THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 5, 1995 TAG: 9503050063
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BETTY MITCHELL GRAY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
The future of North Carolina fisheries will depend on the state's willingness to protect the environment and regulate commercial and recreational fishing practices, said Bruce L. Freeman, new director of the Division of Marine Fisheries.
Freeman made his first public appearance before the state's fishermen Saturdaywhen he spoke at the fourth annual Marine Recreational Fishing Forum in Raleigh.
``Many of you do not appreciate what you have until you go to other areas and see what they have,'' Freeman told about 90 sports anglers , fisheries managers and scientists.
Sports anglers attending the meeting said that while they heard nothing new in Freeman's remarks, they were confident of his ability to lead the division.
Freeman said the key to protecting and restoring the state's coastal fish populations is protecting the estuaries where the fish live and controlling commercial and sports fishing practices to reduce pressure on dwindling fish populations.
``The problems we face are as urgent as they are difficult to address,'' he said. ``We will only succeed when we realize that we are all part of the problem.''
Freeman, 54, a research scientist with the New Jersey Division
of Fish, Game and Wildlife, was chosen last month to oversee the state's coastal fishing industry.
Freeman is responsible for carrying out the policies and regulations adopted by the state legislature and the Marine Fisheries Commission, whose 17 members represent the state's scientific, commercial and recreational fishing communities.
Freeman will also have the power to establish seasons, set size- and catch-limits and establish gear restrictions for people fishing for many species of fish.
For his first public meeting with North Carolina sports fishermen, Freeman returned to familiar ground - the campus of North Carolina State University, where he received a bachelor's degree in zoology in 1963.
He is scheduled to meet with commercial fishermen at their annual trade show in Morehead City next weekend.
Freeman said commercial and recreational fishermen and fisheries regulators should emphasize areas the groups agree onand try to work out differences in otherareas.
``Common to both our recreational and commercial fisheries is that they are pursued as a common resource . . . a resource that is dependent on its ability to resupply itself,'' he said. The resulting conflict between sports and commercial fishermen is ``common to all coastal states,'' he said.
``We are now at a crossroads,'' he told the group.
The recent declines in state coastal fisheries can be reversed if sports and commercial fishermen and fisheries regulators address the problem, he said.
``The question we face is do we have the will to bring this about.'' by CNB