Release: Immediate | Contact: Patricia Smith |
Date: May 20, 2016 | Phone: 252-726-7021 or 252-342-0642 |
Recreational cobia regulations go into effect Monday
MOREHEAD CITY –The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries has issued a proclamation consistent with the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission’s decision to impose restrictions on the recreational cobia fishery. On Thursday the commission voted to impose the following restrictions on recreational cobia:
The commission’s decision was in response to a federal announcement that, because the annual catch limit was exceeded last year, it intends to close the recreational cobia season in federal waters north of the Georgia-Florida border on June 20. In order to remain consistent with the federal fishery management plan, the federal government encouraged states close state waters for recreational cobia season on June 20. The commission did not approve the division’s recommendation to either close state waters on June 20 or select one of eight size and vessel limit combinations already analyzed by federal government that would have resulted in a lengthened season if adopted by both North Carolina and Virginia.
The commission’s decision to impose these additional restrictions is an effort to extend the recreational cobia season in state waters. These new restrictions go into effect on Monday. The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will submit these new restrictions to the federal government and request an expedited review to determine whether these actions will be sufficient to allow the season to be extended in state waters beyond June 20. If the federal government determines that these restrictions are not sufficient to remain consistent with the federal fishery management plan for the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic regions, additional restrictions may be necessary.
For more specifics on the regulations, see Proclamation FF-25-2016 at http://ncmarinefisheries.net/proclamations.
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JIM MARSH
THERE IS NO WAY TO DETERMINE HOW MANY RECREATIONAL COBIA ARE CAUGHT EACH YEAR..WHY NOT DO LIKE THE HUNTERS DO! WHEN YOU CATCH A COBIA CALL THE 800 NUMBER AND SAY “I GOT ONE”!…THESE COMMISSIONERS WHO MAKE THESE RULES WHO SIT BEHIND A DESK IN RALEIGH, WASHINGTON, OR ELSEWHERE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON .THE RESTRICTIONS THEY HAVE ON MOST SPECIES IS LUDICROUS..I FISHED FOR YEARS OFFSHORE ON THE BOTTOM AND I COULD GO OUT NOW AND FILL COOLERS FULL OF RED SNAPPER GROUPER AND BLACK SEA BASS…NOT ANYMORE..I QUIT GOING!