The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries announced on March 10 that it will hold a public hearing regarding proposed shellfish bottom and water column leases in Hyde County at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18. The hearing will take place both in person at the Hyde County Courthouse in Swan Quarter and online via Webex.
The hearing is significant as it provides an opportunity for community members to comment on new aquaculture projects that could impact local waterways and economies.
Three applications are under consideration: Good Time Charlie’s Fisheries LLC (Mary E. Van Salisbury) has applied for a 2.12-acre lease in Back Creek; Angel’s Breath Oyster Company LLC (Michael L. D’Amelio) seeks a 4.04-acre lease in Rose Bay; and Oasis Oyster Company LLC (Maxwell A. D’Amelio) has requested a 4.09-acre lease, also in Rose Bay. Each proposed area will be marked with signs indicating their status as potential shellfish bottom or water column leases, along with identifying numbers.
Members of the public can participate by attending the hearing either in person or online through Webex. Those wishing to speak via Webex are asked to pre-register at deq.nc.gov/hyde-county-shellfish-lease-hearing-speaker-registration, while those attending in person should register between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the courthouse before the meeting begins.
Additional information about the hearing—including web conference details, presentation slides, and biological investigation reports—is available at deq.nc.gov/2026-03-18-hyde-county-shellfish-lease-hearing. Written comments may also be submitted up to 24 hours after the hearing using an online form or by mailing them to the NC Division of Marine Fisheries Shellfish Lease and Aquaculture Program.
