tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15131099682580181172024-03-14T06:18:06.959-04:00Coastal Fisheries Reform GroupRepresenting a large group of the saltwater recreational fishermen who in 2006 generated $2.5 Billion in sales to NC businesses, supported 23,782 jobs in NC, and generated $780 million dollars in salaries and wages to NC workers!CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-191758843096087492014-08-29T16:22:00.000-04:002014-08-29T16:22:08.502-04:00<h2 style="text-align: center;">
North Carolina Wildlife Federation Supports Shrimp Trawl By Catch Reduction</h2>
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August 21, 2014</div>
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Paul Rose, Chairman<br />
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Marine Fisheries Commission<br />
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3441 Arendell Street <br />
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Morehead City, NC 28557<br />
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Chairman Rose:<br />
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The North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF) appreciates this opportunity to comment directly to the Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) on marine resource issues considered important to the welfare and sound management of marine fisheries and to the citizens of North Carolina who depend upon MFC to protect and manage these fisheries according to the best available science and in the public interest. <br />
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We support and commend MFC and Director Daniel for your strong work toward authorization and implementation of Joint Enforcement Authority (JEA) for Marine Patrol Officers under cooperative agreement with National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). JEA will provide authority and resources to our Marine Patrol to enable more comprehensive and stronger law enforcement for protection of marine fisheries. We acknowledge the good work of our Marine Patrol Officers. These Officers deserve our strong assistance and protection as they perform their dangerous and vital services for our fishermen and our fisheries.<br />
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NCWF supports and commends DMF for recent restrictions placed on use of large mesh gill nets requiring permits and limiting sets to nighttime hours in response to warning from NMFS that minimum observer coverage under the Incidental Take Permit to protect endangered species was not being met. Unless minimum coverage of interactions through observers under terms of the ITP can be met, the large mesh gill net fishery must close.<br />
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NCWF identifies bycatch from non-selective commercial gear in our inshore waters as the number one threat to sustainable fisheries. We have released a video condemning this practice in otter trawls used in the shrimp industry and we are working on other public awareness programs. Elimination or significant reduction of bycatch in all our fishing activities is a necessary and worthwhile objective. <br />
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MFC can make great strides in eliminating and reducing bycatch in a short time by these actions: </span><dir><span style="font-family: Lao UI;">
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</span><span style="font-family: Lao UI;">1. Stop the red drum bycatch fishery now. The season is closed now due to greatly exceeding annual catch quotas in short order last year. Do not reopen this ill conceived, so-called “bycatch” season. Recent events have shown that this fishery is unmanageable; and, in fact, is a directed fishery under the pretense of unavoidable bycatch of drum. Add the red drum to the list of non-commercial fish, which now includes only the tarpon (</span><a href="http://ncrules.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2015a%20-%20environment%20and%20natural%20resources/chapter%2003%20-%20marine%20fisheries/subchapter%20m/15a%20ncac%2003m%20.0509.pdf"><u><span style="color: #1111cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1111cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1111cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN">15A NCAC 03M .0509</span></span></span></span></u></a><span lang="EN">).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Lao UI;">2. Reopen the issue of otter trawls in the shrimp industry in inshore waters and implement some meaningful restrictions on the size of trawls, the timing of seasons, the location of approved and off limits trawling areas, and the duration of trawling pulls. Establish a timetable and goal for bycatch reduction and devise measures to detect improvements.<br />
3. Require pound net license holders to attend and monitor their nets, release all non-target animals caught, and report interactions with sea turtles. Pound nets are not covered by the sea turtle ITP and every interaction is a violation of the ESA.<br />
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NCWF requests that MFC consider a serious approach to reduce bycatch in all fishing gear. NCWF is willing to assist and support these actions as a highly interested stakeholder and as a willing NGO partner. We feel these actions are critical and positive steps required to restore sustainable fisheries in NC.<br />
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Cc: Louis Daniel, Phd.<br />
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Director, Division of Marine Fisheries<br />
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Sincerely yours,<br />
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Tim Gestwicki, CEO<br />
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North Carolina Wildlife Federation<br />
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CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-33490769181640810482014-02-19T18:09:00.003-05:002014-02-19T18:09:23.901-05:00<h2>
Lawsuit Filed to Protect Sea Turtles From Shrimp Trawlers</h2>
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<span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392851126218_2421">Contact: </span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392851126218_2402">Teri Shore, Turtle Island Restoration Network, cell <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392851126218_2453" rel="nofollow" shape="rect">707 934 7081</a> <a href="mailto:tshore@tirn.net" id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392851126218_2452" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:tshore@tirn.net">tshore@tirn.net</a> (sea turtle photos available) </span><br clear="none" /><span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392851126218_2408">Jaclyn Lopez, Center for Biological Diversity, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" rel="nofollow" shape="rect">(727) 490-9190</a>, <a href="mailto:jlopez@biologicaldiversity.org" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:jlopez@biologicaldiversity.org">jlopez@biologicaldiversity.org</a> </span><br clear="none" /><span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392851126218_2409">Marydele Donnelly, Sea Turtle Conservancy, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" rel="nofollow" shape="rect">(410) 750-1561</a>, <a href="mailto:marydele@conserveturtles.org" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:marydele@conserveturtles.org">marydele@conserveturtles.org</a></span><br clear="none" /><span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392851126218_2411">Amanda Keledjian, Oceana, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392851126218_2410" rel="nofollow" shape="rect">(202) 467-1918</a>, <a href="mailto:akeledjian@oceana.org" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:akeledjian@oceana.org">akeledjian@oceana.org</a></span></div>
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<br clear="none" /><span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392851126218_2415">Lawsuit Launched to Protect Sea Turtles From Drowning in Shrimp Fishing Nets </span><br clear="none" /><br clear="none" /><span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392851126218_2424">Fishing Gear Is Primary Threat to Sea Turtle Survival</span></div>
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Conservation groups notified the National Marine Fisheries Service today of their intent to sue over the agency’s failure to prevent the capture and drowning of over 53,000 threatened and endangered sea turtles each year in shrimp trawl nets operating in the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Southeast Atlantic Ocean. </div>
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“Sea turtles are critically endangered, and no shrimp trawler should be allowed to operate if it can’t prevent the drowning of turtles,” said Teri Shore, program director of Turtle Island Restoration Network.</div>
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<a href="http://seaturtles.org/downloads/ShrimpNOIFinal2014_02_19%20Center%20NOI%20re%202012%20BiOp.pdf" id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392851126218_2429" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Download the 60-Day Notice of Intent to Sue Here in PDF.</a></div>
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This new legal action comes just two years after the conservation groups settled another lawsuit, one that sought to address more than 3,500 sea turtles that washed up dead or injured on Gulf and East Coast beaches in 2011. <a href="http://seaturtles.org/section.php?id=156" id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392851126218_2432" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Read more about sea turtles and the shrimp fishery here.</a></div>
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The Fisheries Service linked many of those sea turtle deaths and injuries to capture in shrimp fishing nets. Conservation groups settled the litigation with the Fisheries Service, which promised to propose new shrimp fishing regulations to help protect sea turtles. Instead of implementing more protective fishing gear regulations, the Fisheries Service withdrew the proposed rules completely.</div>
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Since then, the federal agency has failed to complete a revised analysis of the impacts of shrimp trawling on sea turtles, even after acknowledging previous analyses were inadequate and did not account for poor compliance with existing regulations.</div>
