The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission has moved forward with a proposal to establish a five-fish recreational bag limit for Atlantic Bonito. This action was taken during the Commission’s quarterly business meeting this week as part of efforts to manage the species at the state level.
The draft rule would also grant proclamation authority to the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries, allowing them to set further regulations for both recreational and commercial Atlantic Bonito fisheries, provided they have prior consent from the Commission.
Before any changes are implemented, the Division will conduct a required fiscal analysis of the proposed rule. The Commission is expected to vote on issuing a Notice of Text at its May 2026 meeting, which would initiate the formal rulemaking process. This process includes a 60-day public comment period scheduled for later in 2026.
In other actions, the Commission began reviewing its existing rules as required by state law (NCGS 150B-21.3A), which mandates that agencies review their rules every ten years. The Commission determined that all 335 current rules are necessary and will seek public input on this determination from March 2 to May 1, 2026. Details about this comment period will be announced in an upcoming news release.
The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is responsible for environmental regulation and stewardship across North Carolina, including air, land, water, and coastal resources. According to its official website, DEQ supports public education and compliance initiatives to promote community awareness and environmental protection throughout the state. The agency provides services such as air quality regulation, permit issuance, enforcement of environmental laws, waste management, and oversight of water resources. Its central office is located at 217 West Jones Street in Raleigh.
A full recording of the recent meeting and additional information can be found on the Marine Fisheries Commission meetings webpage.
