The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission will hold its next meeting on November 19 and 20 at the Holiday Inn Resort Lumina in Wrightsville Beach. The sessions are open to the public and will be available via livestream on YouTube.
The meeting is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, November 19, and resume at 9 a.m. on Thursday, November 20. Public comment periods are set for 6 p.m. Wednesday and again at 9 a.m. Thursday.
Those wishing to speak during the in-person public comment sessions must sign up at the hotel before the session begins. Each speaker will have three minutes, and individuals may only address the commission once during either of the two comment periods. Attendees providing handouts should bring at least twelve copies.
Written comments can also be submitted online through a form available on the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage, by mail to P.O. Box 769 in Morehead City, or dropped off at the Division of Marine Fisheries’ headquarters in Morehead City. The deadline for written submissions is Monday, November 17, by 4 p.m.
Key votes planned include adoption of management strategies as part of the Adaptive Management Framework for Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan Amendment 3; selection of nominees for an obligatory seat with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; final approval of amendments to rules related to permit requirements; and changes regarding franchise and shellfish lease requirements.
Other topics on the agenda feature presentations about Southern Flounder management history through Amendment 5, analysis using fishery-independent sampling data for Southern Flounder in state waters, updates on upcoming Striped Bass management changes for Tar-Pamlico and Neuse rivers, reporting options for new requirements affecting recreational and commercial fishermen starting December 1, 2025, a demonstration of a new electronic License and Statistics Annual Report, and an update on plans for revising the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan in 2026.
A complete agenda along with meeting materials and livestream access can be found on the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage.
