New North Carolina Fishing License Changes (Recreational - Captain's)

The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources recently announced new rules impacting for-hire fishing operations and ocean fishing piers.

New Rule Highlights:

 - Elimination of current For-Hire Permit and Coastal Recreational Fishing License blanket licenses, replacing with a captain’s for-hire license, a blanket for-hire vessel license, and a non-blanket for-hire vessel license, to be consistent with current state law.

 - Combining two separate ocean pier licenses into one Ocean Fishing Pier License with the same net cost. 

The rules will be included in 2015 North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission Rules (2015 rulebook) and will be posted online at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/rules-and-regulations by May 1.

source: North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources

South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper FMP Amendment 27

NOAA Fisheries is publishing a final rule to implement Amendment 27 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region on December 27, 2013.

Amendment 27 includes the following actions:

Extends the South Atlantic Council's management responsibility for Nassau grouper to include the Gulf of Mexico.

Increases the number of allowable crew members from three to four on dual-permitted vessels (vessels that have both a federal South Atlantic Charter/Headboat Permit for Snapper-Grouper and a South Atlantic Unlimited or 225-Pound Snapper-Grouper Permit).

Allow captains and crew of for-hire vessels with federal South Atlantic Charter/Headboat Snapper-Grouper Permits to retain bag limit quantities of all snapper-grouper species.

Remove blue runner from the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region.

An Amendment 27 FAQ is available at:

http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/s_atl/sg/2013/am27/index.html.

Amendment 27 and the final rule may be obtained from: The NOAA Fisheries Web site:

http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/s_atl/sg/2013/am27/index.html.

source: NOAA Fisheries

Alaska Halibut Catch Sharing Plan

NOAA Fisheries is implementing a halibut catch sharing plan for the commercial and charter halibut fisheries in Southeast Alaska (Area 2C) and the Central Gulf of Alaska (Area 3A).

Prior to the catch sharing plan, the charter sector was managed under a guideline harvest level—a management program that was not optimal in preventing fishing overages when harvest of halibut by recreational anglers on charter vessels increased in areas 2C and 3A beginning in the late 1990s.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council recommended the catch sharing plan to replace the guideline harvest level with a clear allocation between the commercial and charter sectors in areas 2C and 3A. The Council urged NOAA Fisheries to implement the halibut catch sharing plan in time for the 2014 fishing season.

Under the catch sharing plan, commercial and charter halibut operations will have a combined catch limit determined by the International Pacific Halibut Commission each year prior to the fishing season. Allocations to the charter and commercial sectors will vary with changes in halibut abundance, according to NOAA Fisheries. 
 
One element of the plan that allows for flexibility is the “guided angler fish” program, which authorizes annual transfers of commercial halibut individual fishing quota to charter halibut permit holders to give charter anglers the opportunity to land halibut up to the limit in place for unguided anglers.

For example, if unguided anglers were allowed to retain two halibut of any size per person per day, and charter anglers were limited to one halibut of a specific size per person per day, charter halibut operators could use the guided angler fish program to permit a client to harvest up to two fish of any size per day.  

A copy of the final halibut catch sharing plan is available online at the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region website: http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/

source: NOAA Fisheries

2012 North Carolina Recreational Fish Landings

North Carolina recreational anglers harvested an estimated 12 million pounds of finfish (8.1 million fish) in 2012, a 9 percent decrease from 2011. During the same period, anglers released an estimated 18.5 million fish, according to the North Carolina Coastal Angling Program.

Dolphinfish topped of the list of recreationally harvested fish. Anglers harvested 2.6 million pounds of dolphinfish (327,042 fish) in 2012, a 27.8 percent decrease from 2011.

Yellowfin tuna took the No. 2 spot with landings of 1.6 million pounds (57,085 fish), followed by bluefish at 1 million pounds (888,852 fish), wahoo at 854,361 million pounds (30,877 fish) and spotted seatrout at 817,445 pounds (500,518 fish).

