Proposed changes to eastern oyster and hard clam fishery management plans are under review.
Division of Marine Fisheries staff and the Oyster/Hard Clam Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee are to take up during an in-person workshop next week the draft amendments pertaining to the two different management plans.
Sponsor Spotlight
The workshop scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, 8:30 a.m. Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at Craven Community College in New Bern is part of the fishery management plan process. Though the public can attend, no public comment period is planned.
Under the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, the division has on its website the two management plan documents, draft amendments and the workshop agenda.
Previous management plans focused on managing wild harvest and shellfish aquaculture. Because the shellfish leases, aquaculture and franchises are now under the Shellfish Lease and Aquaculture program, the amendments under development at the workshop will focus on wild harvest. Additionally, stock assessments have not been completed for these species due to data limitations, according to the division.
The workshop-style meeting allow scientists, managers and stakeholders making up the advisory committee to address questions, comments and concerns more effectively and in a less formal setting.
Depending on the workshop’s outcome, the revised drafts of the amendments will go before the Marine Fisheries Commission later this year. If the commission approves, additional public review and comment on the draft plan will then be solicited and is critical input to completing the final plan.
Sponsor Spotlight
