FILED SENATE
Mar 15, 2021
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
S.B. 296
SESSION 2021 PRINCIPAL CLERK
S D
SENATE BILL DRS45137-MK-62A
Short Title: Collaboratory/Fisheries Study. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Lee, Sanderson, and Lazzara (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO DIRECT THE NORTH CAROLINA POLICY COLLABORATORY AT THE
3 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL TO STUDY THE COASTAL
4 AND MARINE FISHERIES REGULATED BY THE STATE.
5 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
6 SECTION 1. In advance of the twenty-fifth anniversary of North Carolina's Fisheries
7 Reform Act of 1997 and the fiftieth anniversary of North Carolina's Coastal Area Management
8 Act, the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory (Collaboratory) at the University of North Carolina
9 at Chapel Hill shall conduct a study on the overall status of the coastal and marine fisheries
10 regulated by the State. The study shall focus on the following regulated species, including the
11 health and extent of the habitats required by these species:
12 (1) Bay Scallop.
13 (2) Blue Crab.
14 (3) Eastern Oyster.
15 (4) Estuarine Striped Bass.
16 (5) Hard Clam.
17 (6) Kingfishes.
18 (7) Red Drum.
19 (8) River Herring.
20 (9) Sheepshead.
21 (10) Shrimp.
22 (11) Southern Flounder.
23 (12) Spotted Seatrout.
24 (13) Striped Mullet.
25 The Collaboratory shall analyze trends through time spanning the last few decades or
26 longer to assess the effectiveness of State policies governing the viability of both these species
27 and their habitats, including any policy recommendations to better manage the overall health and
28 viability of the State's fisheries and fisheries' habitats. The North Carolina Department of
29 Environmental Quality, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, other agencies of
30 the State, and units of local government shall provide any assistance requested by the
31 Collaboratory to acquire and compile data and complete the study required by this section. The
32 Collaboratory shall provide the results of this study to the Environmental Review Commission
33 no later than December 31, 2022.
34 SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law.
*DRS45137-MK-62A*