The number of spotted seatrout landed in 2012 was 131 percent higher than in 2011, possibly due to a mild winter that did not cause any cold stun events and provided for a winter fishing season that extended well into the spring.

The number of red drum releases hit 1.5 million in 2012, three times higher than the highest ever seen in North Carolina. Additional data from N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries monitoring programs that have noted record numbers of juvenile red drum over the past several years.

While the number of recreational fishing trips increased by 11.9 percent to 5.3 million in 2012, recreational fishing effort is still well below the nearly 7 million fishing trips made in 2008, prior to the nation’s economic downturn.

For-hire fishing trips have fallen from a high of 300,000 in 1996 to 140,648 in 2012.

For a full landings report, visit http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/marine-fisheries-catch-statistics

source: N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources

American Littoral Society Striped Bass Tagging Field Trip

American Littoral Society Striped Bass Tagging Weekend
JUNE 8 - 9, 2013
Galilee, RI

The American Littoral Society (ALS) is sponsoring a fishing trip with the Society's most prolific and successful tagger, Captain Al Anderson of Narragansett, Rhode Island, aboard his boat, "The Prowler".

The boat will depart from the port of Galilee, RI, right next to the ferry to Block Island. The Prowler is a 42 ft. North Carolina Custom Express twin diesel sportfisherman with a cabin, tower and full electronics. The trip will include striped bass tagging while fishing the rocky coast of Rhode Island and the rips of Block Island.

Captain Al, who has recently been inducted into the IGFA Hall of Fame; has been stalking and tagging stripers in Rhode Island Waters for over 40 years and has tagged and released well over 50,000 gamefish during that time.

The trip is limited to 6 anglers for the weekend, with an all-day fishing trip both Saturday and Sunday. All bait, tackle, and tags will be provided.

Participants are encouraged to bring surf fishing gear along, as there will be opportunities to experience some of Rhode Island's great shoreline fishing as well.

On Saturday the party will meet for a late lunch (Dutch treat) at a local seafood restaurant. After lunch, visitors can visit the Point Judith light house, and take a stroll out to Black Rock on Narragansett Bay.

Cost:

$275 - ALS Member

$325 - Non Member

Price includes all costs for 2 fishing trips and tags, as well as a signed copy of Capt. Al's latest book, "Island Stripers". Anglers are responsible for their own lodging and meals. Call Jeff at (732) 291-0055 for more information.

source: littoralsociety.org

Sport Charter Halibut Permit Application Deadline Nears

NOAA Fisheries is reminding sport charter fishing operators in Southeast Alaska and the central Gulf of Alaska that the April 5, 2010 deadline to apply for a permit to operate in 2011 is approaching.

“If you don’t apply before April 5 this year, you won’t get a permit, even if you qualify otherwise,” said Jim Balsiger, Administrator of NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Region.

Staff with the Alaska Region of NOAA Fisheries have sent application packets with blank forms to all operators they believe to be eligible, and that they have current addresses for. Application forms are also available on the web at: http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/ram/ or by calling 1-800-304-4846 (option 2).

NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Region estimates that 527 businesses will apply for a total of 920 permits under the new limited license program. As of March 15, NOAA Fisheries had received applications from over 400 businesses.

The new limited access program will limit the number of operators in the sport charter halibut fisheries in International Pacific Halibut Commission regulatory areas 2C (Southeast Alaska) and 3A (Central Gulf of Alaska).

Permits will be issued to qualifying individuals or businesses that documented fishing trips—in state log books—during a qualifying year (2004 or 2005) and in the recent participation year, 2008.

Charter halibut operators will be required to carry their new permits on board starting February 1, 2011.

Details are available at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/halibut/sport.htm.

How to Start a Fishing Charter Business

There are several steps to setting up a fishing charter service. Owners will need a business license, captain's license, TWIC card, boat, safety equipment, insurance, advertising, website and more.

In the USA, any operator of a boat for hire is required to be licensed. These licenses are issued by the United States Coast Guard Regional Exam Centers.

For more information see this page on How to Get a Charter Boat Captain's License