Saturday, April 29, 2006

Four NC Congressmen Back Drilling off the Outer Banks

We had our eye on the brewing controversy surrounding oil and natural gas drilling off the Outer Banks and a vote to immediately end the federal moratorium on offshore drilling is looming. Four North Carolina congressional representatives, Virginia Foxx, R-5th, Patrick McHenry, R-10th, Sue Myrick, R-9th, and Charles Taylor, R-11th, have all co-sponsored the legislation to remove the moratorium and favor drilling as a way to help reduce energy costs. While we understand the desire to reduce costs, especially in light of $3 a gallon gas and towing a boat, we feel that the risk to NC's fishing and tourism far exceeds the potential gains. Pay very close attention to the way this proposed drilling is presented. It is always characterized as "natural gas exploration" and never "oil drilling" even though both are the same. More the legislation is available from Washington Dateline.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

Friday, April 28, 2006

NC DENR Official Slams Navy Whale Report

North Carolina Department of Energy and Natural Resources

The Navy's proposed sonar range off the North Carolina coast, and the effects of high intensity sonar on marine life in general, have both been very hot topics the last few months. Yesterday a senior official from the North Carolina Department of Energy and Natural Resources added the NC DENR to the growing list of government agencies criticizing the Navy's proposed sonar range off the North Carolina Outer Banks. Bill Ross, secretary of the NC DENR, said that the Navy's proposed range poses a significant risk to marine life and to North Carolina's coastal resources, and that the Navy's study failed to take "this reality into account." Ross stated, "What I primarily felt was, the information was inadequate and they reached conclusions on information that was insufficient." Coincidentally, Thursday was also the day that NOAA released their final report on the July 2004 beachings in Hawaii that implicates Navy sonar. Ross' comments follow earlier criticism from NOAA and from the NC DMF that faulted the Navy for denying that endangered right whales use the waters of the proposed site and that 190 decibels is not significant enough to disturb marine life. Call or write your Congressional representatives and share your thoughts. More on the comments from Bill Ross and the overall controversy is available from the News & Observer.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

What's New with Fishing-NC.com and Fun Links

Well it seems that spring/summer is finally here and we've been doing our best to take advantage of the beautiful weather. When we haven't been on the water we've been thinking about more "must have" gear, lures, and tracking the bite. Scott even developed an unhealthy obsession with fishing gear on eBay and might have won a few more auctions than he wanted. We're planning a nice inshore / surf fishing trip for the southern NC coast next weekend and will be sure to share some stories and pictures when we get home. A offshore fishing from Morehead City and a surf fishing trip to the Outer Banks are also in the works. We've recently added a few new articles to the collection, our advertising program is now live, and this past week we marked our 100th post. To celebrate we thought we share some of the best links folks have sent in over the last few weeks. First is the beer belly, a sure-fire way to bring your favorite beverage to your favorite events. Or how about beer cap spoons? We found a great way to learn new knots at animatedknots.com, the craziest fishing video ever, and a video of the world's toughest commercial fisherman. Be sure to let us know if you find anything you think your fellow readers would enjoy, and as always, a special thanks to our regulars and contributors. Tight lines.

Archive Link 1 Comments Tell a Friend

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Sponsors Sought for Sea Turtle Satellite Tracking Project

SeaTurtle.org, a non-profit organization dedicated to sea turtle research and preservation, has started a new program that will fund satellite tracking by allowing businesses and individuals to sponsor and name a specific turtle and track it. Satellite transmitters cost about $2,000 and satellite tracking adds an additional $3,000 per year. One project on Bald Head Island will focus on the migratory movements of female loggerheads. We feel that this is a great way to help generate funds for worthwhile research and that it could also be a great fundraising opportunity for schools and potentially an effective advertising opportunity for coastal businesses. If nothing else you should check out their interactive turtle tracking map to see where all their current turtles are today. A great article on the project is available from the Outer Banks Sentinel.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

Friday, April 21, 2006

NC Adds Mercury Warning for 15 Additional Fish Species

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recently warned that 22 fish species in our state may contain dangerous levels of mercury, up from only seven last year. The mercury warning covers 17 saltwater and five freshwater species. The full list of species is available directly from the NC DHHS but some will certainly surprise you. It includes mercury warnings for Spanish and king mackerel and tuna. All fish contain some minor traces of mercury but officials found levels higher than the maximum allowable limit of 0.4 milligrams for each kilogram. The NC DHHS recommends that pregnant women and children under the age of 15 should not eat the listed species. They also suggest that adults eat these fish no more than once a week. Many feel that the state is being exceptionally cautious with the updated list but it still points to the fact that North Carolina needs to better regulate mercury emissions from coal burning power plants. More on the new warnings is available from the Wilmington Star and the NC Department of Health and Human Services.

