Bill
HB 617
The bill reopens a limited personal-use river herring harvest in the Chowan River, with licenses for up to 100 fish and required catch reporting.
Purpose
- Reinstates a limited, personal‑use harvest program for river herring (blueback herring and alewife) in the inland waters of the Chowan River and directs the Wildlife Resources Commission (the Commission) to implement specified temporary harvest rules while it develops permanent regulations.
Key provisions
- Definitions: “River herring” = blueback herring and alewife; “Herring Rule” refers to 15A NCAC 10C .0423.
- Temporary implementation: Until revised permanent rules are effective, the Commission must implement the Herring Rule as modified by this statute.
- Limited harvest licenses: The Commission shall issue licenses permitting personal take of up to 100 river herring during the spring migration (text references the spring 2024 migration as the initial season).
- License reporting: Licensees must report catches to the Commission in the same manner required for wild turkey and white‑tailed deer licenses.
- License fees (tiered by maximum take):
- Up to 25 river herring: $12.50
- More than 25 up to 50: $25.00
- More than 50 up to 100: $50.00
- Rulemaking authority and process: The Commission shall adopt temporary and permanent rules consistent with the statute. The bill requires the permanent rule to be substantively identical to the statutory provisions and limits judicial/administrative review in specified ways (not subject to certain provisions of Article 2A, Ch. 150B); rules become effective under G.S. 150B‑21.3(b1)/(b2) as provided.
- Sunset: The statutory implementation section expires when the Commission’s required permanent rules become effective.
- Appropriation: $10,000 from the General Fund is appropriated to the Wildlife Resources Commission to support implementation activities required by the act.
Who is affected
- Recreational and subsistence anglers in the Chowan River inland waters who may seek a limited river herring license.
- The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (administration, monitoring, and rulemaking).
- Potentially, fisheries managers and conservation staff due to reporting and monitoring responsibilities.
Fiscal and administrative impact
- Direct appropriation: $10,000 to the Commission for implementation.
- License fee revenue: modest, dependent on participation; fees may offset administrative costs.
- Management impact: requires licensing, catch reporting, and temporary rule adoption; provides monitoring data to inform future regulation.
Timeline / Procedural notes
- The provision is temporary until the Commission adopts permanent rules consistent with the statute; the statutory harvest authority sunsets upon effectiveness of those rules.
- The bill directs expedited rulemaking and limits certain standard rulemaking challenges for the statutory interim.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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