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Public Hearing: Striped Bass Spawning Season and Area Restrictions


Division of Fish & Wildlife
Start Date: February 2, 2020
End Date: February 26, 2020

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), Division of Fish & Wildlife will conduct a public hearing (Docket #2019-R-F-0026) on the proposed revisions to the following regulations: 7 DE Admin. Code 3502 Striped Bass Spawning Season and Area Restrictions.

The public hearing will be held on Wednesday, February 26, 2020, beginning at 6:00 PM in the DNREC Auditorium, Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. 

This action proposes to expand the current allowable area where fixed gill nets can be used by opening approximately 1.75 nautical miles (linear) of the Delaware River to fixed gill net fishing during the months of January through May.  The current seasonal fixed gill net exclusion area extends from Liston Point (Delaware River) northward.  This action would adjust the lower boundary of the exclusion area northward (upstream) to the southern shore of Appoquinimink River mouth at latitude 39˚26’51.00”N and longitude 75˚34’46.00”W.

The proposed action is consistent with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fishery Management Plan for the Striped Bass, its amendments and addenda.  The Advisory Council on Tidal Finfisheries endorsed development of this action at their September 25, 2019 meeting. Striped bass landings will be unaffected by this amendment, as the commercial striped bass fishery is managed through and limited by an annual commercial quota with mandatory harvester and weigh station tagging and reporting.

The proposed amendment may be inspected at DNREC’s office located at Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901 and online as of February 1, 2020 at regulations.delaware.gov/services/current_issue.shtml

For additional information on this proposed regulatory promulgation, visit de.gov/dnrechearings or contact Stewart Michels, DNREC/DFW, 89 Kings Hwy., Dover, DE 19901; by phone at 302-739-9914; or by email at Stewart.Michels@delaware.gov. 

Persons wishing to comment on the proposed amendments may do so either orally or in written form at the public hearing on February 26, 2020.  In lieu of attending the public hearing, written comment may be submitted to the Hearing Officer via the online comment form at dnrec.delaware.gov/public-hearings/comment-form/, via email to DNRECHearingComments@delaware.gov, or via USPS to the below address. The Department will accept public comment through the close of business on Thursday, March 12, 2020.

Theresa Smith, Hearing Officer
DNREC — Office of the Secretary
89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901


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