THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 16, 1997 TAG: 9702150652
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C15 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Bob Hutchinson
LENGTH: 147 lines
Fishery management in North Carolina is in chaos, with no indication that it will improve any time soon.
That's unfortunate, especially for the fish. As Rodney Dangerfield might say, fish ``don't get no respect.''
Just a few days ago, almost three years of work on a Tar Heel fisheries management plan was, at the very best, stored on a remote shelf by the General Assembly.
Thursday, Bruce Freeman, director of the Division of Marine Fisheries, was forced to resign (read fired) by Gov. Jim Hunt. At a press conference, Freeman said he was ``a scapegoat.''
Finally, Red Munden, a 29-year agency veteran, resigned as head of the agency's fishery-management division.
The interim director is Michael Buhl, who has been with the agency about six months.
Buhl may be around a long time. Given the agency's present turmoil, it's hard to imagine that any sane person would want the job, even with its $83,000 salary.
It is sad that three years of work by the Moratorium Steering Committee has been negated by seven legislators.
When the steering committee's report came before the Joint Legislative Committee on Seafood and Agriculture early this week, it was shelved by a 7-6 vote.
The steering committee spent almost three years, involving hundreds of people and thousands of hours of work, to come up with a plan for restructuring the way the state's fisheries are managed.
Members included recreational fishermen, commercial fishermen, scientists and private citizens.
Seven politicians decided, in essence, that those fisheries didn't need managing, at least for the present. Instead, the legislative committee recommended restructuring the Division of Marine Fisheries. Hunt, in his fourth term, apparently agreed. He dumped Freeman, who had been on the job about 18 months.
Commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen and the fish themselves will be the big losers.
The fish will lose because they're not being managed to improve stocks. Anglers will lose because there almost certainly will be fewer fish.
The commercials will lose for the same reason. Additionally, in July the moratorium on new commercial licenses will expire and you can expect lots of folks, deprived of licenses for two years, to get into the business.
This almost certainly means there will be more people trying to catch fewer fish.
The legislative committee's decision has been criticized by the Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina, a recreational fishing organization.
Dick Brame, the group's executive director, said North Carolinians ``can begin the countdown to the end'' of the state's fisheries.
``These proposals were North Carolina's best, and perhaps last, chance to avoid the devastation that faced groundfish stocks off New England,'' he said, ``and the equally devastating fisheries management failure in Florida, where large numbers of commercial fishermen are out of work.''
The truly sad part of all this is that the fish, a publicly-owned resource, get so little consideration.
LOFTY GOAL: A goal of 150,000 pounds of meat for the underprivileged has been set by Virginia's Hunters for the Hungry program.
Under the program, hunters donate their venison while donations from numerous sources pay to have it processed, packaged and delivered to unfortunates through food banks, soup kitchens, churches and other non-profit organizations.
More than 120,000 pounds were distributed from the 1996-97 deer season, according to David Horne of Big Island, the program's founder and executive director.
Horne praised the more than 100 Ruritan clubs across Virginia which aided the effort. ``Ruritans were big part of our record distribution this year,'' he said, ``and will be a big part of our expansion during the next hunting season.''
You can get details from Horne at 1-800-352-4868.
SHOW TIME: More than 100 recreational vehicles will move into the Virginia Beach Pavilion this week for the 16th annual Tidewater Recreational Vehicle and Sports Show.
The show opens Friday and runs through Sunday. Hours will be 1-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission will be $5 for adults, $2 for children under 12.
Units will run from small fold-down camping trailers to posh motor homes, including conventional travel trailers, fifth-wheel trailers, mini motor homes and conversion vans.
Several off-road vehicles also will be displayed, along with pickup trucks and other tow vehicles.
FUND RAISERS: A couple of fund-raising banquets/auctions are being planned by local outdoor clubs.
The Tidewater Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association of Virginia, a federation of anglers, will hold its annual get-together Saturday at the Ramada Inn Oceanfront at 57th Street in Virginia Beach.
Auction items will include fishing trips, tackle and works of art. It's open to anyone and admission is be $30. Details, reservations: Jim Hayden, 481-1487.
Turkeys will be the topic March 21 when the Tidewater Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation holds its annual soiree.
The event, which will include silent auctions and raffles for guns, art and outdoor equipment, will be at the Holiday Inn Executive Center on Greenwich Road in Virginia Beach.
Tickets are $40, including dinner and a federation membership. Couples tickets, including a single membership, are $60. You can make reservations by calling Dan Arris at 554-0477 or 340-2036.
FREE DAYS: For the third time in the last four years, a foul-up by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has, in essence, provided anglers with two days when saltwater fishing licenses are not required.
The game department, which regulates freshwater fishing, annually observes two ``free fishing days,'' when freshwater licenses are not required, except when going for trout on designated trout waters.
The idea is to introduce new people to the sport.
But the agency's recent 32-page tabloid guide to freshwater fishing makes no distinction with saltwater fishing. It reads:
``June 7-8 have been designated Free Fishing Days in Virginia. No license of any kind will be required for rod and reel fishing except for trout in designated trout waters.''
Because of state law, the Marine Resources Commission, saltwater regulator, may not accommodate no-license days.
The feeling here is that no court in the state would convict a person, armed with the publication, of fishing sans license in salt water on those dates.
FESTIVAL TIME: The Atlantic Heritage Waterfowl Museum at Virginia Beach will be the benefactor at the Mid-Atlantic Wildfowl and Wildlife Festival.
The event is set for March 1-2 at the Virginia Beach Pavilion. It'll feature wildlife art from throughout the East Coast, with sales booths as well as carving competition.
A special auction is set for 5 p.m. March. 1. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. that day and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission will be $4.
The show is staged by the Back Bay Wildfowl Guild. Details: Lynn Hightower, 422-4688 or 857-2271.
SHORT CASTS: The Virginia Bassmasters have membership openings, especially for anglers with boats. They'll hold their first meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Glass Baron on Diamond Springs Road in Virginia Beach. Details: Jeff Hall, 340-1001. . . . Harvey J. Hall of Virginia Beach has earned a citation award from the Virginia Salt Water Fishing Tournament with a 14 1/2-pound tautog boated off Virginia Beach on the boat Joyce Mae. . . . Lewis Lawson of Waverly earned a freshwater award with a 4 1/2-pound pickerel boated at Lake Cohoon in Suffolk. . . . Pete Bregant will present a free seminar on surf fishing 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at West Marine at 2865 Lynnhaven Drive across from Marina Shores in Virginia Beach. . . . The first Red Man bass fishing tournament of the season will be March 9 at Kerr Lake. Entry deadline will be Feb. 26. Details: Bryan Sayner, 1-502-362-8110. . . . Joe Malat, curator of the North Carolina Aquarium in Manteo, is looking for old fishing tackle to be donated for a permanent display. ``This part of the exhibit will give the flavor of a fishing camp of years gone by,'' Malat said. Details: Malat at 1-919-473-3494. . . . The Eastern Shore Marlin Club will hold its first meeting of the year March 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Island House restaurant in Wachapreague.