Marine Fisheries Commission to meet Feb. 18-19 in Kitty Hawk

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet Feb. 18-19 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 5353 N. Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949. The meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed on YouTube.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, and at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19. Public comment sessions will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, and at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19.

For those who choose to speak at in-person public comment sessions:

• Sign up at the hotel prior to the public comment sessions.
• To accommodate as many speakers as possible, the chair will limit each speaker to 3 minutes.
• Those making comments will be asked to speak only once, either Wednesday evening or Thursday morning, but not during both public comment periods.
• Those who wish to submit handouts to the Commission during the public comment period should bring at least 12 copies to the meeting.

The public may also submit written comments via:

• An online form on the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage.
• Mail to Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting Comments, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, N.C. 28557.
• Dropped off at the Division of Marine Fisheries’ Morehead City Headquarters Office at 3441 Arendell St., Morehead City.

The deadline to submit written comments for this meeting is 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 16.

The Commission is scheduled to vote on:

• Selecting a preferred management option and associated proposed language for rulemaking for the Atlantic Bonito Management issue paper.
• Approval of the initial determination of rules and public notice for the state mandated periodic review and expiration of existing rules (NCGS 150B-21.3A).

In response to a request by the Marine Fisheries Commission, the Division of Marine Fisheries will present proposed options for management of Atlantic bonito. The selection of a preferred management option and associated proposed rulemaking language would lead to completion of a fiscal analysis by the Division so the formal rulemaking process can begin at the Commission’s May 2026 business meeting. The public comment period will be announced by a news release at a later time.

Additionally, in 2013, North Carolina enacted NCGS 150B-21.3A, which requires state agencies to review existing rules every 10 years by a prescribed process that includes a report phase, followed by rule readoption. The first step in the process is for an agency to make an initial determination as to whether each rule is necessary or unnecessary. The Division reviewed the Commission’s rules and has given all the rules the initial determination of “necessary” for the Commission’s consideration and approval. If approved, a public comment period for the rules and determinations would be held from March 2 - May 1, 2026.

The Commission will also receive information on:

• North Carolina’s application for a Red Snapper Exempted Fishing Permit pilot project, which will allow North Carolina to test a phone application to collect catch data to monitor a recreational Red Snapper season this year.
• Spotted Seatrout cold stun closures that occurred in 2025 and early 2026.
• Upcoming Fishery Management Plans and the implementation of recently adopted plans.
• Mandatory Harvest Reporting.

A full agenda and meeting materials, as well as link to the YouTube livestream, are posted on the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage.

AT-A-GLANCE