15A NCAC 03J .0202       ATLANTIC OCEAN

In the Atlantic Ocean:

(1)           It shall be unlawful to use nets from June 15 through August 15 in the waters of Masonboro Inlet or in the ocean within 300 yards of the beach between Masonboro Inlet and a line running southeasterly through the water tank 34° 13.1500' N – 77° 47.3000' W on the northern end of Wrightsville Beach, a distance of 4400 yards parallel with the beach.

(2)           It shall be unlawful to use trawls within one‑half mile of the beach between the North Carolina/Virginia state line and Oregon Inlet.

(3)           It shall be unlawful to use a trawl with a mesh length less than four inches in the main body, three inches in the extension, and one and three‑fourths inches in the cod end or tailbag inshore of a line beginning on the western side of Beaufort Inlet Channel at a point 34° 41.3000' N – 76° 40.1333' W; running westerly parallel to and one‑half miles from the shore off Salter Path to a point 34° 40.5333' N – 76° 53.7500' W.

(4)           It shall be unlawful to use trawl nets, including flynets, southwest of the 9960-Y chain 40250 LORAN C line (running offshore in a southeasterly direction) from Cape Hatteras to the North Carolina/South Carolina state line except:

(a)           shrimp trawls as defined in 15A NCAC 03L .0103;

(b)           crab trawls as defined in 15A NCAC 03L .0202; or

(c)           flounder trawls as defined in 15A NCAC 03M .0503.

(5)           It shall be unlawful to possess finfish (including pursuant to 15A NCAC 03M .0102) incidental to shrimp or crab trawl operations from December 1 through March 31 unless the weight of the combined catch of shrimp and crabs exceeds the weight of finfish, except an additional 300 pounds of kingfish (Menticirrhus, spp.) may be taken south of Bogue Inlet.

(6)           It shall be unlawful to use unattended gill nets or block or stop nets in the Atlantic Ocean within 300 yards of the beach from Beaufort Inlet to the North Carolina/South Carolina state line from sunset Friday to sunrise Monday from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

(7)           It shall be unlawful to use gill nets in the Atlantic Ocean with a mesh length greater than seven inches from April 15 through December 15.

(8)           It shall be unlawful to use shrimp trawls in all waters west of a line beginning at the southeastern tip of Baldhead Island at a point 33° 50.4833' N – 77° 57.4667' W; running southerly in the Atlantic Ocean to a point 33° 46.2667' N – 77° 56.4000' W; from 9:00 p.m. through 5:00 a.m.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 113‑134; 113‑182; 143B‑289.52;

Eff. January 1, 1991;

Amended Eff. March 1, 1996; September 1, 1991;

Temporary Amendment Eff. December 1, 1997;

Amended Eff. October 1, 2008; August 1, 2004; August 1, 1998;

Readopted Eff. August 23, 2022.