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GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 3
HOUSE BILL 1113
Committee Substitute Favorable 5/19/26
Committee Substitute #2 Favorable 6/9/26
Short Title: Shellfish Leasing Moratoria. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
April 30, 2026
*H1113-v-3*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO EXTEND THE MORATORIA ON SHELLF ISH LEASING IN THE N EW 2
HANOVER COUNTY AREA AND IN BOGUE SOUND A ND TO TEMPORARILY 3
PROHIBIT THE ISSUANC E OF NEW SHELLFISH C ULTIVATION LEASES IN 4
CERTAIN AREAS OF PENDER AND ONSLOW COUNTIES. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
7
EXTEND SHELLFISH LEASE MORATORIUM IN THE NEW HANOVER COUNTY 8
AREA 9
SECTION 1.(a) Section 7 of S.L. 2019 -37, as amended by Section 12.3 of S.L. 10
2021-180, reads as rewritten: 11
"SECTION 7. Notwithstanding G.S. 113-202 and G.S. 113-202.1, a moratorium on new 12
shellfish cultivation leases and new water column leases for aquaculture shall be imposed for all 13
those waters enclosed by a line beginning at 34° 13.10221' N -77° 48.79544' W on the mainland 14
side near Wrightsvil le Beach Bridge; running southeasterly to a point at 34° 12.51584' N -77° 15
47.81847' W on Wrightsville Beach; following the shoreline southwesterly to a point at 34° 16
11.121' N -77° 48.848' W at Masonboro Inlet; running southwesterly to a point at 34° 10.927 ' 17
N -77° 48.771' W at Masonboro Inlet; continuing southwesterly to a point at 34° 05.04108' N -77° 18
52.08324' W near IWW marker #159 continuing running southwesterly to a point at 34° 19
03.64140' N -77° 53.41338' W on the mainland adjacent to the eastern mout h of Snow's Cut; 20
running northeasterly along the shoreline to the point of beginning. The moratorium shall expire 21
July 1, 2026. July 1, 2031. For purposes of this section, a new shellfish cultivation lease or water 22
column lease shall include applications for either type of lease received by the Secretary but not 23
granted as of July 1, 2019." 24
SECTION 1.(b) This section becomes effective June 30, 2026, and applies to the 25
Department's consideration of applications for shellfish leases submitted to the Department on or 26
after that date as well as applications for a new shellfish cultivation lease or a new water column 27
lease received by the Secretary, but not granted as of July 1, 2019. 28
SECTION 2. The sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) in nonrecurring funds fo r 29
the 2026 -2027 fiscal year is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 30
Environmental Quality, Division of Marine Fisheries, for public education activities and other 31
notifications regarding the moratorium extension provided in Section 1 of this act. 32
33
EXTEND SHELLFISH LEASE MORATORIUM IN BOGUE SOUND 34
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 1113-Third Edition
SECTION 2.5.(a) Section 8 of S.L. 2019 -37, as amended by Section 12.3 of S.L. 1
2021-180, reads as rewritten: 2
"SECTION 8. Notwithstanding G.S. 113-202 and G.S. 113-202.1, a moratorium on new 3
shellfish cultivation leases and new water column leases for aquaculture shall be imposed for all 4
those waters enclosed by a line beginning at 34° 43.24641' N -76° 41.68436' W; running easterly 5
following the Highway 70 High Rise Bridge to a point at 34° 43 .27819' N -76° 41.22259' W; 6
running southerly to a point 34° 42.375275' N -76° 40.80078' W on the southern tip of Radio 7
Island; running southerly to a point 34° 41.98273' N -76° 40.81929' W; following the shoreline 8
westerly to the Emerald Isle Bridge at a point 34° 40.05410' N -77° 03.80531' W; running 9
northwesterly following the bridge to a point 34° 40.77658' N -77° 04.02674' W on the mainland 10
near the Emerald Isle High Rise Bridge; running easterly following the shoreline to the point of 11
beginning. The moratorium shall expire July 1, 2026. July 1, 2028. For purposes of this section, 12
a new shellfish cultivation lease or water column lease shall include applications for either type 13
of lease received by the Secretary, but not granted as of July 1, 2019." 14
SECTION 2.5.(b) This section becomes effective June 30, 2026, and applies to the 15
Department's consideration of applications for shellfish leases submitted to the Department on or 16
after that date as well as applications for a new shellfish cultivation lease or a new water column 17
lease received by the Secretary, but not granted as of July 1, 2019. 18
19
PROHIBIT NEW SHELLFISH LEASES IN PARTS OF PENDER AND ONSLOW 20
COUNTIES 21
SECTION 3.(a) Notwithstanding G.S. 113-202 and G.S. 113-202.1, a moratorium 22
on new shellfish cultivation leases and new water column leases for aquaculture shall be imposed 23
for all those waters enclosed by a line beginning at the southeast end post of the northern fenceline 24
of Hampstead Marina, approximately 7.0' due east to the Point of Beginning on the Mean High 25
Water (MHW) Line at W77°41'05" N34°21'20", thence following the MHW Line northeastward 26
along mainland Pender County to the Onslow County line, thence following the MHW Line ENE 27
along mainland Onslow County to the intersection of the MHW L ine with the Jones Onslow 28
Electric Cooperative (JOECO) ROW at W77°22'20" N34°31'06", thence SSE to the northeast tip 29
of the rock revetment in the JOECO ROW on Topsail Island, thence following the sound side 30
MHW line of Topsail Island WSW to its furthest so uthern extent at W77°39'42" N34°20'42", 31
thence WNW to the southern marsh edge of the east entrance to Howard's Channel at W77°40'26" 32
N34°20'49", thence through the following coordinates W77°40'33" N34°20'48", W77°40'48" 33
N34°21'00", W77°40'49" N34°21'06", W77°40'53" N34°21'12", W77°40'57" N34°21'12" along 34
the marsh edge, thence NW to the point of beginning. The moratorium shall expire July 1, 2028. 35
For purposes of this section, a new shellfish cultivation lease or water column lease shall include 36
applications for either type of lease received by the Secretary, but not granted as of July 1, 2025. 37
SECTION 3.(b) This section becomes effective July 1, 2026, and applies to the 38
Department's consideration of applications for shellfish leases submitted to the Department on or 39
after that date as well as applications for a new shellfish cultivation lease or a new water column 40
lease received by the Secretary, but not granted as of July 1, 2025. 41
42
EFFECTIVE DATE 43
SECTION 4. Except as otherwise provided, this act becomes effective July 1, 2026. 44