THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc. DATE: Friday, March 17, 1995 TAG: 9503170573 SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA SOURCE: STAFF REPORT DATELINE: NEW BERN LENGTH: Short : 39 lines
Two applicants for new state fisheries grants say they will withdraw today because of the ethical problems they may pose for the state Marine Fisheries Commission.
Jodie Gay, a commercial fisherman in Hampstead and a member of the commission, said he will withdraw his request for an $11,000 grant to study sea bass pots.
His wife, Terry, will withdraw her application for a $6,310 grant to study abandoned pots.
The commission is scheduled to vote today to award grants from a $1 million pool created last year to encourage innovative fisheries research projects and fishermen's participation in fisheries research and management.
But the program has been the subject of controversy for two weeks since a grant selection committee, charged with winnowing the application pool to match the available funds, released its recommendations.
During a two-day meeting last week in Morehead City, the committee culled the list of nearly 145 applications for more than $8.6 million to 41 projects totaling $959,561.
Three of the 41 grants were awarded to members of the grant selection committee or their family members or to businesses with ties to grant selection committee members.
Commission Chairman Robert V. Lucas said he would ask the panel to disqualify the applications from the Gays.
But he said he will leave it to the commission to decide whether to disqualify Brian Shepard because his father, Melvin Shepard, was involved in the selection process. by CNB