Recreational harvest of spotted seatrout in North Carolina coastal waters is closed through June 30.
The closure, which includes inland and joint fishing waters, became effective Friday, a little more than two weeks after the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, or WRC, voted to adopt the temporary closure rule during its business meeting April 17.
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The purpose of the temporary is to “avoid public confusion” after the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries’ recent proclamation to close commercial and recreational spotted seatrout harvest in coastal and joint waters because of widespread cold stun events last January, according to a WRC release.
“The Wildlife Resources Commission implemented temporary rulemaking as quickly as possible to provide regulatory consistency following the Marine Fisheries’ proclamation,” WRC Chief Deputy Director Christian Waters said in a release. “Temporarily closing the spotted seatrout harvest season follows recommendations set out by the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission’s Spotted Seatrout Management Plan to allow the population to recover from cold stun events.”
The season by hook-and-line in inland and joint fishing waters will reopen July 1.