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“We had high hopes that we were moving toward a solution for sea turtles, but once again the Fisheries Service has failed to actually implement the protective measures,” said Jaclyn Lopez, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The agency has gotten into a disturbing habit of initiating protections and then stalling them. Every day protections are delayed is another day that these sea turtles face the very real risk of drowning in shrimp nets.”<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" /> “Turtle excluder devices,” known as TEDs, prevent turtles from drowning in nets, but limited use and lax enforcement have led to thousands of sea turtle deaths. Making matters worse, shallow-water shrimp vessels using skimmer trawls are permitted to simply self-enforce time limits on their tows in water instead of using TEDs. Enforcement records have shown that only 35 percent actually comply with these regulations. There is also mounting evidence from federal fishery observers suggesting that even when these restrictions are followed, skimmers drown turtles. Shrimp trawling is one of the most significant threats facing sea turtles in U.S. coastal waters.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />“These fisheries should not be permitted to operate without any protective measures in place,” said Amanda Keledjian, marine scientist at Oceana.</div>
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“Shrimp trawls kill more sea turtles than all other sources of mortality in U.S. waters combined,” said Marydele Donnelly, director of international policy at the Sea Turtle Conservancy. “Nations that export shrimp to the United States are required to protect sea turtles from drowning in their nets, but the U.S. fleet cannot meet these standards right now.”<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />The Endangered Species Act requires the Fisheries Service to ensure that its actions do not jeopardize the continued existence of endangered species. Today’s notice aims to ensure the agency’s compliance with this law in carrying out its mandate to protect sea turtles and seeks to establish protective measures for them.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" /> Conservation groups filing today’s notice include the Center for Biological Diversity, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Sea Turtle Conservancy and Oceana.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" /> ###<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" /> Turtle Island Restoration Network mobilizes people to restore oceans, preserve rivers and streams, and protect the marine wildlife – from sea turtles to sharks – that call these blue-green waters home. Turtle Island is 25-year-old environmental non-profit with offices in California, Texas and Costa Rica. Our more than 65,000 members and online activists work to protect marine biodiversity in our oceans, and inland rivers and streams. <a href="http://www.seaturtles.org/" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://www.seaturtles.org/</a></div>
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The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 675,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. <a href="http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/</a><br clear="none" /><br clear="none" /> Sea Turtle Conservancy works to ensure the survival of sea turtles within the Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific through research, education, training, advocacy and protection of the natural habitats upon which they depend. <a href="http://www.conserveturtles.org/" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://www.conserveturtles.org/</a><div id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392851126218_2439">
<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" /> Oceana is the largest international conservation group working solely to protect the world’s oceans. Oceana wins policy victories for the oceans using science-based campaigns. More than 600,000 supporters have already joined Oceana. Global in scope, Oceana has offices in North, South and Central America and Europe. For more information, visit </div>
<a href="http://www.oceana.org/" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://www.oceana.org/</a><div id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1392851126218_2437">
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<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-35722250037453564812014-02-05T16:45:00.000-05:002014-02-05T16:45:04.203-05:00<br />
<span lang="EN"><h2 align="CENTER">
WHY IS THE SHRIMP TRAWLING INDUSTRY TREATED SO DIFFERENTLY THAN OTHER NORTH CAROLINA INDUSTRIES</h2>
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<i>A decade or so ago Beaufort Industries, the old Menhaden Plant, was fined for returning basically "heavy water" into the creek behind the plant. They were actually fined more than once and all they were doing was putting out water with bits and pieces of menhaden in it. They were fined for violating the Federal Clean Water Act.</i><br />
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Every year, shrimp trawlers operating in North Carolina inshore waters dump their by catch overboard, yet they don’t get fined. So how much does a big trawler dump in a year on average in our estuarine waters?<br />
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According to trip tickets collected by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), in 2012 there were 4,855,378 pounds of shrimp harvested in our estuarine waters. That doesn't include ocean landed shrimp. <br />
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While catching these nearly five million pounds of shrimp, the DMF estimates are that 21,489,201 pounds of finfish were also caught. This is known in the trade as by catch and most of it was returned to the waters dead.<br />
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The DMF also reports that only 74 boats harvested 70 percent of this total. The other 370 boats involved in the industry landed the other 30 percent. <br />
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According to the DMF, by catch is the same whether using one 50 feet net on four boats or four 50 feet nets on one boat, thus these 74 boats logically account for 70 percent of the by catch. <br />
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Thus, 70 percent of the 21,489,201 total pounds of by catch caught and released by these 74 boats totals approximately 15,042,440 pounds. Over 15 million pounds of dead fish dumped by the 74 boats, mostly into Pamlico Sound in 2012. Incredibly, this has been occurring for years and will probably be repeated this year.<br />
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If you divide the total bycatch number for this group by 74 you see that each boat dumps 203,276 pounds of solid waste into the water each year. Dead flesh!<br />
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That is 101 tons for each boat. Around 202 pickup loads for each boat. <br />
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That is equivalent to 40,200 chickens (5 lb. average) 1,827 hogs (110 pounds average) 8,040 turkeys (20 pounds average) <br />
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How many other small businesses or farming operations can you name that are allowed to dump this much solid waste into our estuarine system each year? We can't.<br />
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Tell you neighbors this story and ask them if they know of any other industry that can.CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-13517570751692365682014-01-18T14:34:00.000-05:002014-01-18T14:34:09.851-05:00<h2 style="text-align: center;">
CFRG Takes Position on Fisheries Issues</h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The following posts have been submitted by the CFRG to</span> <span style="font-size: small;">the appropriate people involved in the issues. The first deals with Spotted Sea Trout and attempts to change horses in the middle of the stream without new information on the stock status reports.</span></span></div>
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The second deals with shrimp. The DMF/MFC have opted to search for new By Catch Reduction Devices (BRD) for two years as their solution to the 24 million pounds of fish being killed annually in North Carolina inshore waters by shrimp trawlers harvesting a mere 5 million pounds of shrimp (average) per year.</div>
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<span lang="EN">January 14, 2014<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Chip Collier 127 Cardinal Drive Wilmington, N.C. 28405 </span><a href="javascript:location.href='mailto:'+String.fromCharCode(67,104,105,112,46,67,111,108,108,105,101,114,64,110,99,100,101,110,114,46,103,111)+'?subject=Public%20Comment%20Sought%20on%20Spotted%20Seatrout%20Management%20Measures'"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span lang="EN">Chip.Collier@ncdenr.gov</span></span></span></u></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span lang="EN"></span></span></b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><b>Reference</b>: Proposed Supplement SST FMP: Maintain short-term management measures to address stock assessment uncertainties</span></dir><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
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Mr. Collier:<br />
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The Coastal Fisheries Reform Group (CFRG) represents recreational coastal fishermen and supports science-based management of our marine fisheries. Within that purview we submit the following recommendation to continue present short-term management measures to govern speckled sea trout fishing activities until the ongoing stock assessment is complete. We think it would be premature to implement the planned restrictions scheduled to take effect in February, 2014. The stock assessment can be reviewed and long-term changes that may be necessary or desirable can be implemented later in 2014 or in 2015. We believe continuation of the short-term measures until the stock assessment can be analyzed is favorable to implementing the more restrictive measures now and then possibly changing them in just a few months. <br />
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To be specific, we support continuing the following regulatory regime for SST until the stock assessment is reviewed and other possible changes based upon the findings are proposed:<br />
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Maintain 14 inch minimum size limit, 75 fish daily creel limit, and weekend closure in joint waters (except Albemarle and Currituck Sounds) for commercial fishing and maintain 14 inch minimum size limit and 4 fish daily creel limit for recreational fishing.<br />
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</b>Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this proposal.</span><div style="text-align: left;">
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<span lang="EN">January 16, 2014<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Louis Daniel, Director Division of Marine Fisheries </span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">3441 Arendell Street Morehead City, NC 28557</span><br />
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Dr. Daniel:<br />
