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North Carolina Marine Fisheries Proclamation M-11-2025 maintains closures of all management units south of Management Unit A to the use of gill nets with a stretched mesh length of 4 inches through 6 ½ inches; maintains no allowance of large mesh gill nets above 6 ½ inches stretch mesh length; and removes the large mesh size allowances in the gear exemptions for all areas south of Management Unit A (coincides with the commercial shad fishery closure) in accordance with Amendment 3 to the N.C. Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan, the Endangered Species Act Incidental Take Permit for endangered or threatened Sea Turtles and endangered sturgeon and to minimize bycatch with adult red drum and striped bass.

The proclamation was effective at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, May 5, 2025, in all internal coastal and joint fishing waters.

The proclamation states “it shall be unlawful to use gill nets with a stretched mesh length greater than 6 ½ inches; and it shall be unlawful to use gill nets with a stretched mesh length of 4 inches through 6 ½ inches except those described In Section II.”

In Section II, the proclamation states under Gear Exemptions and Restrictions “it shall be unlawful to use run-around, strike, drift, and drop gill nets with a stretched mesh length 5 inches or greater.” The proclamation removes large mesh size allowances.

“The intent of this proclamation is to implement gill net restrictions for gill nets with a stretched mesh length 4 inches through 6 ½ inches in accordance with Amendment 3 to the N.C. Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan and allow directed and bycatch fisheries for various species while minimizing interactions with threatened and/or endangered species.”

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