THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 26, 1995 TAG: 9502260154
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB HUTCHINSON
LENGTH: Long : 141 lines
A little-noticed bill that could have a tremendous impact on the way Virginia manages its saltwater fisheries has passed the General Assembly and awaits the expected signature of Gov. George F. Allen.
The bill would withdraw Virginia from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, effective in 1996. The commission is a coalition of East Coast states that regulates fish found within 3 miles of the states' shorelines, including interior waters.
More than anything else, the bill signals the discontent of some Southern states, Virginia included, with the commission.
The bill's sponsor, Del. W. Tayloe Murphy, D-Warsaw, says he only wants to test the constitutionality of the commission pact. That agreement gives the federal government the right to force states to comply with wishes of the majority.
For example, the Commerce Department might have been able to force Virginia's hand if the Marine Resources Commission had gone ``out of compliance'' on either striped bass or gray trout, two items recently considered.
Many people are convinced that Virginia and other Southern states are not getting a fair deal from the ASMFC.
Anyway, if Virginia goes, look for North Carolina to follow. Then Florida, since the Sunshine State withdrew five or six years ago, only to eventually come back into the fold.
And if Virginia, North Carolina and Florida all withdraw from ASMFC, South Carolina and Georgia would be almost certain to follow.
Then the five states probably would start their own organization.
Does this sound like the Civil War all over again?
COST PLUS: Effective March 1, anyone violating North Carolina's fishery laws could be in for more than a fine and court costs.
They could be assessed the replacement value of the fish, plus the cost of investigating the case.
In other words, if someone is caught with 100 pounds of undersize speckled trout, he (or she) could be fined the normal $65 in court costs, plus a fine, plus $117 for replacing the trout, plus an unspecified amount for the time officers spent investigating the case.
If a trawler is found with 10,000 pounds of undersize flounder, the cost could be staggering.
Similar laws already are in effect for wildlife and freshwater fishing violations in both Virginia and North Carolina.
The new North Carolina regulation will ``put some teeth into our existing laws,'' said Bob Jamieson, acting director of the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries.
STRIPER SEASON: Striped bass fishing will become legal at 12:01 a.m. March 1 in North Carolina's Albemarle Sound and Roanoke River management areas.
Fishing will be allowed only on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The Albemarle season will run through April 15, while the Roanoke season will run until a quota of 29,000 pounds has been reached.
For both areas, there will be an 18-inch minimum size and a three-fish daily bag limit. On the Roanoke, stripers between 22 and 27 inches will be illegal April 1 to May 31.
The Albemarle area includes the Albemarle, Roanoke, Croatan and Currituck sounds and their inland and joint waters, excepting the Roanoke, Eastmost, Middle and Cashie rivers and their tributaries. These waters are in the Roanoke management area.
IMPORTANT DATES: A series of ``public participation sessions'' to express your desires for Virginia's 1995 rod-and-reel striper season will be held this week by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. All will begin at 7 p.m.
The first will be Monday at the Lake Wright Motel on Northampton Boulevard in Norfolk; the second Wednesday at Waterman's Hall at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Gloucester Point; the third Thursday at the Northampton County Courthouse at Eastville on the Eastern Shore.
The Eastern Shore of Virginia Chamber of Commerce has scheduled a flounder fishing forum March 6 at 7:30 at its office on U.S. 13 south of Melfa.
William A. Pruitt, head of the Marine Resources Commission, and Jack Travelstead, chief of the agency's fishery-management division, will be on the panel.
The meeting will be open to anyone, according to chamber head David Parker, but reservations are recommended. Call 1-804-787-2460.
Several fishery items will be on the menu when the Marine Resources Commission holds its monthly meeting Tuesday in its headquarters, 2600 Washington Avenue, Newport News.
Topics include changes in regulations for Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, bluefish, striped bass, gray trout and crabs.
The commission will begin hearing fishery items at about noon.
SUGG CLASS: Bill Sugg, an outstanding angler from Suffolk, will hold his 15th annual six-night saltwater fishing school at Lockhart's Restaurant, 8440 Tidewater Drive in Norfolk.
Classes will run from 7 to 10 p.m. each Tuesday night, starting March 7. Registration is $60.
Topics will include channel bass, speckled trout, striped bass, flounder, marlin, tuna, shark, amberjack, sea bass, tautog and saltwater flyrod fishing. Sugg will be assisted by some of Hampton Roads' top anglers, including professionals, amateurs and charter skippers.
To register, call Sugg at 255-2833.
REEF UNRAVELING: Like several other East Coast states, Virginia is learning the hard way that split tires do not make a dependable artificial fishing reef.
Hundreds of split tires have been washing up on the beaches from Virginia Beach to Oregon Inlet, south of Nags Head, recently. Most are believed to have come from the reef near Chesapeake Light Tower.
Mike Meier, who heads the reef program for the Marine Resources Commission, said the agency was taking full responsibility for the situation. ``We haven't used tires for about 10 years for this very reason,'' Meier said. ``But when they were put out there, we were using the best information available.
``Since then, we've learned that concrete is the only really dependable product you can use, other than metal.'' Meier estimated that about 400,000 tires, split into two parts, were used at the site known as the ``Tower Reef.''
``The good thing is that we've received excellent cooperation from everyone involved, including the two North Carolina counties, Dare and Currituck.''
CUP CHALLENGE: Sussex Sporting Clays shooting range near Waverly will host the Make-A-Wish Foundation Corporate Cup Challenge March 26.
All profits will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which fulfills the wishes of terminally ill kids.
The shoot will consist of 100-target Lewis-Class sporting clays. Registration will be $125 for corporate sponsors, with contributions tax deductible.
For details: Bill Beagle at 934-0136, Bob Hall at 834-3200 or Forest Dance at 733-3377.
SHORT CASTS: The annual Tidewater Recreational Vehicle and Sports Show will close out a successful today stand at the Virginia Beach Pavilion. Hours will be noon to 6 p.m. Admission will be $4 for adults, $2 for those 12 and under. largemouth bass at Lake Cohoon. . . . Jonathan Eakes of Chesapeake scored with pickerel weighing 5-10 and 4-8. He was on a private pond. . . . Robert Hughes of Norfolk boated a 489-pound bluefin tuna on a recent trip out of Hatteras, N.C. He was aboard the private boat Dillusion II. . . . Dr. Jim Wright, Charlotte Wright, Art Christman, Casey Fink and Bill Schieman, all from Virginia Beach, won top honors at Saturday's awards banquet of the Tidewater Anglers Club. . . . The Virginia Beach Anglers gave their top awards Saturday to Richard Welton, Dr. Jim Wright, Charlotte Wright, Virginia Morton and Gene Farrar, all from Virginia Beach, while the Portsmouth Anglers singled out Michael Jones, Danny Davis, Steve York and Barbara York, all from Portsmouth, and Denny Dobbins of Chesapeake. . . . Tickets are still available for the first get-together and auction of the Tidewater Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. The fund-raiser will be held April 7, starting at 6 p.m., at the Holiday Inn on Newtown Road in Virginia Beach. Tickets are $40 single and $60 per couple, each including one federation membership. For reservations call Pete Costenbader at 340-2006 or Dan Arris at 554-0477. by CNB