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Reference: Proposed amendment Shrimp FMP to Reduce Bycatch<br />
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</span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Times New Roman;">The Coastal Fisheries Reform Group (CFRG) is a coalition of recreational coastal fishermen, who support sound management of our marine fisheries based upon the best available science. We represent many thousands of fishermen from across the state who fish in our coastal waters. We have had over 127,000 hits on our blog site <i>(http://cfrgnc.blogspot.com/)</i> where we have discussed coastal fisheries issues since 2009. In the role as a voice for the average salt water fisherman, we submit the following comments on the proposed Shrimp FMP amendment to reduce finfish bycatch that the Marine Fisheries Commission will consider at their February 2014 meeting.<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">We strongly believe that the draft amendment to the shrimp plan, which includes only proposals for industry testing of bycatch reduction devices, updating testing protocols for the state bycatch reduction device certification program, and requiring additional bycatch reduction devices in all shrimp trawl nets, falls woefully short of an acceptable proposal to amend the Shrimp FMP to reduce bycatch.<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The Shrimp FMP Advisory Committee met several times over the course almost a year and many additional, significant measures were discussed and considered. The proposals emerging from the study are almost meaningless and will do little if anything to reduce finfish bycatch in shrimp trawling operations. The recommended amendment contains no options for gear restrictions, no time closures, no areas closures, and no target reduction in bycatch. </span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Times New Roman;">The Shrimp FMP should be amended to include goals, timetables, and management measures to accomplish significant by-catch reduction and an aggressive data collection and analysis program to monitor the success of management actions taken over the next five year period. </span></span><br />
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We quote here from the draft amendment (page 65 Section <b>6.3 Shrimp Trawl Bycatch</b>):<br />
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</span><i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">“As perhaps the prime example of the new policy positions, the re-authorized Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA) contains a National Standard (#9) requiring bycatch minimization (USDOC 1996). National Standard 9 states: “Conservation and management measures shall, to the extent practicable, (A) minimize bycatch and (B) to the extent bycatch cannot be avoided, minimize the mortality of such bycatch." Additionally, in 1991 the <b>MFC adopted a policy directing the DMF to establish the goal of reducing bycatch losses to the absolute minimum and to consciously incorporate that goal into all of its, management considerations</b> (Murrary et al. 1991).”<br />
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</i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The CFRG urges the MFC to amend the Shrimp FMP to include the following provisions:</span><br />
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1. Limit all trawl nets in inshore coastal waters (especially Pamlico Sound) to a maximum headrope size of 110 feet and only allow two nets per boat. This would remove the large nets and their excessive bycatch but would allow the small trawlers that have shrimped in our sounds for generations to continue working uninterrupted. These smaller shrimp boats are mostly local boats, with local crews that sell their catch at local fish houses in North Carolina. Such a rule change would greatly benefit the vast majority of North Carolina shrimpers while truly helping our coastal economies and our marine resources by significantly reducing bycatch. <br />
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2. Limit tow times to 60 minutes. This would allow for some bycatch to be released alive and also increase the chance of sparing any endangered turtles which are entrapped in the net.<br />
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3. Delay shrimp season until the shrimp size has reached the level of having 36 to 41 (or lower) shrimp per pound. This would postpone the harvest of shrimp and allow juvenile finfish to grow larger and have more of a chance of escaping shrimp trawls. These fish would also have more time to move out of their nursery areas where the trawlers are now working. In addition, this change would cause the shrimp to be larger when they are harvested and market value would be greater, thereby benefiting shrimp fishermen. <br />
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4. Establish exclusion zones around both sides of our inlets where trawlers with headropes exceeding 110 feet would not be allowed. This would allow juvenile finfish that are transitioning to a life in the open ocean to escape our sounds without being killed by a shrimp trawler. These fish become concentrated when they are near the inlets and are especially vulnerable to trawlers until they can disperse into the ocean.<br />
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Now is the time to get serious about the finfish decimation caused by the current activities of shrimp trawlers in the inshore waters of NC. Destruction of fisheries resources of this magnitude cannot be tolerated any longer. If the proposed amendment to the Shrimp FMP is adopted as presented, the schedule for meaningful action will be delayed for years while we look for the magic solution that is right before us now. Establish some realistic goals, implement some meaningful management measures, set a timetable for implementation, evaluate improvements in terms of bycatch reduction, and make subsequent changes as dictated by results.</span><div style="text-align: left;">
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CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-32023850702067050932013-06-09T08:25:00.002-04:002013-06-09T10:40:59.262-04:00<span lang="EN"></span><h2>
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Republican Caucus Secretly Kills Game Fish Again</span></h2>
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Caucus Tells Recreational Fishermen They Have No Say in How Salt Water Fish Are Managed </h3>
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</span>In 2009, then Senator Mark Basnight and his confidant Representative Tim Spear, both Democrats aligned with commercial fishing interests, killed game fish without a vote.<br />
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Governor Bev Perdue killed it in 2011 when Republicans traded game fish to override her veto of the budget with two dissident Coastal Democrats, one of them being Tim Spear.<br />
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Here we are in 2013 and the Republican Caucus, operating in secret and without warning, killed HB 983, the Fisheries Economic Development Act, commonly called the game fish bill, a week ago under the guise of it being a local issue.<br />
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The Republican Caucus in the House essentially has told the more than 500,000 recreational salt water fishermen in the state, that they have no vote, no say in how the salt water fishery is managed. A few coastal Representatives, again with ties to the commercial fishing sector, have decided for all of the state’s recreational fishermen that the commercial fishing industry will manage the fish.<br />
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We all know how well that has worked out for our fish in the past. Reminds us of the line in the song, “<em>Hello to the new boss, same as the old boss.”</em> <br />
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Not a Local Issue</h4>
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</i></b>Anyone with a grain of sense realizes that this issue has the potential to benefit the entire State. Over 500,000 licensed recreational salt water anglers live across the state from Manteo to Murphy.<br />
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Maybe we should let coastal residents pay for hurricane damage to coastal roads, pay for beach nourishment and channel dredging, ferry boats, and so on. No, we recognize that all citizens must help one another in these public matters. <br />
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If these issues are not local issues, then game fish is not a local issue.<br />
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Fish are Valuable as Recreational Fish</h4>
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</i> </b>Only three commercial fishermen caught, sold, and reported selling over $10,000 worth of estuarine striped bass, speckled sea trout, and red drum in any combination. These three fish constitute less than one percent of the total annual commercial catch and account for only about $3 million annually and 28 jobs according to the 2012 figures from the Division of Marine Fisheries. <br />
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The recreational value of the three fish is $131 million for the same period and supports 1.267 jobs. This appears to be a no brainer. Anyone who cannot see the imbalance here is a no brainer. Over 30 species of finfish in inshore waters are open to commercial fishing; not one fish is managed as a game fish. <br />
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If game fish had been enacted into law, the commercial sector still would be harvesting over 99 percent of the fish they are harvesting now. Even without the three game fish! <br />
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The management of fisheries for commercial harvest creates a persistent drag on the population that over time always depletes the population and requires emergency and drastic action to save the fishery. We were too late in the case of the gray trout, the sturgeon, the river herring and we are just beginning to see recovery in the red drum, striped bass, and flounder. Extraordinary measures by recreational fishermen have led the way toward recovery with commercial fishermen complaining about government interference all the way.<br />
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A fool and His Votes Are Soon Parted</h4>
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</i></b>Leading Republicans told us to elect them and they would run our state like a business and allocate our valuable resources of all kinds for the highest and best use of all citizens. We were told “You get Republicans elected and we will pass game fish.“ Really.<br />
