The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is seeking input from the public on potential management strategies for an upcoming amendment to the Shrimp Fishery Management Plan.

The amendment will examine management strategies to further reduce bycatch of non-target species in the shrimp trawl fishery and potential changes to existing shrimp management strategies.

Fishermen and other stakeholders can provide input through written comments.

The public may submit written comments through an online form that can be accessed through the Shrimp Amendment Information Page found on the state’s Marine Fisheries website under Hot Topics or by submitting comments by mail to Shrimp Amendment 2 Scoping Comments, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, N.C. 28557

Comments should be posted online or postmarked by 5 p.m., Jan. 21. The division will not accept comments submitted by email.

The division is seeking comments on potential management strategies in the shrimp fishery that have already been identified for development in Amendment 2. The issues are:

– Bycatch Reduction–Effort Control: additional day(s) of week closure, closed seasons in internal coastal waters (estuarine) and the Atlantic Ocean (0‐3 miles), headrope reductions;

– Bycatch Reduction–Area Restrictions: close additional areas to shrimp trawling (such as bycatch hotspots), develop migration corridors closed to shrimp trawling;

– Shrimp Management–Size Restrictions: eliminate shrimp management by size, adjust target opening sizes; and

– Habitat–Area Restrictions: closing critical fish habitat areas to shrimp trawls.

A scoping document further outlining the potential management strategies can be found on the Shrimp Amendment Information Page.

Scoping is the first stage of the amendment process. Additional opportunities to comment on the draft amendment will be announced as the fishery management plan process proceeds.

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