November 16th Marine Fisheries Commision Meeting

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet in-person next week at the Islander Hotel and Resort, 102 Islander Dr., Emerald Isle. The meeting will also be livestreamed on YouTube.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15; at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16; and at 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 17. The commission will hold in-person public comment sessions at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15, and at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16.

We will have a special edition of the Fisheries Gone Wild podcast posted by the end of this week when we dig into what on the surface appears to be a light meeting agenda and look closer at how the sausage is being made. We will post the link here as soon as it is live or add us to your library on Spotify or Apple podcasts to make sure you do not miss an episode.

The following information pertains to in-person public comment:

• Those who wish to speak may sign up at the hotel prior to the public comment period in which they wish to speak.
• To accommodate as many speakers as possible, the chair will limit each speaker to 3 minutes.
• Those making comments will be asked to speak only once, either Wednesday night or Thursday morning, but not during both public comment periods.
• Those who wish to submit handouts to the commission during a public comment period should bring at least 12 copies to the meeting.

The public may also submit written comments via the following methods:

• An online form accessible through the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage.
• Mail to November 2023 Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting Comments, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, N.C. 28557.
• Dropped off at the Division of Marine Fisheries' Morehead City Headquarters Office at 3441 Arendell St., Morehead City.

The deadline to submit written comments for this meeting is 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13.

The YouTube link will be posted on the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage. After the meeting, a recording will be posted online.

Agenda items include:

• Votes on a slate of nominees for the at-large seat for the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the at-large seat for the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.
• Review of the scoping meetings and approval of the goal and objectives for the Hard Clam Fishery Management Plan Amendment 3 and Eastern Oyster Fishery Management Plan Amendment 5.
• Approval of the Draft Striped Mullet FMP Amendment 2 for public and advisory committee review.
• Final approval of proposed rules pertaining to data collection and the prevention of harassment of N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries staff, the Shellfish Relay Program and shellfish leases and franchises, oyster sanctuaries, and shellfish sanitation procedures.
  

The full agenda and briefing book are posted on the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage