Marine Fisheries Commission meets Aug. 23-25 in Raleigh

Published 9:41 pm Sunday, August 20, 2023

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet in person Aug. 23-25 at the Hilton North Hills, located at 3415 Wake Forest Road in Raleigh. The meeting will also be livestreamed on YouTube.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 23; at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24; and at 9 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 25.

The commission will hold in-person public comment sessions at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 23 and at 9 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 24.

Get the latest headlines sent to you

The YouTube link will be posted on the Marine Fisheries Commission meetings webpage. After the meeting, a recording will be posted online.
Highlighted agenda items include:

A presentation on the Annual Fisheries Management Plan Review.

Discussion and possible vote on the proposed Mutilated Finfish Rule.

Setting the annual cap for the number of Standard Commercial Fishing Licenses available through the Eligibility Pool.

Election of a vice-chair.

Updates on Development of fishery management plans; Catch-U-Later App; Observer Trip Scheduling System; and Shellfish Rehabilitation Program.

The full agenda and briefing book are posted on the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage.

Marine Fisheries Commission Business Meeting Agenda

Times indicated are merely for guidance. The commission will proceed through the agenda until completed.

Marine Fisheries Commission Business Meeting

AGENDA

Hilton North Hills Raleigh

August 23 – 25, 2023

N.C.G.S. 138A-15(e) mandates at the beginning of any meeting of a board, the chair shall remind all members of their duty to avoid conflicts of interest under Chapter 138. The chair also shall inquire as to whether there is any known conflict of interest with respect to any matters coming before the board at that time.

Wednesday, August 23

4 p.m. Commissioner Orientation

6 p.m. Public Comment Period

Thursday, August 24

9 a.m. Public Comment Period

9:30 a.m. Remarks by Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Biser

9:40 a.m. Preliminary Matters: Swearing in of New Commissioners; Commission Call to Order; Moment of Silence and Pledge of Allegiance; Review Ethics Evaluations of New Commissioners; Conflict of Interest Reminder; Roll Call; Approval of Agenda; Approval of Meeting Minutes

9:50 a.m. Chairman’s Report:  Letters and Online Comments; Ethics Training and Statement of Economic Interest Reminder; 2023 Meeting Schedule; 2024 Proposed Meeting Schedule; Elect Vice Chair; Advisory Committee Workshop Update

10:30 a.m. Director’s Report – Director Kathy Rawls

Reports and updates on recent Division of Marine Fisheries activities

– Division of Marine Fisheries Quarterly Updates: Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Update; Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Update; South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Update; License and Statistics Section Update; Shellfish Sanitation and Recreational Water Quality Update;

Habitat and Enhancement Section Update: Shellfish Lease Program Update; Coastal Habitat Protection Plan Updates

OTSS Progress Report and ITP Update

Marine Patrol Update

Informational Materials: Protected Resources Memo and Reports; Rule Suspensions

11:30 a.m. Standard Commercial Fishing License Eligibility Report and Vote on setting temporary cap on the number of licenses in the Eligibility Pool

12:00 p.m. Lunch Break

1:30 p.m. Catch-U-Later App Update

2 p.m. Shellfish Rehabilitation Program Overview

2:30 p.m. Annual Fisheries Management Plan Review

3:15 p.m. Fishery Management Plans, including Status of ongoing plans;  Striped Mullet FMP Update; Amendment 1 to the Spotted Seatrout FMP; Update on FMP Development

4 p.m. Recess

Friday, August 25

9 a.m. Fishery Management Plans Continued: Amendment 2 to the Estuarine Striped Bass FMP Update

10 a.m. 2022-2023 Annual Rulemaking Cycle: Mutilated Finfish Rule

11 a.m. Rulemaking Update, including 2023-2024 Annual Rulemaking Cycle Update and 2024-2025 Annual Rulemaking Cycle Preview

11:30 a.m. Issues from Commissioners

12:15 p.m. Meeting Assignments and Preview of Agenda Items for Next Meeting

12:30 p.m. Adjourn

The following information pertains to in-person public comment:

Those who wish to speak may sign up at the hotel prior to the public comment period in which they wish to speak.

To accommodate as many speakers as possible, the chair will limit each speaker to 3 minutes.

Those making comments will be asked to speak only once, either Wednesday night or Thursday morning, but not during both public comment periods.

Those who wish to submit handouts to the commission during a public comment period should bring at least 12 copies to the meeting.

The public may also submit written comments via the following methods:

Online: An online form accessible through the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage.

By Mail: Mail to August 2023 Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting Comments, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, N.C. 28557.

Dropped off: Dropped off at the Division of Marine Fisheries’ Morehead City Headquarters Office at 3441 Arendell St., Morehead City.

The deadline to submit written comments for this meeting is at 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 21.

READ ABOUT MORE NEWS HERE.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE COASTLAND TIMES TODAY!