The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission has made amendments to the Eastern Oyster and Hard Clam fishery management plans during its recent business meeting.
The changes to the Eastern Oyster Fishery Management Plan, outlined in Amendment 5, include several key provisions. One is the establishment of Deep-Water Oyster Recovery Areas that will remain closed to mechanical oyster harvesting. Additionally, the management of mechanical oyster harvests in Pamlico Sound will now be linked to the Division of Marine Fisheries’ cultch planting efforts, with season lengths determined by pre-season sampling of oyster resources. A rotational opening plan for mechanical harvesting on 10-acre cultch planting sites will also be implemented.
For the Hard Clam Fishery Management Plan, Amendment 3 introduces a phased approach over three years to eliminate mechanical clam harvesting from public bottoms, including those associated with maintenance dredging.
Both amendments aim to explore ways to estimate recreational shellfish participation and landings while ensuring necessary health and safety information is communicated effectively to fishermen.
In addition to these amendments, the commission selected a preferred management option for Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 4. This decision will move up the sector allocation shift from 2026 to 2025, adjusting it to a 50/50 split between commercial and recreational sectors as previously scheduled in Amendment 3.
The commission also approved initiating rulemaking processes for specific issues. Proposed rules will be published in the NC Register in August, followed by a public comment period and hearing. The issues involve Permit-Related Rules under codes 15A NCAC 03I .0101, .0114, and Franchises and Shellfish Leases under codes 15A NCAC 03I .0101 and others listed.
Recordings of this meeting are available on the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage.
