# NC Takes No Action On Massive Fish Kill, Even as SC Officials Express Concern



## jeffreyweeks (Feb 5, 2009)

Latest on the speckled trout fish kill in NC and the concerns of SC officials:

NC Takes No Action On Massive Fish Kill, Even as SC Officials Express Concern


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## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

Sometimes the natural order of things is a good thing in the long run. In nature the weak are culled and the strong thrive...


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## narfpoit (Jun 16, 2004)

yeah I am not sure what action you would expect them to take. It is not like they can warm up the water and closing the season simply means the birds get fat instead of the comercial fishermen. Really the only action needed is to wait and see how the loss affects the stock and then make regulation changes if needed for the following year.


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## bstarling (Apr 24, 2005)

narfpoit said:


> yeah I am not sure what action you would expect them to take. It is not like they can warm up the water and closing the season simply means the birds get fat instead of the comercial fishermen. Really the only action needed is to wait and see how the loss affects the stock and then make regulation changes if needed for the following year.


Yep, what you said, John.

Bill:fishing:


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## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

Comms aren't doing so bad from what I read....dip netting stunned specks. You want NC to take action against a fish kill...have them divert the next hurricane heading for the coast to prevent the hog waste lagoons from flooding and overdosing the tar/pam and nuese and cape fear rivers with nutrients thus creating an algea bloom............THEN you have problems.


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## twitch (Jan 29, 2008)

It would be different if it was a statewide event, so far it has been an isolated kill. People would still be bitchin if they did the knee jerk reaction and closed the entire speck fishery.


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## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

twitch said:


> It would be different if it was a statewide event, so far it has been an isolated kill. People would still be bitchin if they did the knee jerk reaction and closed the entire speck fishery.


Exactly. well said....


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## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

AbuMike said:


> Exactly. well said....


x2


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## chadwickfeesh (Nov 13, 2008)

i don't think the cold has anything to do with the fish kill personally, but i'm no expert. 
has it happened anywhere else in the state? i'd suspect that its something in the water.


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## twitch (Jan 29, 2008)

chadwickfeesh said:


> i don't think the cold has anything to do with the fish kill personally, but i'm no expert.
> has it happened anywhere else in the state? i'd suspect that its something in the water.


Let me go get my tinfoil hat . opcorn:


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

chadwickfeesh said:


> i don't think the cold has anything to do with the fish kill personally, but i'm no expert.
> has it happened anywhere else in the state? i'd suspect that its something in the water.



Funny,I've witnessed three now since living here,some natives have witnessed many more.. In each case the sound had some ice on it,and some dern cold water temps..

I come up with 2+2=4,but that's just me...


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## 0ne2fish (Dec 16, 2009)

These are a couple reports out of Emerald Isle on the cold kill incidents of this past week. This is very serious to the population of specks, there were 10 pounder's being scooped up floating on the top.


Crystal Coast CCA members: 2010 has not started well for those of us who like to catch Speckled Trout or Black Drum. No doubt you've heard about the cold kill up the North River where thousands of pounds of Specks have been scooped up in dip nets. I rode up there to have a look and took a few pictures. As it turns out the Speck Advisory Committee meets at 4 PM tomorrow in New Bern. The primary topic is cold stun events. I plan to go and speak in favor of the commercial season being shut for the remainder of the winter and the recreational being catch-and-release only. If anyone would like to ride along, email or call me, I'd be glad to have you. We'll be leaving at 3 PM and leave the meeting there around 7 PM even though it may not yet be over. 

Note from Tim Ellis, graduate student involved with the speckled trout tagging study: …so far it seems Carteret County is the only one affected thus far. No cold kill reports from the Pungo (where I will be tomorrow (1/6/10), the Pamlico, the New, or the Neuse Rivers...yet. Hopefully the fact that these rivers run a little deeper (as compared to North River) will help save the trout in those systems. I did sample in North River yesterday and yes, there were a lot of fish and probably about 5-7 boats working it until dark. I think just as many boats are working in Jarrett Bay right now so I expect to hear of a few 1000 pounds coming out of there today. Trout were definitely the predominant species, but we also found stunned croaker, black drum, and puppy drum. Hope all is well, Tim.


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## twitch (Jan 29, 2008)

0ne2fish said:


> These are a couple reports out of Emerald Isle on the cold kill incidents of this past week. This is very serious to the population of specks, there were 10 pounder's being scooped up floating on the top.
> 
> 
> Crystal Coast CCA members: 2010 has not started well for those of us who like to catch Speckled Trout or Black Drum. No doubt you've heard about the cold kill up the North River where thousands of pounds of Specks have been scooped up in dip nets. I rode up there to have a look and took a few pictures. As it turns out the Speck Advisory Committee meets at 4 PM tomorrow in New Bern. The primary topic is cold stun events. I plan to go and speak in favor of the commercial season being shut for the remainder of the winter and the recreational being catch-and-release only. If anyone would like to ride along, email or call me, I'd be glad to have you. We'll be leaving at 3 PM and leave the meeting there around 7 PM even though it may not yet be over.
> ...


