The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission is set to convene from May 21 to May 23 at the Beaufort Hotel, located at 2440 Lennoxville Road in Beaufort, N.C. The sessions will be available for viewing via a YouTube livestream.
The meeting schedule includes a start time of 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, and 9 a.m. on both Thursday, May 22, and Friday, May 23. Public comment sessions are scheduled for Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.
For those attending in person who wish to speak during the public comment periods, sign-up will be required at the hotel before the session begins. Each speaker will have a three-minute limit to ensure that as many voices as possible are heard. Participants are asked to choose one session to speak at—either Wednesday or Thursday—and not both. If attendees plan to distribute handouts during their comments, they should bring at least twelve copies.
Written comments can also be submitted through several methods: an online form available on the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage; by mail addressed to Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting Comments at P.O. Box 769 in Morehead City; or dropped off at the Division of Marine Fisheries’ headquarters office in Morehead City. The deadline for written submissions is Monday, May 19, by 4 p.m.
Key agenda items include voting on preferred management strategies for the draft Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 4 following advisory committee and public input; final adoption of amendments related to Eastern Oyster and Hard Clam fishery management plans; and rulemaking notices concerning permit-related rules and franchises/shellfish leases.
Additional topics will cover updates on Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan Amendment 3 Adaptive Management, economic analysis in fishery management plans and commission rules development, scoping for Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 5, and presentations from University of North Carolina researchers on submerged aquatic vegetation.
The full agenda and additional resources can be accessed via the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage.