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We elected Republicans to Office as Governor, Speaker of the House, and President Pro Temp of the Senate. Killing game fish in this way is not consistent with your promises and will not sit kindly with the majority of over 500,000 licensed recreational fishermen as they cast their votes in the next election. Do you want to lose all you have gained over a few fish? It could happen!CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-66643402954470922342013-05-22T13:33:00.000-04:002013-05-22T13:35:05.997-04:00<span style="color: purple;">NC WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION FACING SERIOULS BUDGET CUTS</span><br />
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The Coastal Fisheries Reform Group (CFRG) supports the Camo Coalition in its efforts to eliminate or at least mitigate the budget cuts proposed in the NC Legislature. Anyone wanting to help can click on the link below and send a message.]<br />
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You can also contact you NC House and Senate member, which can be found on the NC Legislature web site. You can also visit <a href="http://www.nccamo.org/">http://www.nccamo.org/</a> for more information. <br />
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The Senate has released its 2013 – 2014 budget proposal and it has passed through the Senate Appropriations Committee. The cuts to the Wildlife Resources Commission budget are staggering and, if enacted, will cut long-standing and important programs of the agency significantly. In previous years the General Assembly has appropriated about $18 million to the Commission to provide services and infrastructure to manage and protect the fish and wildlife resources of the state. This year, the proposal is to appropriate only $9 million to the agency for these activities. This is a cut of about 49%. Hunters and fishermen in NC will certainly miss the fish and wildlife programs and services supported by these cut funds.<br />
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The Senate will vote on the budget tomorrow, Wednesday, May 22, 2013. The budget has to be voted on in two separate days, so this cut may be addressed and funds restored on Thursday, May 23, 2013 also. You still have time to provide important input to your Senator to correct this misguided cut.<br />
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The fish and wildlife management programs and infrastructure of the Wildlife Resources</div>
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Commissions contribute significantly to the state and local economies. The programs of the agency impact the state in all areas and have been created over the years with receipts collected from hunting and fishing license sales and other receipts from agency programs. Appropriations to the WRC are typically used to support the programs of the agency that benefit all the citizens of the state.<br />
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The Senate budget cut is accompanied with the implied suggestion that the Commission use the Wildlife Endowment Fund (WEF) to make up the difference. The WEF was created to provide a supplemental source of funding to improve fish and wildlife programs and not to replace traditional sources of financial support from the General Assembly. The WEF has been utilized over the years to keep our fish and wildlife programs efficient and current with such projects as fish hatchery improvement, improvements to law enforcement, and game lands purchases. We need to keep this valuable asset to continue improving our fish and wildlife programs and not be required to expend these trust funds for routine operations.<br />
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Click <a href="http://capwiz.com/ncwf/utr/1/FGSOTBUWXO/HBZOTBUWZO/9601067521" rel="nofollow" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">TAKE ACTION</a> to send a message to your Senator today and ask him or her to restore the modest appropriation to the WRC budget to avoid significant reduction in services so important to the hunters and fishermen of NC.</div>
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CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-63914974773548061812013-04-18T14:55:00.000-04:002013-04-18T14:55:07.407-04:00<h2>
<span style="color: #741b47;">GAME FISH INTRODUCED IN NC HOUSE</span></h2>
<strong>FINALLY</strong>....at long last the North Carolina legislature will vote on a game fish bill. <strong>HB 983</strong> was introduced in the House on Wednesday, April 17, and when it passes will be sent to the Senate for action there.<br />
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There is a twist this year. Because of the importance of the legislation to the state's economy, the bill is entitled <strong>2013 Fisheries Economic Development Act</strong>. <strong>NOTE:</strong> You can visit the NC House of Representatives web site and type in the bill number and read its full contents.<br />
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The North Carolina Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) has been sponsoring the legislation for the past three years. The push for a game fish bill was begun four years ago by the Coastal Fisheries Reform Group (CFRG), but that bill was blocked at the committee level by opponents. The following year, the CCA took over as the primary sponsor of the bill, but the effort failed to see the bill introduced once again. Last year, the bill was not introduced because of a threatened veto by then Governor Bev Perdue.<br />
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This year, however, the bill will receive a vote. If passed, no longer will the commercial sale of wild caught red drum, spotted sea trout and estuarine striped bass be permitted in North Carolina. Ocean stripers can still be harvested from the beach out to three miles commercially, but that catch is controlled by a quota system. In federal waters from three miles and beyond, stripers cannot be harvested.<br />
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Only red drum or specs imported or farm raised can be sold in the state. Restaurants can sell stripers legally taken from the beach out to three miles. Stripers from inshore cannot be sold in the North Carolina once this bill is passed.<br />
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The bill is much more inclusive than just game fish status. It contains provisions for increasing <strike>fishing</strike> license fees that will bring in much needed revenue to the Division of Marine Resources. It also contains provisions to financially assist commercial fishermen who can prove they have been adversely affected by the bill.<br />
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In addition, the bill provides revenue for dredging of some of North Carolina's inlets, valuable avenues for passage to not only commercial vessels, but recreational fishing boats. Many of these inlets are in dire need of dredging since the federal monies previously used for this purpose have dried up. HB 983 <strong>does not</strong> involve increasing boat registration fees.<br />
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In all other states that have either instituted game fish and/or an outright net ban, economic activity has increased. Why? Because as the fish populations, namely red drum and specs to our south, have increased, recreational fishing pressure has increased. Fishermen spend lots and lots of money in pursuit of their favorite recreation. We all know about that.<br />
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This has been proven in Texas, Louisiana, Florida and South Carolina. Within the past month, the State of Georgia also designated the red drum a game fish. North Carolina joins Mississippi as the only states from NC to Texas without game fish status for drum and specs.<br />
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You can visit the CCA's web site at <a href="http://ccanc.org/">http://ccanc.org/</a> and learn of the economic benefits of the legislation. These economic statistics have largely been compiled from the records of the NC Division of Marine Fisheries.<br />
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The CFRG urges all North Carolina residents to contact their NC House Representative and Senator. Ask them to vote for the bill. These members can be obtained by visiting <a href="http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/">http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/</a> At that site click on either House or Senate, then on member lists.<br />
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Please be courteous and respectful to these elected officials.<br />
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With your assistance, we can finally see some improvements in our fishery. And we can help improve our state's economy.<br />
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Thanks and good fishing.CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-50121391136221257352013-03-06T11:29:00.002-05:002013-03-06T11:29:32.539-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>CFRG'S POSITION ON PROPOSED QUARRY OPERATION ON BLOUNTS CREEK</strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">On March 14, 2013, the North Carolina Division of Water Quality will hold a meeting to seek public comment on a limestone quarry that is proposed for construction in the watershed of Blounts Creek, a tributary of the Pamlico River in Beaufort County. The Coastal Fisheries Reform Group urges individuals concerned about water quality and particularly those who fish to attend this meeting and speak out in opposition to this planned quarry for the following reasons:<br />
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1. The quarry will pump 9 million gallons of water per day from the aquifer in order to wash rocks. Our aquifers have gotten dangerously low and the removal of this much water on a permanent daily basis will be detrimental.<br />
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2. The quarry will dispose of its 9 million gallons of wash water every day by dumping it into feeder streams that lead into the headwaters of Blounts Creek and ultimately into the Pamlico River. This will cause a major ecological change in this area due to both the alteration of pH and the influx of fresh water. The Pamlico River is already challenged by the infusion of fresh water from the phosphate mine a short distance downstream from Blounts Creek.<br />
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Many species of important estuarine fish, including striped bass, speckled sea trout, and red drum, spawn and are nurtured in the sheltered waters of Blounts Creek. These fish spend much of their life cycle in Blounts Creek and surrounding estuarine and fresh waters. Blounts Creek is a productive and popular fishing and recreational area. The huge influx of waste water from the aquifer every day will change the fragile and productive ecology of Blounts Creek and surrounding waters. Another important factor to consider is the very low turnover rate of water in Blounts Creek due to its narrow opening into the Pamlico River. This fact increases the adverse impact of the large freshwater influx from the proposed quarry and any toxic spill from the quarry will be devastating as it concentrates in the bay. The adverse affects of spills will be virtually impossible to remediate.<br />
