HB 353, The Coastal Game Fish Bill Filed in NC Legislature Today!

HB 353, the "Coastal Game Fish Bill" was filed today in the House of the NC General Assembly. Primary Sponsors of the bill are Darrell McCormick, Rick Glazier, Dan Ingle, and Ruth Samuelson. This bill when made law would prohibit the sale of Red Drum, Spotted Sea Trout, and Striped Bass here in NC. A "game fish" is simply a fish that cannot be bought or sold, and is managed as a recreational fish only.

These 3 fish only represent less than 2% of the commercial harvest values here in NC, but combined the positive economic impacts easily exceed 250 million dollars to the NC economy annually as recreational sport fish. South Carolina designated these fish as game fish in the mid 1980's, and it is high time NC follows suit! You can see the bill at this link....  http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2011/Bills/House/HTML/H353v0.html

Go to the NC Game Fish website and see a complete list of NC legislators with their email links here... http://ncgamefish.blogspot.com/