August 14, 2026 — Possible new protections for submerged grass beds and other fish habitat in the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds will move closer to public debate if the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission sends a draft Coastal Habitat Protection Plan amendment out for review next week.
The commission meets Aug. 19-20 in Raleigh and is scheduled to vote on releasing the proposed 2026 amendment for public and advisory committee review. The vote would not adopt the plan or impose new fishing restrictions.
The draft recommends beginning a separate rulemaking process in 2027 to develop a broader framework for protecting habitats under the commission’s authority.
That process could consider how fishing gear and other activities affect submerged aquatic vegetation and deep-water oyster recovery areas, along with rules governing the harvest and transplanting of vegetation for restoration projects.
Any regulations developed through that process would require additional commission action and public review.
North Carolina’s coastal waters have historically supported nearly 200,000 acres of submerged aquatic vegetation, commonly called SAV.