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It is imperative that anyone who is interested in the health of Blounts Creek attend this meeting to speak or send written comments to: <b>NC Division of Water Quality, Wetlands and Storm Water Branch, 1650 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1650. Attn: Cyndi Karoly.</b><br />
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<b>email -- </b><br /></span><br /></span><a href="mailto:Cyndi.karoly@ncdenr.gov"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN">Cyndi.karoly@ncdenr.gov</span></span></span></span></u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Meeting time and location:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"> Thursday March 14, 2013, beginning at 7:00 pm at the Beaufort County Community College, Building 8-Auditorium, 5337 Highway 264 East, Washington, NC 27889. Doors will open at 6:00 pm for speaker registration and sign-in. <br />
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For more information go to: </span><br /></span><br />
<a href="http://portal.ncdenr.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=be079a52-ac61-4941-bdbd-e75049854b7c&groupId=38364"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN">http://portal.ncdenr.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=be079a52-ac61-4941-bdbd-e75049854b7c&groupId=38364</span></span></span></span></u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></a><br />
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CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-76640920856370294472013-01-15T14:47:00.000-05:002013-01-15T14:47:31.765-05:00<span lang="EN">The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission will meet this week and discuss the establishment of a"hook and line" commercial fishery for striped bass in North Carolina coastal waters inside the three mile limit. Outside the three mile remains under the jurisdiction of the federal government.<br />
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The CFRG sent the following position on the proposal for inclusion in the public record. You will note we are advocating the establishment of a "rod and reel" fishery. Hook and line could result in long lines being used to catch stripers, something we are opposed to.<br />
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<strong>CFRG Position on Rod and Reel Commercial Fishing for Striped Bass</strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman;">The CFRG favors the proposal before the Marine Fisheries Commission for consideration to adopt a "rod and reel" commercial fishery for striped bass. We believe the following requirements should be met when adopting new regulations.<br />
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1. The rod and reel should be allowed as an approved commercial gear for taking striped bass in the Atlantic Ocean.<br />
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2. The rod and reel should replace the currently allowable method of trawling for striped bass in the Atlantic Ocean.<br />
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3. The current commercial striped bass quota for trawling in the Atlantic Ocean should be transferred to rod and reel.<br />
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4. Only those persons holding a Standard Commercial Fishing License who also held a special striped bass ocean<br />
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fishing permit at some point during the last three years should be eligible to use rod and reel as commercial gear for striped bass harvest in the Atlantic Ocean.<br />
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5. Strict daily limits for taking and possessing striped bass with rod and reel should be adopted based upon recommendations of fishery biologists of DMF and strictly enforced. The season quota should replace the current quota for trawling and be set by Division of Marine Fisheries biologists in conjunction with any federal requirements for harvesting these fish, with a goal of maintaining healthy and sustainable populations of striped bass.<br />
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6. The present fees of licenses and permits for commercial harvesting and sale of striped bass are too low and should be increased to at least pay the cost of administering this special fishery. Striped bass are a valuable state resource for North Carolina and should be treated as such by increasing fees for all applicable licenses and permits.<br />
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Joe Albea<br />
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Coastal Fisheries Reform Group<br />
</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-9302802782808311882012-11-08T14:47:00.000-05:002012-11-08T14:47:02.562-05:00<h2 style="text-align: center;">
BREAKING NEWS....BREAKING NEWS</h2>
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The Marine Fisheries Commission at their meeting today in Morehead City voted 8-1 to amend the Shrimp FMP. The vote signalled a turnaround from the Division of Marine Fisheries' previous intent to only seek a revision of the shrimp FMP.</div>
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The CFRG and other groups fought hard for an amendment to the FMP rather than a revision of it. A simple revision would have meant the FMP would have stood for at least five more years. The CFRG contended the FMP glossed over the by catch issue.</div>
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The Commisioners voted to amend the plan and focus on the issue of by catch. Director Louis Daniel of the DMF stated his agency's position to seek a revision had changed following public input requesting the amendment. He urged the Commissioners to vote for an amendment.</div>
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Coastal Fisheries Reform Group Presents Proposal to Reduce Shrimp Trawl Bycatch</h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">In order to protect our juvenile finfish stocks from excessive bycatch in shrimp trawls and to maintain our important shrimp fishing industry, the Coastal Fisheries Reform Group (CFRG) presented a 5-point proposal to the MFC at today's meeting. </span></span></div>
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Every year, North Carolina shrimp trawlers kill hundreds of millions of juvenile fish as bycatch, which seriously damages our fish stocks. To reduce this bycatch, the CFRG is proposing new limits on trawl net size, shrimp size, tow times, and trawling near inlets, along with proper monitoring of fish populations to determine how these changes effect the stocks.<br />
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The changes proposed by CFRG are a serious compromise that will protect both the fish and local commercial shrimpers. It is expected that the Marine Fisheries Commission will make these changes before shrimp season starts in 2013 as they formulate an amendment for the shrimp management plan. To view the full CFRG proposal on trawling rule changes,see the following post <strong>CFRG 5-Point Proposal to Reduce Trawler By Catch</strong> </div>
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CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-32124348959544199962012-11-08T14:29:00.002-05:002012-11-08T14:31:26.138-05:00<h2 style="text-align: center;">
CFRG 5-POINT PROPOSAL TO REDUCE TRAWLER BY CATCH</h2>
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<span lang="EN">North Carolina once had a recreational fishery that was second to none and a source of great pride to our state. Today this fishery pales in comparison to what it once was and many of our fish species are now depleted from years of overfishing. In 1998, a study on shrimp trawling by the National Marine Fisheries Service was reported to the U.S. Congress (1). It showed that in 5695 tows by shrimp trawlers, an average of 4.5 pounds of bycatch occurred for every pound of shrimp that was harvested. Most of the bycatch consisted of small finfish such as croaker, spot, and weakfish. This study opened many eyes and caused states all along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts to begin enacting rules to try to lessen shrimp trawl bycatch. The result over several years was that out of eight shrimp-producing states in this region, four eliminated commercial trawling in inshore waters (GA, SC, TX, and FL), and three severely restricted it via head rope size (LA, AL, and MS). That left North Carolina as the only state to allow virtually unrestricted shrimp trawling to occur in inshore waters. While others heeded the national study and enacted measures to protect their fish nurseries, North Carolina trawled on. </span><br />
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Recently, the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF) repeated the national trawler study in North Carolina waters by analyzing bycatch from 505 tows by commercial shrimp trawlers (2, 3). As one might expect, the end result was very similar to the prior study with an average bycatch to shrimp ratio of 3.6 to 1 (by weight). As was seen before, most of the bycatch consisted of young croaker, spot, and weakfish. Part of the North Carolina study added a new piece of information by counting individual species in addition to weighing them. This fish count produced another eye opening result. The juvenile finfish were small and had an average weight of between 20-30 fish per pound. Some simple math revealed that over the last five years, North Carolina’s average shrimp harvest of just over 7 million pounds per year was causing approximately 25 million pounds of bycatch per year. Astonishingly, at the lower estimate of 20 fish per pound, this would extrapolate to an average of approximately 500 million small fish being killed <u>every year</u>! Even more astonishing was the fact that this result was expected and was considered as “nothing new” by those who have studied this problem for years. <br />
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In spite of knowing all of this, and with new studies in hand, the NCDMF recommended a “revision” of the shrimp management plan. This meant that the management plan would continue on with no substantial changes to address the problem of bycatch. The NCDMF also recommended additional studies on the issue of bycatch, even though they had just completed a large study that had results similar to those reported by the larger national study. In the time since that recommendation was made several months ago, the news of the results of the bycatch studies spread and the public outcry has grown louder with recreational fishermen demanding that the shrimp management plan be “amended” to allow rule changes that would lessen bycatch. More studies are not needed, it is simply time to act upon the data we already have. <br />
