THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 21, 1995 TAG: 9504210505
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY BETTY MITCHELL GRAY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: Long : 101 lines
Although a bill that could have led to a ban on most types of commercial fishing nets in North Carolina's sounds and rivers stalled in a House committee one week ago, some state lawmakers say the idea of a potential net ban is alive and well in the General Assembly.
This week in Raleigh, proponents of the bill that called for a statewide referendum on commercial fishing nets were weighing their options of reintroducing the issue. Two of the 30 sponsors of the proposal said they may pursue other alternatives to the net ban bill during this legislative session.
The bill would not affect nets in the Atlantic Ocean.
Commercial fishermen along the coast were stepping up efforts to gain support for their industry.
North Carolina is unique among coastal states in its extensive estuarine system and its use of nets in internal coastal waters.
Of North Carolina's 22 principal coastal fin-fish species, 14 were listed in 1992 by the state Division of Marine Fisheries as stressed or overfished. Those listed included Atlantic croaker, summer flounder, river herring, spot and weakfish.
Of the state's six principal shellfish and mollusk species, three are listed as stressed or overfished, including clams, oysters and scallops.
Only the state's blue crab, shrimp, Spanish and king mackerel, Southern flounder and Atlantic menhaden were listed as healthy, according to division data.
Watermen say that recent regulations have made it increasingly difficult to earn a living. If the net ban bill passes, many say they will be forced to drop a way of life their families have lived for generations. In the two weeks since the net ban bill was unveiled, watermen, local officials and coastal legislators have worked to halt the possible net ban.
``When your back's to the wall, you've got to do what you can to survive,'' said Twila Nelson, president of the Carteret County auxiliary of the N.C. Fisheries Association, a commercial fishing trade group based in New Bern.
Since the net referendum bill was introduced, Nelson said the Carteret County auxiliary has raised nearly $4,900 to pay for billboard advertising, brochures and other materials to promote the commercial fishing industry statewide - and to head off future threats from the legislature.
The auxiliary will hold a fund-raising rally today in Beaufort. Members hope the gathering will lead to similar rallies in other coastal communities to support the commercial fishing industry.
Jerry Schill, director of the N.C. Fisheries Association, said the bill was ``a wake-up call on the need to educate legislators and fellow North Carolinians on the importance of the economic, cultural and historical significance of the fishing industry in the coastal area.''
The suggestion of initiating a net ban referendum was turned back by a committee on rules and operations of the House last Thursday, apparently after intense arm-twisting by some Republican members of the state's coastal delegation and rising concern by the GOP House leadership that the issue would be too divisive for the party.
This week, sponsors of the bill said they were irked over the reaction to their original proposal from House leaders.
``I was not a happy camper,'' said Rep. W.O. ``Billy'' Richardson, a Cumberland County Democrat and a principal sponsor of the measure.
Richardson, the grandson of a Craven County commercial fisherman, was away from the legislature when the bill was brought before the rules committee.
In an unusual move, Rep. Richard T. Morgan, a Moore County Republican, called for a vote on the bill without giving Richardson or any of the bill's other sponsors the chance to present their proposal to the panel.
Earlier this week, Richardson said he was considering alternatives to his original bill that could be introduced in the remaining days of the legislative session. He would not, however, discuss the specifics of those options. ``I'm not in a position to talk about it,'' he said Wednesday.
Richardson met with House Speaker Harold J. Brubaker, a Randolph County Republican, on Tuesday to air his disappointment with Republican reaction to and quick dispatch of the net ban bill. But Richardson would not say whether GOP leaders would welcome debate on an alternative proposal.
Another of the bill's sponsors, Rep. James. S. ``Sam'' Ellis, a Wake County Republican, said because some bill-filing deadlines have passed in the House, the alternatives now open to members who want to pursue the ban are likely limited to legislation calling for a study of the issue or some version of the original bill with an appropriations clause attached.
``This is a topic that should be open for debate,'' said Ellis. ``The original bill was just a non-binding referendum on net fishing. The options that are left are potentially more damaging to the commercial fishing industry than the bill that they killed.'' by CNB