THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, August 21, 1995 TAG: 9508210026
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY BETTY MITCHELL GRAY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
Sport fishermen seeking changes in the state's recreational size and catch limits for two popular species of fish will have the chance this week to tell state fisheries managers what limits they would prefer.
The Division of Marine Fisheries will hold four public meetings statewide, starting today, on weakfish and bluefish.
``These meetings are scheduled to give recreational fishermen the opportunity to become more involved in the process,'' said Fentress ``Red'' Munden, section chief for resource management.
Bluefish is one of the most popular fish among recreational fishermen on the coast, with more than 14.3 million pounds harvested coastwide in 1994. North Carolina accounts for about 4 percent of that catch, according to division statistics.
Weakfish have historically been a prized fish for sports anglers although the species' numbers have fallen in recent years. In 1994, 1.7 million pounds of weakfish were caught along the coast, with North Carolina accounting for about 9 percent of that, according to division statistics.
While sports anglers want size and bag limits for both species changed to allow them to catch more fish, both are under the jurisdiction of Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission management plans.
So state fisheries managers will not have the last word on size and bag limits.
Sports anglers and tackle shop owners along the coast have told fisheries managers that few weakfish or bluefish that meet the state's legal size limit are being caught, and sports anglers are releasing numerous fish of less than minimum size. Sports anglers have also asked the division to lower the bluefish minimum size to let them catch smaller fish for bait.
The Atlantic States commission, which oversees weakfish, will allow North Carolina to impose one of the following:
A 10-inch, three-fish limit;
An 11-inch, three-fish limit;
A 12-inch, four-fish limit;
A 13-inch, six-fish limit;
A 14-inch, 14-fish limit;
Or a 16-inch fish with no catch limit.
In response to anglers' requests, division Director Bruce L. Freeman may lower the recreational size limits for weakfish from the current 14-inch minimum size and 14-fish bag limit to a 12-inch minimum with a four-fish bag limit, Munden said.
The Atlantic States council and the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council recently adopted a table for bluefish that will allow a three-fish bag limit with no size restriction; a 10-inch, four-fish bag limit; a 12-inch, five-fish limit; or a 13-inch, 10-fish limit.
Bluefish are subject to a 12-inch, 20-fish-per-day recreational limit, according to the division.
Division fisheries managers have said that any of the Atlantic States alternatives would be acceptable, depending on anglers' requests.
Some Outer Banks tackle shop owners have said that the Atlantic States alternatives will actually impose more of a hardship on sports anglers than the state's current minimum size and catch limits.
Here's a list of the dates, locations and times of the public meetings on recreational size limits for weakfish and bluefish:
Today. 6:30 p.m., Joselyn Hall, Carteret Community College, Arendell Street, Morehead City.
Today. 7 p.m., First Floor Conference Room, Archdale Building, 512 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh.
Tuesday. 7 p.m., EHNR Regional Office, 127 Cardinal Drive, Extended, Wilmington.
Thursday. 7 p.m., N.C. Aquarium, Airport Road, Manteo.
For more information, call the Division of Marine Fisheries' Fisheries Management Section at (919) 726-7021. by CNB