Agenda - 06-07-1993 - VII-C - Laserfiche WebLink

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11 Water Quality Action Plan, Management Action L.) • Evaluate the potential remediation of areas of sediment shown to be toxic. Areas of sediment with elevated levels of metals, some with potential toxicity, have been identified. The sites are usually associated with sites of point source discharges and marinas. Efforts to document further potential toxicity in the sediments and to evaluate the feasibility of remediation activities should be pursued to address any highly contaminated areas. (See Water Quality Action Plan, Management Action M.) • S ::.: .. ...:.. .:::: ..:..:. :.: _.::i`;::::"y::?::^::':'::'.::ii:y:}iii:�::�:.ii:ii:i:ii:::J::v:i'::::i::i:::i<:5;:;::;:i::i... .. :.::v:ii:^'i:!:.:'• ..-.:..:.. .}i:;•:: ♦.:. ... .. ....:.. :....: ..:.:......::...:.::.::::::::.::::.�:::.�::::..::::v:.�:::::::::::::.i J;e,{.:!:v:�:::.:::::.:::::::::.::.::5•:iii::.:i::.�:.�:.�::.�:.�::::::::::.::.::.�::.�:.::...Sv:i:..ii'..::....::.... The Albemarle-Pamlico estuary offers a broad range of fishing opportunities for commercial and recreational interests alike. Increasing fishing pressure,however,has resulted in generally declining catch per unit effort and notably declining landings for some species. Sustaining the long-term productivity of the region's fisheries in the face of overfishing of some species, bycatch by large commercial gear of nontarget species, conflicts between different fishing sectors, habitat loss, fish kills and diseases, and insufficient data for management is of substantial concern in the Albemarle-Pamlico region. Fisheries management can be improved with planning efforts and the promotion of best fishing practices. • Develop and implement state fishery management plans for important recreational.and commercial species. State fishery management plans would enhance the coordination, scientific justification, and predictability of fisheries management measures. Developing plans will require the completion of stock assessments to gather the data necessary to support management decisions. A plan should suggest the best measures for managing a fishery and give consideration to the use of effort control schemes where appropriate. When effort control tools such as transferable quotas or trap certificates are proposed, appropriate consideration should be given'to economic and social impacts. (See Fisheries Action Plan, Management Action A.) • Expand development of bycatch reducing gear and practices and require their use as their practicality is demonstrated. Bycatch reducing gear and practices can reduce the catch of nontarget organisms in large commercial gear and thereby, decrease potential negative impacts caused by the loss of those incidental catches. Some gear types which reduce bycatch, such as the finfish excluder device used in trawls, have already been developed and are successfully being implemented. A gear development program with a bycatch reduction focus in the Division of Marine Fisheries could promote the development of measures to reduce nontarget catches in all sector's of the region's commercial fisheries. (See Fisheries Action Plan, Management Action B.) • Establish a cost-share program to support the use of"Best Fishing Practices." A cost-share program for commercial fishing should support the use of required and voluntary fishing practices, such as the use of bycatch reducing gear, which reduce • negative impacts on fisheries productivity. Cost-share money should be used to help existing users of a particular fishery phase in new gear and practices. Where gear purchases are cost-shared, fishermen should trade in old gear to the state so as to remove that gear from use. Cost-share money could also be used to support the participation of fishermen in research projects testing new Best Fishing Practices. (See Fisheries Action Plan, Management Action J.) • Institute a license to sell fish and shellfish and a recreational saltwater fishing license. These licenses would improve the ability to collect data which would characterize the .Esocutive Summary--10