GILL NETS – ALBEMARLE SOUND AREA
 
Dr. Louis B. Daniel III, Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M. on Wednesday, February 1, 2012, the following provisions shall apply to the use of gill nets in the following areas:
 
I. AREA DESCRIPTION
 

A. In Croatan and Roanoke, Albemarle and Currituck sounds, north and west of the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge and the Washington Baum Bridge described below:
 

1. Croatan Sound – beginning at a point 35° 53.1720’N – 75° 45.6160’W on the mainland shore; running easterly along the south side of the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge to appoint at 35° 53.1630’N – 75° 40.1640’W on Roanoke Island.
 
2. Roanoke Sound – beginning at a point 35° 53.6240’N – 75° 38.4170’W on shore at Roanoke Island; running easterly along the south side of the Washington Baum Bridge to a point at 35° 54.3820’N – 75° 35.9240’W on the Outer Banks shore.
 
B. The area between the lines referenced in I.A.1. and 2. and the southern boundary of the Albemarle Sound Management Area described as a line beginning at a point 35° 48.3693’N – 75°43.7232’W on Roanoke Marshes Point, running southeasterly to a point 35° 44.1710’N – 75° 31.0520’W on the north point of Eagle Nest Bay.
 
II. NET RESTRICTIONS
 

Only gill nets meeting the specified mesh lengths may be used in the described areas. A fishing operation, regardless of the number of vessels or persons involved, shall adhere to the gill net restrictions specified for the following areas:

A. Albemarle, Currituck, Roanoke and Croatan sounds (areas described in I.A.1. and 2.)

1. It is unlawful to use gill nets with a mesh length of six (6) inches or greater.

2. It is unlawful to use gill nets with a mesh size length less than 3 ¼ inches.

3. Gill nets with a mesh length of 3 ¼ inches shall not exceed 800 yards in length.

4. Gill nets with a mesh length of 5 ¼ inches and larger shall not exceed 1,000 yards, except as provided in
Section II.A. 5.

5. Gill nets with a mesh length of 5 ½ inches and larger are required to be equipped with tie downs spaced no farther apart than 10 yards, restricting the vertical distance between the top and bottom lines to 48 inches or less unless they are equipped with floats that do not exceed 2 inches in diameter and 6 inches in length placed a minimum of 10 yards apart, not to exceed 11 floats per 100 yards of net. Gill nets must be set so as to fish the bottom not to exceed a vertical height of 48 inches. Gill nets with a mesh length of 5 ½ inches and larger shall not exceed 3,000 yards in length combined for a fishing operation.