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While an amendment to the shrimp management plan is being considered, the Coastal Fisheries Reform Group (CFRG), which represents recreational fishermen in North Carolina, is requesting that immediate changes be implemented. These changes can be made without delay by using the power of proclamation at the February 2013 Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) meeting. A proclamation can be used because the third most abundant finfish species in our bycatch is the weakfish (grey trout). The NCDMF studies indicate that tens of millions of juvenile weakfish are killed in our shrimp trawlers every year. While we waste these fish, they are sadly classified as depleted after being severely overfished for many years. The MFC and NCDMF can act immediately by proclamation to protect any fish that is in such bad shape and they must not delay. It should also be noted that lessening weakfish deaths in bycatch will also lessen the destruction of croaker and spot, two species which have also greatly declined after once being a plentiful and popular target of recreational fisherman. These fish all need protection now and the CFRG proposes the following changes to address the unacceptably large loss of juvenile finfish that occurs during shrimp trawling:<br />
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1. Limit all trawl nets in inshore coastal waters to a maximum headrope size of 35 feet and only allow one net per boat. This would remove the large nets and their excessive bycatch but would allow the small trawlers that have shrimped in our sounds for generations to continue working uninterrupted. These boats are mostly local boats, with local crews that sell their catch at local fish houses in North Carolina. Such a rule change would greatly benefit the vast majority of North Carolina shrimpers while truly helping our coastal economies and our marine resources. <br />
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2. Limit tow times to 45 minutes. This would allow for some bycatch to be released alive and also increase the chance of sparing any endangered turtles which are entrapped in the net.<br />
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3. Delay shrimp season until the shrimp size has reached the level of having 36 to 41 (or lower) shrimp per pound. This would postpone the harvest of shrimp and allow juvenile finfish to grow larger and have more of a chance of escaping shrimp trawls. These fish would also have more time to move out of their nursery areas where the trawlers are now working. In addition, this change would cause the shrimp to be larger when they are harvested and market value would be greater, thereby benefiting shrimp fishermen. <br />
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4. Establish trawler prohibition zones around both sides of our inlets. This would allow juvenile finfish that are transitioning to a life in the open ocean to escape our sounds without being killed by a shrimp trawler. These fish become concentrated when they are near the inlets and are especially vulnerable to trawlers until they can disperse into the ocean.<br />
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5. Set easily measured parameters that will allow for the monitoring of any changes in measures such as biomass, juvenile abundance index, and fish population so that the effects of these trawling rule changes can be assessed. This will allow North Carolina to determine if the health of our sounds is improving and indicate whether additional changes are required.<br />
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These changes can and must be made immediately in order to protect juvenile finfish. We expect that this will be done at or before the February 2013 MFC meeting so that all changes will be in place well before shrimp trawling season begins next year. We are asking North Carolina to implement these reasonable protective measures in the hope that more restrictive measures can be avoided if we are forced to approach this problem in an alternative manner.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN"><u>References</u></span></span></div>
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1. Nance, J. M. (Editor). 1998. Report to Congress. Southeastern United States Shrimp Trawl Bycatch Program, 154 p. Contributors are listed in alphabetical order: Foster, D., Martinez, E., McIlwain, T., Nance, J., Nichols, S., Raulerson, R., Schirripa, M., Scott, G., Scott-Denton, E., Shah, A. and Watson, J.<br />
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2. Brown, K. 2009. Characterization of the near-shore commercial shrimp trawl fishery from Carteret County to Brunswick County, NC. Completion report for NOAA award # NA05NMF4741003. North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, Morehead City, NC.<br />
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3. Brown, K. 2010. Characterization of the commercial shrimp trawl fishery in Pamlico Sound and its tributaries, NC. Completion report for NOAA award # NA05NMF4741003. North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, Morehead City, NC.<br />
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CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-9595770137543846032012-10-29T09:22:00.002-04:002012-10-29T09:22:47.423-04:00<h2 align="center">
MFC SETS NOVEMBER MEETING SCHEDULE</h2>
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<span lang="EN"> The meeting schedules have been set for the Marine Fisheries Commission to decide whether to amend or revise the shrimp FMP. Also, the commission will be asked to select preferred management options for the commercial flounder fishery and vote to send a draft amendment to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan for Department of Environment and Natural Resources legislative review.<br />
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The CFRG is on record as supporting an amendment to the shrimp FMP. If the Commission elects to only do a revision, the FMP will basically remain the same and no discussion of shrimp by catch will be required. The CFRG believes the by catch issue is glossed over in the existing FMP and a much more comprehensive amendment is needed to rectify this.<br />
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The meetings will be held Nov. 7-9 at the Crystal Coast Civic Center, 3505 Arendell St., Morehead City. Public input will be received at the Nov. 7 meeting which begins at 6:00 p.m. Speakers will be limited to five minutes. On Nov. 8, the meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. and presentations will be limited to three minutes. Remember, you can only speak at one of the meetings.<br />
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For those of you unable to attend the meeting, you can submit your comments to </span><a href="mailto:nancy.fish@ncdenr.gov"><u><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN">nancy.fish@ncdenr.gov</span></span></u><span style="color: blue;"></span></a><span lang="EN">. Your comments will be forwarded to the Chairman of the Commission and added to the public record.</span><br />
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The CFRG encourages everyone to participate in this extremely important process. Numbers count and we must make our voices heard, if we expect the MFC to make changes to the way shrimp are harvested in our inshore waters. The goal of the CFRG is to encourage the MFC to develop methods and time lines for reducing by catch of fin fish.<br />
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CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-12868915330131346082012-10-02T10:07:00.000-04:002012-10-02T22:48:18.443-04:00<span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Roman;"></span><br />
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<strong>CFRG POSITION ON SHRIMP FMP SENT TO DMF/MFC</strong></div>
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The Coastal Fisheries Reform Group (CFRG) is a coalition of recreational coastal fishermen, who support sound management of our marine fisheries based upon the best available science. We represent many thousands of fishermen from across the state who fish in our coastal waters. We have had 122,533 visits to our blog site (<a href="http://cfrgnc.blogspot.com/">http://cfrgnc.blogspot.com/</a>) where we have discussed coastal fisheries issues since 2009. </div>
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In the role as a voice for the average salt water fisherman, we submit the following comments on the proposed Shrimp FMP revision that the Marine Fisheries Commission will consider at their November meeting. First and foremost, the by-catch of juvenile finfish taken in otter trawls used to harvest shrimp in North Carolina inshore waters is excessive and potentially harmful to the life cycles of some of the important finfish that are being killed and discarded. Recent studies by DMF personnel revealed alarming numbers of juvenile finfish in the by-catch of otter trawls with estimates in the range of a combined 300,000,000 young spot, croaker, and weakfish taken each year.</div>
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In our opinion, this by-catch is excessive given the relative small annual harvest of shrimp (6 million pounds valued at about $11,000,000.) Economic studies have shown the value of recreational fisheries to be many times greater than the commercial harvest. In the shrimp trawl fishery, you have the harvest of one commercial species (shrimp) cutting into the productivity of three species of fin fish (spot, croaker, and weakfish) whose recreational value is much greater than the product taken. This equation cannot be balanced in any way that you try to solve it.</div>
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While many options exist, some of which are described in the current Draft Shrimp FMP revision, to reduce the trawling by-catch without compromising the annual harvest of shrimp in North Carolina, the proposal recommends that none of them be implemented as management measures in the next five years. Instead, the recommendation is to adopt a status quo position with regard to by-catch. This “No Action” is unacceptable given the severity of the problem and the overwhelming evidence that otter trawling for shrimp is inherently destructive to the habitat and to a major portion of the finfish resource.</div>
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We think the preferred management action should be to move trawls out of inshore waters altogether and as soon as possible due to the damage they do to the bottom, the sedimentation they cause, and the destruction of way too many juvenile finfish. Moving trawlers three miles offshore has been the solution in most Atlantic and Gulf States.
