The director of the NC Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) says that although some speckled trout have been killed in the recent cold weather it looks like the fish kill is not widespread nor as deadly as the one last year.
Still, DMF Director Dr. Louis Daniel acknowledges he is struggling with the question of whether to close the commercial trout season to compensate for the loss, or if to close it when.
“It’s a difficult question since we never really paid attention to it before last year,” said Daniel. “Last winter we felt like the event was not significant. But based on the catch rates from the following season, it appears now it was. This year’s event appears even less significant, but again it’s hard to be sure. So right now I’m kind of struggling with it.”
Daniel has the power to close the commercial or recreation seasons for speckled trout at any time, but he said that he is hesitant to do without consulting the Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) because such a move changes all of the fisheries plans that have been carefully reviewed and voted upon.
“I could order a closure,” said Daniel, “but I’m reluctant to get out in front of the commission without consulting them. If I did, anything I order could be overturned. Thankfully we have a meeting scheduled in early February and I expect this will be a big issue there.”
The next MFC is meeting February 10 – 11, 2011 at the Clam Digger Inn in Pine Knoll Shores, NC.
Daniel said there are several options if a closure was called for, and that although an immediate halt to fishing might satisfy some who demand quick action it was probably not the best way to save the most speckled trout in the long run.
“You have a couple of options, and an immediate closure would likely not be as effective in the overall plan as one during the speckled trout spawning season (around May). Right now I’m leaning toward recommending some sort of spawning season closure if something has to be done.”
Tim Ellis, a graduate research assistant in the biology department of NC State University involved in a speckled trout tagging study, provided the most graphic examples of the recent kill when he dipped a large number of speckled trout out of the water last week.
“On Wednesday and Thursday of last week I dipped approximately 400 pounds of speckled trout from a major tributary of the Pungo River,” said Ellis. “These fish were rotten and probably died at least a week earlier. Recent runoff and strong NW winds pushed a lot of water out of the system, resulting in these dead fish surfacing from the bottom. After checking all fish for tags, I dropped these fish off at the Washington DMF office where their staff measured, weighed, and sexed the collection, and removed otoliths for aging.”
The photo Ellis took and his comments appeared on the popular fishing website NC Waterman during debate about the need for a closure.
Daniel said that since then in addition to monitoring reports he has himself been out examining the waters in question. He said he found only three trout stunned on the bottom that were still alive.
“The problem is that it’s so hard to know if a closure is justified,” Daniel said. “While a photo of a lot of trout dead can look like a devastating event, it’s clear that many of those trout were killed over time and not in one specific kill. That picture clearly included trout that had been recently killed all the way up to a couple of weeks ago.”
Daniel said one of the reasons an immediate closure might not be called for, or even be effective, is that not many folks were fishing and catching speckled trout right now.
“The water temperature is at 42 degrees, and folks clearly are not out fishing. Commercial fishermen are staying in, and when I ride out to the Cape Lookout Jetty there are 4 recreational boats where there normally would be hundreds. So a closure right now wouldn’t have the effect some people think it would.”
Daniel said that it was also likely many speckled trout had left inshore waters before the temperatures got too cold.
“My hope is that a lot of the fish moved out to warmers waters before the temperatures really plummeted. If they hadn’t I think we would be seeing a lot more fish turning up than we have.”
Daniel said that the DMF and MFC are better able to respond to a cold water kill than any time in the past, when such events weren’t factored into their debate.
“What I do know is that we’re poised to come out of this better than ever before,” he said.
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