A public hearing with the state Marine Fisheries Commission on two marine fisheries proposed rules originally planned for Tuesday is to be rescheduled.
The meeting did not take place because of a technical issue, officials said Wednesday.
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A new date will be announced for the hearing on the two rules, which are the proposed readoption and amendment of one rule regarding shellfish under a state-mandated periodic review schedule, and proposed amendments to a second rule on mutilated finfish requirements.
The public can submit comments to the state Marine Fisheries Commission through an online form or through the mail to N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rules Comments, P.O Box 769, Morehead City, N.C. 28557.
The first rule sets requirements for the harvest classification of shellfish growing waters in and around marinas, docking facilities and other mooring areas. It is proposed for readoption and amendment to help ensure that the state remains in full compliance with national requirements so that North Carolina shellfish can continue to be sold through interstate commerce, officials said.
Proposed amendments also would allow the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries to determine necessary buffer closures for shellfish growing waters in and around these areas based on a more scientific and public health-based rationale and make implementation and enforceability of requirements clearer.
The second rule is proposed with amendments to mutilated finfish requirements. Amendments would provide flexibility to manage variable conditions for the use of finfish as cut bait by simplifying the rule so that only species subject to a possession limit are subject to the mutilated finfish requirements unless otherwise specified in a N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission rule or a proclamation issued under the authority of a N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission rule.
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The proposed rule changes will be presented to the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission for final approval in February 2023 and have an earliest effective date of May 1, 2023.
Text of the proposed rules can be found on the state Marine Fisheries Commission’s Proposed Rules Page.
For questions about the state Marine Fisheries Commission rulemaking process, email Catherine Blum at Catherine.Blum@ncdenr.gov, rules coordinator for the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries.
