The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission is seeking public input on nine proposed rules related to permits, franchises, and shellfish leases. The commission will hold a public hearing via WebEx on August 26, 2025, at 6 p.m. A listening station will be available at the NCDEQ Division of Marine Fisheries Central District Office in Morehead City for those who wish to attend in person.
Members of the public who want to comment during the hearing must register by noon on the day of the event. Those attending at the listening station can sign up upon arrival.
Written comments are also being accepted. Submissions can be made through an online form or mailed to:
N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rules Comments
P.O. Box 769
Morehead City, N.C. 28557
All comments must be posted online or received by mail by September 30, 2025.
Links for registration, submitting comments online, accessing proposed rule texts, and joining the meeting are available on the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2025-2026 Proposed Rules Webpage.
The proposed amendments to five permit rules include requiring seafood dealers reporting trip tickets electronically to also submit quota monitoring logs electronically; adding four permits currently issued by proclamation into permanent rule; clarifying fish dealer reporting requirements for unsold fish; moving certain permit conditions from proclamation to rule; broadening the definition of “educational institution”; including links to frequently updated webpages within rules; repealing the Horseshoe Crab Biomedical Use Permit due to lack of use while maintaining commercial bait harvest options; allowing email as an additional method for call-in requirements; and changing notarization requirements so only initial permit general condition forms need notarization.
Amendments regarding shellfish leases and franchises would codify current procedures and align rules with state law by removing franchises from production requirements and termination procedures, clarifying how production requirements are determined based on lease dates, and specifying criteria for eligibility and determination of additional shellfish lease acreage.
According to the commission, “The proposed rule changes will be presented to the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission for final approval in November 2025. If approved, the effective date of the rules would be pending legislative review in 2026.”
For questions about the rulemaking process, Catherine Blum serves as rules coordinator for the Division of Marine Fisheries.
