
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 15, 1994                    TAG: 9406150505 
SECTION: LOCAL                     PAGE: B1    EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA  
SOURCE: BY BETTY MITCHELL GRAY, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: 940615                                 LENGTH: RALEIGH

PANEL ENDORSES LICENSE FREEZE FOR SOME FISHERIES \

{LEAD} A Senate agriculture and fisheries panel Tuesday endorsed a bill that would freeze for two years the sale of virtually all new commercial fishing licenses, a move that was called ``significant'' by the state's top fisheries regulator.

``The good news is, I really believe this is going to go through the legislature,'' said Marine Fisheries Commission Chairman Robert V. Lucas in an interview after the committee meeting. ``This is significant.''

{REST} The bill, which must be approved by Senate finance and appropriations committees, appears headed for easy approval by the state legislature after funds for a two-year study of the fisheries resource and commercial fishing practices were approved by the Senate earlier this month.

An appropriation of $225,000 for the study was among more than $1.5 million for fisheries programs included in the Senate's budget, which is now being reviewed by House budget writers.

The moratorium was one of three fisheries-related measures approved by the committee. The panel also approved a bill to create a commission to study the state's oyster industry and approved a bill that would extend the time for resolving claims to submerged land.

The Senate Agriculture, Marine Resources and Wildlife Committee voted unanimously to endorse the moratorium proposal, which is similar to a bill now pending in the House Appropriations Committee.

The license moratorium would go into effect July 1 under both proposals now before the legislature.

Both bills also include a procedure for fishermen to appeal a denial of a new license and budget $225,000 for a study of the fishery resources and management structure by the N.C. Sea Grant Program, an affiliate of the University of North Carolina, during the moratorium.

The bills differ in the size and makeup of a steering committee to oversee the study, whose members will be drawn from the state's fishing and scientific communities - differences that will have to be resolved before the bill becomes law.

Both bills also include provisions for a new crab license that will be required for fishermen who ply coastal waters for crabs.

The license will cost $7.50 for residents and $100 for non-residents for individual licenses and $22.50 for vessel crab licenses. Under the bill, the owner of a vessel and up to two crew members will be covered by the vessel crab license.

by CNB