Not a fan or supporter of CCA at all. I know their intentions are well meaning, but also know the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Hopefully this is a small kill and we will not need their "help".


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## 0ne2fish (Dec 16, 2009)

I agree with you "twitch" on their good intentions resulting in over reaction to the situation. I hope it is only a small kill in the shallow water areas. This shows the intent of some to close the season which I hope doesn't happen. I believe that this meeting has occurred so we should know soon what they decided.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

twitch said:


> Not a fan or supporter of CCA at all. I know their intentions are well meaning, but also know the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Hopefully this is a small kill and we will not need their "help".


 I'm with you,as well,but in the post One2fish is speaking of shutting down coms harvesting now.. Imo,if weather is going to freeze the dam things anyway,what difference does it make.. At least the fish will go to a use aside from gulls eating them... Just seems like a waste if the fish can be used instead of laying on top rotting..

As has been said before,this is not the first time Mother Nature has used a freeze to cull out the population many,many times in the past.. Within 2 to 3yrs these fish will come back,they aren't like a big drum that takes forever to get to size..


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## chadwickfeesh (Nov 13, 2008)

not trying to pick a fight here, but imo everyone is so quick to agree with someones else's opinion that theres little thinking outside the box. i just have a hard time believing that the fish just froze. in any event it really sucks cause i love catching specks. 

heres an interesting link that someone posted on another site:
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-1017755.html


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## kooler (Nov 2, 2006)

have any of you guys seen any speck fillets at your local fish markets? we have not had any make it over the mountain here in Tn. as far as i have seen. just curious where the commercial guys are selling the fish?


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## twitch (Jan 29, 2008)

Drumdum said:


> I'm with you,as well,but in the post One2fish is speaking of shutting down coms harvesting now.. Imo,if weather is going to freeze the dam things anyway,what difference does it make.. At least the fish will go to a use aside from gulls eating them... Just seems like a waste if the fish can be used instead of laying on top rotting..
> 
> As has been said before,this is not the first time Mother Nature has used a freeze to cull out the population many,many times in the past.. Within 2 to 3yrs these fish will come back,they aren't like a big drum that takes forever to get to size..


Yea, that is the main problem I have with CCA, it is always worst case senario(sp) with them. I know this is how they squeeze money out of people and get support inland. They try to be the eyes and ears of inland anglers, kinda like the "all seeing blind man". 

I'm 100% in agreement with you on letting a resource be utilized after a cold kill. I would really like to see an adaptive management plan used with specs that has both user groups in mind. Something we will not get with CCA's plan.

Just for the record I am not a commercial fisherman.


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## twitch (Jan 29, 2008)

chadwickfeesh said:


> not trying to pick a fight here, but imo everyone is so quick to agree with someones else's opinion that theres little thinking outside the box. i just have a hard time believing that the fish just froze. in any event it really sucks cause i love catching specks.
> 
> heres an interesting link that someone posted on another site:
> http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-1017755.html


I didn't read the entire article, but I think they are talking about physteria. 
Not normally contributed to killing fish in the winter. The main thing in the water killing fish is called *ice*. Texas has been experiencing similar weather and isolated fish kills, as has Flordia, but FL it is mainly snook.


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## Carolina Rebel (Aug 25, 2005)

Are we going to fine Mother Nature for killing these fish? How did the commercial fishermen get her to join their side, I thought they were the bad guys? 

Lets be scientific, people......


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## 0ne2fish (Dec 16, 2009)

I deleted the name of the president of the CCA and I am not a member. 

The Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee Meeting was on Jan 7th. Cold kills increase the mortality rate of the trout and the rates without a cold kill are not what they want. Mother Nature picked a bad time to show her might. I am real fearful to see what the regulations will be when they come out this month or next. 

I support the com. fishermen being able to harvest stunned or frozen trout. Why leave them for the birds when they can put food on the table for people whom have had a rough year.


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## OBXPC (Dec 17, 2009)

In my opinion, we really dodged a bullet on this freeze event. The last several years huge amounts of trout were way up the rivers of the pamlico mainly due to the high salinity from several dry years. All the rain we had this fall, especially after norida, chased alot of the trout out of the rivers giving them a better chance of survival. This stun event will take its toll but it seems pretty isolated and could have been much worse.


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