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<span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Roman;">The Shrimp FMP should be amended (not revised) to include goals, timetables and management measures that will achieve significant by catch reduction within the next five year period. We quote here from the proposed revision:</span></div>
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“As perhaps the prime example of the new policy positions, the re-authorized Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA) contains a National Standard (#9) requiring bycatch minimization (USDOC 1996). National Standard 9 states: “Conservation and management measures shall, to the extent practicable, (A) minimize bycatch and (B) to the extent bycatch cannot be avoided, minimize the mortality of such bycatch." Additionally, in 1991 the MFC adopted a policy directing the DMF to establish the goal of reducing bycatch losses to the absolute minimum and to consciously incorporate that goal into all of its, management considerations (Murrary et al. 1991).” </div>
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</i><span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Roman;">It is time to follow the national and state policies pointing to the importance of reducing </span><span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Roman;">by-catch. We can start with an amendment to the Shrimp FMP that does this in an effective
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One additional factor that needs to be incorporated into the Shrimp FMP for the next five years is the continuation of the requirement that Turtle Excluding Devices be used in shrimp trawls. This requirement should be expanded to all types of trawls operating in waters where endangered and threatened sea turtles are found. In areas where, and times when, sea turtles are especially abundant, tow times for shrimp trawling should be reduced to a period that will prevent mortality of any sea turtle that may be engaged.</div>
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Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Shrimp FMP. Please consider and share our points as you decide how to proceed in the important process of reviewing the Plan.<br />
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<br />CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-37385985735393605052012-09-18T12:55:00.004-04:002012-09-19T10:05:58.248-04:00<span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Roman;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">CFRG ASKS LEGISLATORS TO HELP WITH TRAWLING ISSUE</span></div>
The following letter was sent to North Carolina legislators today.<br />
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Recent studies by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries have shown that approximately 78 percent (by weight) of what is caught in shrimp trawls is untargeted "by catch" that will die before being shoveled overboard. More shockingly, the annual by catch from NC shrimp trawlers consists of over 500 million individual small fish.<br />
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Most of these fish are croaker, spot and weakfish (grey trout). The combined total for these three species is approximaely 300 million fingerlings every year for the last five years. The biological affects of this yearly by catch are not officially known, but it is easy to see the real-life effects of this wanton waste.<br />
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Croaker and spot fishing were a traditional part of our coastal communities for generations, but these fish have markedly declined and no longer are an important part of our coastal culture. Pier and surf fishermen armed with bloodworms for catching plentiful spot once lined the shorelines from Nags Head to Wrightsville Beach but with the depletion of the spot, the pilgrimage to the beach has declined, taking with it the immense stimulus to local economies from visiting fishermen.<br />
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Weakfish (grey trout) were once abundant in our coastal waters, with coolers full of fish being a common daily catch, but they are now officially classified as depleted and are all but lost as a recreational target. Overfish of adult fish accompanied by the losses due to shrimp trawlers have decimated this once plentiful fish. The recreationl limit is now set at one fish per day which must be at least 12 inches in length - that's hardly a good day of fishing.<br />
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As other states outlawed or severly curtailed shrimp trawling in inshore water, the trawlers came to North Carolina. North Carolina remains the only state in the Southeast that has not greatly limited (or banned) shrimp trawling in their inshore waters. As the destruction of our marine fisheries persists and our fish populatons continue to decline, other states have built thriving fishereis that support an ever-growing legion of recreational fishermen who spend billions of dollars a year on their hobby.<br />
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For years, the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission and the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries have been aware of the problems caused by shrimp trawling but have chosen to ignore the issue. Shrimpers have the option of using less destructive and more targt-specifid gear, but with no restrictions forced by our fisheries managers, they have not changed their practices. All of this destruction occurs for a relatively small amount of shrimp (approximately 5 million pound in 2011), that supports a very small group of trawler owners.<br />
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The Coastal Fisheries Reform Group is asking the state's citizens and its elected representatives to step in and force changes to allow North Carolina's sounds to recover and grow back into what was once one of the greatest fisheries in the world. Thes problems can only be corrected with your help. Pleaser direct the Marine Fisheries Commission to address the shrimp trawl by catch problem by eliminating trawling our our inshore waters.</div>
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<strong>tributaries, North Carolina, 1 July 2009 to 31 December 2009*</strong></div>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: xx-small;">Atlantic Croaker 787,633 18,367 33</span></span><br />
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Weakfish 213,578 3,530 6<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;">*This table was derived from: “ INTERSTATE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PROGRAM </span></span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: xx-small;">IMPLEMENTATION FOR NORTH CAROLINA By Kevin Brown. Completion Report for NOAA Award No.</span></span><br />
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NA05NMF4741003. Study II DOCUMENTATION AND REDUCTION OF BYCATCH IN NORTH<br />
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CAROLINA FISHERIES. JOB 2: Characterization of the inshore commercial shrimp trawl fishery in </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;">Pamlico Sound and its tributaries, North Carolina June 2010”</span></span><br />
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CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-28304072694207662312012-09-12T16:42:00.000-04:002012-09-13T14:49:37.044-04:00<div align="LEFT">
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<span style="color: purple;"> <b><span style="font-size: medium;">Atlantic and Gulf States Inshore </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Commercial Shrimping Regulations</span> </div>
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State Inshore Trawling Rule </div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">Louisiana Max. 50 ft head rope*</span> </strong><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Mississippi Max. 50 ft head rope </strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Alabama Max. 50 ft head rope </strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Florida 500 sq. ft. max. net size** </strong></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">Georgia Not permitted</span> </strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">South Carolina Not permitted</span> </strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">North Carolina</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">No limits to trawl net size in most inland waters</span></strong></span></span><div style="text-align: center;">
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</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri; font-size: small;">*A head rope is the rope that stretches across the mouth of the net</span></span><br />
** This small net is used for catching bait<span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span><br />CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-36042128085190694462012-09-11T09:06:00.000-04:002012-09-11T09:07:53.958-04:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;">MEETINGS SET TO DETERMINE FUTURE OF TRAWLING IN NORTH CAROLINA</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> In the coming weeks, recreational fishermen will have the opportunity to influence an issue that is having a major effect on fish populations in North Carolina. Four public meetings will be held where comments on the topic of shrimp trawling will be allowed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> North Carolina is the last state on the Atlantic Coast to allow commercial shrimp trawling in internal waters. As other states banned this terribly destructive practice, their trawlers came to our sounds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> Recent studies by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF) showed that shrimp trawlers kill an estimated 500 million (half a billion!) small fish every year. Most of this "bycatch" consists of weakfish, croaker, and spot, and these finger-sized fish are destroyed before they reach breeding age, guaranteeing that the fish populations in our sounds cannot recover.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> All recreational fishermen who would like to see our fisheries improve, or any individuals with concern for our marine environment, are encouraged to attend a meeting to state their opinion on this issue. Comments on shrimp trawling will be accepted at the following meetings: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sept. 19 at 4 p.m. </span></strong><br />
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N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources <br />
