DATE: Friday, October 3, 1997               TAG: 9710030681

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NAGS HEAD                         LENGTH:   45 lines

FISH KILL BLAMED ON SEINE NET STRESS FEARED PFIESTERIA NOT INVOLVED, STATE FISHERIES OFFICIALS SAY.

Thousands of fish that washed ashore on the oceanfront Thursday died after being caught in commercial fishing nets, North Carolina Fisheries officials said.

``There is no evidence that pfiesteria was involved in this kill,'' Fisheries Capt. Monty Willis said from his Columbia office. ``It seems there was a beach seine operation that encountered more fish than they could handle.

``The fishermen released some of the fish from their net. But those fish became stressed. Later, the fish died as a result of that stress and washed ashore.''

Primarily spot fish between 6 and 8 inches long, the fish were strewn for about 2 miles along the beach - from Barnes Street to Newman's Shell Shop.

Dozens of beachgoers called local tackle shops and fisheries officials, worried about what might have caused the kill. Concerns about pfiesteria, a naturally occurring organism that can turn toxic, have increased in recent months.

But state fisheries official Harrell Johnson, who heads the Elizabeth City office, confirmed Willis' assessment - and said that no toxic substances were involved in the fish deaths.

Commercial watermen set beach seine nets with small boats that they maneuver offshore from the sand. One end of the net is attached to stakes on the beach, the net is pulled in a semi-circle into the ocean, and the fish swim into it. A truck pulls the other side of the net closed - and the fishermen bring their catch ashore.

``There are no restrictions on how many spot watermen can catch. It seems there's an abundance of them this year,'' Willis said. ``The fishermen who set that net claimed responsibility for the spill and cleaned up the beach north of the Nags Head Fishing Pier.

``There was no violation of law here - so no charges will be filed. It was just an unfortunate occurrence.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

DREW C. WILSON/The Virginian-Pilot

Thousands of spot, which died after being caught in commercial

fishing net, mark the tide line along the beach south of Nags Head

Fishing Pier on Thursday. No laws were broken, officials said.

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