less than 3¼ inches and greater than 4 inches, except in Sub-Unit A1.

That Sub-Unit A1 states it is unlawful to use run-around, strike, drop and trammel gill nets with stretched mesh lengths other than 3¼ inches through 4 inches or 5½ inches through 6½ inches (run-around, strike, drop, and trammel gill nets with a stretched mesh length 3¼ inches through 4 inches and 5½ inches through 6½ inches may be used).

Yards of gill net are restricted to 800 yards of gill net with a stretched mesh length of 5½ inches through 6½ inches in any combination per vessel or SCFL/RSCFL holder regardless of the number of license holders on the vessel.

“The intent of this proclamation is to implement gill net restrictions in accordance with Amendment 2 to the N.C. Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan, Amendment 2 to the N.C. River Herring Fishery Management Plan, and to Amendment 1 to the N.C. Estuarine Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan, and to minimize interactions with threatened and/or endangered species,” states the proclamation.

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