Less than a day before the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission convenes for its November meeting, a controversial proposal that sought sweeping limits on the commercial blue crab industry has been removed from the agenda.
Multiple sources confirmed Tuesday evening that all items related to Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan Amendment 3 — including the commission’s scheduled vote on new harvest controls — will not be considered this week.
The withdrawal comes after months of mounting tension over proposed restrictions that sparked opposition from coastal counties, commercial crabbers and several local governments on the Outer Banks.
Earlier, the commission had been expected to vote on management strategies developed under the Division of Marine Fisheries’ Adaptive Management Framework, including a ban on crab trawling in all North Carolina waters beginning Jan. 1, 2026, and new hard-crab trip limits ranging from 15 to 30 bushels depending on region and season.
The Division of Marine Fisheries has said its analyses show the population of adult female blue crabs has dipped below sustainability thresholds in recent years. State biologists maintain that although stock conditions have shown gradual improvement since 2020, continued management is needed to support long-term recovery.
However, peer reviewers have rejected the blue crab stock assessments due to concerns with model performance, and the commercial industry argues the science is not sufficient to justify new restrictions. Crabbers contend environmental swings — including sharp temperature shifts, storm-related salinity changes and predator cycles — play a greater role in short-term population changes than fishing pressure.
“We believe the DMF is acting beyond their legal authority in attempting to implement adaptive management for blue crabs,” the N.C. Fisheries Association said earlier this month.
The group argues that without a valid, up-to-date stock assessment, major harvest changes would violate state law and the Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan.
In addition to the trawl ban, the now-pulled package also included a 30-bushel hard crab trip limit between September and December in all waters from the Virginia state line to Emerald Isle, and a 15-bushel limit from Emerald Isle to the South Carolina border.
Other potential actions by the commission included:
- Adjustments to pot limits and seasonal closures in key harvest areas, including sections of Pamlico and Core sounds, which DMF said would reduce pressure during spawning months.
- Refinements to escape ring and cull ring requirements, which DMF says will improve juvenile crab survival and reduce bycatch.
- Possible changes to recreational size and possession limits
- Enhanced data collection and reporting measures
The remainder of the commission’s agenda remains unchanged as of Tuesday evening, and is expected to include a vote on nominees for the obligatory North Carolina seat on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, and taking final action on several rule amendments related to permitting, shellfish leases and franchise requirements.
In addition to the votes, commissioners are slated to hear several key presentations, including:
- A review of the history of southern flounder management through Amendment 5 and an analysis of the species’ current status based on fishery-independent data collected by the Division of Marine Fisheries.
- An update on upcoming striped bass management changes in the Tar-Pamlico and Neuse rivers.
- An overview of new reporting requirements for recreational and commercial fishermen that take effect Dec. 1, 2025, along with available reporting options.
- A demonstration of the division’s new electronic License and Statistics Annual Report tool.
- A presentation on the framework and timeline for the 2026 revision of the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan.
The meeting, which is open to the public and
The meeting, which is open to the public and will be livestreamed on YouTube, begins at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, and resumes at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20.
Public comment sessions will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday and again at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Speakers may sign up at the hotel prior to each public comment period and will be limited to three minutes each.
Those wishing to comment are asked to speak during only one of the two sessions, and anyone submitting handouts to the commission should bring at least 12 copies.
Written comments may also be submitted online through the commission’s website, by mail to Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting Comments, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, N.C. 28557, or dropped off at the Division of Marine Fisheries headquarters at 3441 Arendell St. in Morehead City. The deadline for written comments is 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17.
A full agenda and meeting materials, as well as link to the YouTube livestream, are posted on the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage.
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