THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 4, 1994 TAG: 9412040064
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY BETTY MITCHELL GRAY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SMITHFIELD LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
The Marine Fisheries Commission on Saturday relaxed restrictions on the commercial winter weakfish catch after watermen asked for the changes.
The commission voted during an emergency meeting in Smithfield to partially rescind a ban on some commercial fishing of weakfish - also known as gray trout - south of Cape Hatteras.
The ban is part of an Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission effort to restore dwindling populations of the fish.
The changes open some Atlantic Ocean waters south of Cape Hatteras to the commercial fly-net industry for several weeks during the winter and allow those boats to fish near some wrecks where fishing had been restricted.
Several commission members asked the panel to review its weakfish plan after North Carolina fisheries regulators unsuccessfully sought ASMFC approval earlier this year for changes in the plan.
An ASMFC committee voted not to change the plan, although its members said at the time that the proposal, forwarded to the ASMFC by state fisheries regulators for approval, would meet initial reductions in the weakfish catch.
Committee members said they voted against the proposal because it was not submitted by an ASMFC deadline for changes to the plan and, therefore, did not comply with ASMFC procedures.
Despite the changes made by the commission, the state will not face retribution from the ASMFC for its action. The state is expected to seek approval from the compact at the next appropriate ASMFC meeting, Division of Marine Fisheries staff members said. by CNB