THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 12, 1996 TAG: 9609120347
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: 112 lines
Albemarle-area fishermen will have their last opportunity tonight to speak their piece in public about several hundred proposed revisions to North Carolina's fishing rules.
The changes will be voted on by the state's 18-member Moratorium Steering Committee in November and could be considered by the General Assembly as early as January.
Suggestions include everything from requiring a saltwater sports fishing license for coastal anglers to overhauling the entire management structure of the state's fisheries commission.
Moratorium Steering Committee members will hold a public hearing on the rule changes at 7 tonight at the Hatteras Civic Center on North Carolina Route 12 at the north end of Hatteras Village.
Similar hearings were held Tuesday night in Elizabeth City and Wednesday night on Roanoke Island.
At the Elizabeth City gathering, about 40 fishermen, fish house owners and others in the industry turned out to talk about various recommendations.
Common concerns among speakers in the College of The Albemarle auditorium dealt with licensing, organizational structure and law enforcement of the state's commercial and recreational fisheries.
Some found the criteria for a three-tier licensing system too restrictive. A few longtime commercial fishermen worried about losing their licenses under the new rules, particularly watermen who didn't meet annual fish-sale quotas for purchasing new licenses. Others who would fall under the new commercial gear recreational license system wanted to be sure they could later upgrade their classification to a commercial license.
Under proposed rules, fishermen who currently hold a commercial fishing license could continue to catch and sell fish indefinitely. But anyone who does not have such a permit would have to prove that they earned at least $5,000 - or half their income - by catching seafood before they'd be allowed to buy a commercial license. The total number of commercial permits probably would be capped.
Gilbert Tripp of Murfreesboro has purchased a commercial fishing license since the program started in the 1950s. But he said he's never sold a fish. Tripp comes from a long line of Albemarle fishermen and wants to continue the family tradition.
``I want to go home. I want to retire,'' he said Tuesday night.``I want to get into the system.''
Tripp questioned the logic of providing license renewals only to already active commercial fishermen.
``Just because I didn't vote in the last election, does that mean I lose my citizenship?'' the elderly man asked committee members.
Others worried about another end of the employment scale: young, inexperienced ``kids'' hoping to breaking into the business.
A pool of applicants will compete for licenses that become available each year, steering committee member Damon Tatem said. Tatem, of Kill Devil Hills, moderated Tuesday's hearing and several times referred to an appeals panel as having ``a certain amount of latitude.'' The panel would hear from individuals who challenged a permit's cost or denial.
Frank Fegel, a Manteo charter boat owner and operator, questioned how the $5 million raised from the proposed saltwater sports fishing license fees would be used.
``If we're not carrying our fair share, then maybe we ought to pay something. But nobody has shown that yet,'' he said.
Fegel also worried about the impact new recreational licenses, which would cost both in- and out-of-state anglers from $5 to $25, would have on tourism, which is the lifeblood of many coastal residents. ``They may still come here on vacation to do the sun and the fun. But they may not want to fish anymore,'' he said.
Manns Harbor resident James Fletcher also questioned the data that was used to determine the sweeping changes that are being recommended.
He asked whether hard numbers matched people's notions that North Carolina waters are being overharvested and, therefore, in need of state protection. ``The moratorium steering committee is basing its decisions on a perception,'' Fletcher said. ``The report is not based on scientific knowledge - but is based on assumptions.''
Fletcher also noted the negative impact that higher permit fees and seafood prices would have on low-income families and subsistence fishermen.
``We took the food away from those who could least afford it,'' he said of possible ramifications. ``Why are we trying to stop the commercial fisherman from creating food?''
The proposed revised makeup of the Marine Fisheries Commission also was questioned. Under the plan, the current 17-member board would be reduced to nine members: two commercial fishermen, one seafood processor or distributor, two recreational fishermen, one who sells sports fishing equipment or services, and three at-large members.
Norman Gregory of Poplar Branch was among the speakers who asked for more commercial fishing representation on the board.
Gregory also said appointees from coastal counties should have more representation on committees because they stand to lose more economically through any changes.
``I just think it's a coastal issue and it should stay on the coast,'' he said.
Another common thread among a majority of speakers in Elizabeth City was the proposed use of volunteers for fisheries law enforcement activities. Most thought a volunteer marine patrol was a bad idea and that only professionals should be used.
Only one speaker seemed to agree with the committee's plans.
Norman Bradford, a recreational fisherman who recently was appointed to the state's rule-making Marine Fisheries Committee, told the panel and audience that ``we can no longer afford to do business as usual.
``We must all sacrifice in the short-term for the long-term benefit,'' Bradford said. ``Restoration of the state's natural resource through a new management plan will require everyone's participation and cooperation. This will not occur without personal pain and sacrifice.'' MEMO: HEARING ON FISHERIES RULES
At 7 tonight, the state's Moratorium Steering Committee will hold a
public hearing on proposed fisheries rule changes.
The meeting will take place at the Hatteras Civic Center on North
Carolina Route 12.
For more information, or to comment about the recommended rule
changes, call Mike Street at the North Carolina Division of Marine
Fisheries, (800) 682-2632 or (919) 726-7021. by CNB