Archive Link 1 Comments Tell a Friend

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Calcutta Wahoo Challenge Starts Thursday

The 2006 Calcutta Wahoo Challenge Series starts Thursday in Morehead City and once again all net proceeds will benefit Hospice Care of Carteret County and the Take A Kid Fishing Foundation. Last year in the inaugural tournament $70,000 was donated to charity. More prize levels have also been added to the 2006 Calcutta Wahoo Challenge including Daily's, Aggregate's, and one for that elusive 100+ pound wahoo. The first leg of the tournament, April 20-22, will be combined with the Take A Kid Fishing Boat & Tackle Expo in Morehead at the Crystal Coast Civic Center, and the second leg will be in October. Tournament prizes are expected to be lucrative with over $283,500 in prize money based on 150 boats. More information on the Calcutta Challenge is available from their website.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

Monday, April 17, 2006

Public NC Boat Ramps in Short Supply

As spring temperatures rise fishermen are finding that just getting their boats in the water is getting more difficult every year. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission maintains many public boat ramps on the NC coast and Outer Banks but unless you are willing to race the sunrise, it is often impossible to find a parking spot. The number of registered motor boats has increased by 13% for coastal counties in the last 5 years, more than 3 times the state average of 4%. And while state spending on public boat access has also increased, no one will argue that it has not been able to keep up with demand. There are a couple of very interesting possibilities in the works now that may soon make life a little easier for those fishermen who rely on public boat ramps. First, the NC WRC is talking with the North Carolina Department of Transportation about including boat ramps in future bridge replacement projects. Land at the foot of the Emerald Isle Bridge that is currently used simply for flowers has been identified as a prime opportunity. The second ray of hope comes from the proposed use of additional funds generated by the new recreational saltwater fishing license to fund additional public boat ramps. It seems that the state has finally accepted that something needs to be done to maintain public access to North Carolina's waters and we are hopeful that their efforts will be soon in coming. More on the state's plans is available from the Jacksonville Daily News.

Archive Link 1 Comments Tell a Friend

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

NC WRC To Extend Lower Roanoke Striper Season

Although the striped bass season was originally set to be from March 1st to April 15th for the lower part of the Roanoke River, the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission has announced that the season will now be extended to April 22nd. The lower Roanoke River is defined as the Roanoke River and its tributaries downstream from the US 258 bridge near Scotland Neck to Albemarle Sound, including the Cashie, Middle and Eastmost rivers. The NC WRC has been carefully monitoring striped bass harvest numbers and it appears that there is a little more room in their quota for one more week of striper fishing. More on the extended striper season is available from the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Body of Missing Bayboro Boater Found

The body of Michael Paul, a 30 year old man from Bayboro, was found in Trent Creek this morning after a 2 day search. Paul was reported missing late Friday and authorities found his boat aground with the engine running yesterday. The North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission is investigating but it appears to have been a tragic accident. While it doesn't appear to be an issue in this case, we wanted to take some time to remind everyone that while the weather has warmed up the past few weeks, the water has not. Water in the 50's and 60's can easily cause hypothermia and has been determined to be the cause of 6 deaths on the North Carolina coast this year already. Take some time this spring to check out all your aging safety gear and be sure to add just a little more caution until the water warms up. More on the accident is available from the New Bern Sun Journal.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

Saturday, April 08, 2006

Sportsman's Pier May Soon Close

In last week's post on the Triple S Pier closing we mentioned that Sportsman's Pier in Atlantic Beach had also been sold. Now it appears that the Sportsman's Pier may close permanently as early as the middle of May. 10 years ago there were 10 fishing piers on Bogue Banks, once the Sportsman's Pier shuts down there will be only 2. This is more than the loss of access to deeper water for many fishermen, it is also the loss of an important part of coastal North Carolina's culture. Ever climbing real estate prices on the NC coast, and the accompanying property tax growth, are just too much to maintain any of our state's coastal heritage so we are very hopeful about NC Sea Grant's proposed Coastal Diversity Taskforce. More the closing of the Sportsman's Pier is available in a great article on the decline of North Carolina fishing piers from the News & Observer.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

NC Flounder Quota Meeting Tonight

Federal and interstate fisheries management boards are holding a meeting tonight in Morehead City to discuss the possibility of changing the southern flounder harvest percentages allowed by commercial and recreational fishermen. Currently the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission allocates 60% of the harvest to commercial fishing and 40% to recreational catches. The meeting tonight will determine public support for changing the allocation to a 50/50 split or better to add additional flounder to the recreational harvest. North Carolina gets 27 percent of the annual commercial quota set by the ASMFC but less than 3 percent of the total recreational allocation. The meeting begins at 7 PM tonight in Room 306 of the Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST) building on the campus of Carteret Community College in Morehead City. More on the meeting is available from the New Bern Sun Journal.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend