THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 16, 1994 TAG: 9407160254
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: Short : 29 lines
A barrage of last-minute applications for commercial fishing licenses and telephone requests for appeals has led state lawmakers to consider a rewrite of the license moratorium.
The new legislation, which began making its way through the General Assembly late Friday, is intended to streamline the appeals process, according to its sponsor, Sen. Charles W. Albertson, D-Duplin.
The proposal gives the director of the Division of Marine Fisheries the authority to grant a 30-day temporary license. And it allows the fisheries' director and the chairman of the Marine Fisheries commission to designate replacements on the panel that will consider license appeals. Albertson said the division had received about 250 requests for an appeal.
The changes were approved by the Senate, 34-0, and were sent to the House for concurrence Friday.
The moratorium legislation approved by the legislature last month, imposed a two-year ban on the sale of virtually all commercial fishing licenses. The moratorium went into effect July 1. by CNB