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Wilmington Regional Office <br />
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127 Cardinal Drive Extension <br />
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Wilmington, NC <br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">Sept. 27 at 4 p.m. <br />
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Vernon G. James Research & Extension Center <br />
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207 Research Station Road <br />
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Plymouth, NC <br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. <br />
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Craven County Cooperative Extension Office <br />
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300 Industrial Drive <br />
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New Bern, NC <br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">Oct. 2 at 1:30 p.m. <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Habitat and Water Quality Meeting </span></div>
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N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources <br />
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Washington Regional Office <br />
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943 Washington Square Mall <br />
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Washington, NC <br />
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If you cannot attend a meeting, your comments can be emailed to Ms. Nancy Fish (nancy.fish@ncdenr.gov). This is a rare opportunity for those who care about our marine fisheries to help change how they are managed and we must not let it slip past. Please attend a meeting or send an email and let your voices be heard! <br />
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CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-70898824985223000662012-08-31T08:25:00.003-04:002012-08-31T08:25:24.093-04:00<span lang="EN"><div align="CENTER">
<strong><span style="color: #741b47;">PUBLIC MEETINGS TO BE HELD INVOLVING THE MERGER OF TWO STATE AGENCIES</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Coastal Fisheries Reform Group (CFRG) is urging people to attend one of two upcoming public hearings on a proposed merger of the Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) and the Marine Resources Commission (MRC).<br />
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The first of the meetings will be held Sept 5 starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Craven County Cooperative Extension Office at 300 Industrial Dr. in New Bern. The second meeting will also start at 6:00 p.m. It will be held at the Dare County Administration Bldg, 954 Marshall C. Collins Dr. in Manteo.<br />
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The proposed merger of the two agencies was part of a legislative bill signed into law this summer. It directs the two agencies along with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to study whether these agencies should be reorganized to provide for more efficient, productive and enjoyable uses of the state’s fisheries resources.<br />
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Please scroll down to the Monday, August 20, post to learn of the CFRG’s position on the merger proposal. The CFRG believes this merger proposal, modified to include the CFRG’s concerns, is a very important step in the process of improving the management of the state’s marine resources. <br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Those unable to attend the meetings can still provide their input on the proposed merger. Go to: </span><br />
<a href="http://www.ncsenatebill821.org/default.htm"><u><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN">http://www.ncsenatebill821.org/default.htm</span></span></u><span style="color: blue;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span lang="EN"> and enter your comments.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-44542401445214181092012-08-23T14:22:00.002-04:002012-08-31T08:27:38.455-04:00<span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: medium;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></div>
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<strong>Coastal Fisheries Reform Group Seeks Immediate Ban on Otter Trawling in NC Waters</strong></div>
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Raleigh, NC | Wake County</div>
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August 23, 2012</div>
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Brownstone Hotel, 1707 Hillsborough Street Raleigh, NC 27605</div>
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(919) 828-0811</div>
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TIME: 8:30 AM</div>
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When the Marine Fisheries Commission meets in Raleigh this week, the Coastal Fisheries Reform Group plans to ask them to implement an immediate prohibition of otter trawling in North Carolina waters. </div>
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Extensive studies by scientists at the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries have shown that the use of otter trawls by commercial shrimp operations in North Carolina results in the death of hundreds of millions of fish every year. #1. </div>
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<span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Roman;"><span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Roman;">Otter trawls skim the seafloor as they are dragged along and indiscriminately</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">crush or drown all species that become trapped. Shockingly, most of the harvest with this gear is not</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">shrimp, but is actually non-targeted “bycatch” that is discarded after being killed and sorted on the deck </span><span style="font-size: small;">of the boat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Three economically important species, weakfish, spot, and croaker, are hit especially hard by </span><span style="font-size: small;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">this practice with a combined total of over 200 million finger-sized fish killed every year. These fish are </span><span style="font-size: small;">removed from their nursery area before they mature and never have the opportunity to reach breeding age. </span><span style="font-size: small;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Marine Fisheries Commission now knows of this extensive damage caused by otter trawls and has </span><span style="font-size: small;">the power to immediately force shrimpers to use different fishing gear that will greatly decrease the </span><span style="font-size: small;">bycatch as they harvest shrimp. The removal of otter trawls from North Carolina waters is a crucial step </span><span style="font-size: small;">in allowing our severely overfished marine resources to recover and the Marine Fisheries Commission is </span><span style="font-size: small;">being asked to allow this recovery to begin.</span></div>
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CONTACT: Joe Albea | 252.916.0380</div>
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#1 1INTERSTATE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION FOR NORTH CAROLINA By Kevin Brown. Completion Report for NOAA Award No. NA05NMF4741003. Study II DOCUMENTATION AND REDUCTION OF BYCATCH IN NORTH CAROLINA FISHERIES. JOB 2: Characterization of the inshore commercial shrimp trawl fishery in Pamlico Sound and its tributaries, North Carolina June 2010.</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri,Bold; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,Bold; font-size: medium;">Estimates of Cumulative North Carolina Shrimp Trawl Bycatch for Three Important Species</span></span></b></div>
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</span><br />Number of Fish</span></b></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">Year Weakfish Croaker Spot</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">2007 57,223,380 242,245,642 105,863,253</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">2008 56,545,008 239,373,867 104,608,265</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">2009 32,446,248 137,355,783 60,025,559</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">2010 35,732,010 151,265,509 66,104,219</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">2011 30,842,160 130,565,144 57,057,996</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">Totals 212,788,806 900,805,945 393,659,292</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">The following ratios, which were used to make the table presented above, were determined using North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries bycatch data:</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"> Weakfish - 6.0 weakfish were caught per pound of shrimp harvested</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"> Croaker - 25.4 croakers were caught per pound of shrimp harvested</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"> Spot - 11.1 spots were caught per pound of shrimp harvested</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">Reported North Carolina shrimp harvests for the last five years:</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"> 2007 = 9,537,230 lbs </span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"> 2008 = 9,424,168 lbs</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"> 2009 = 5,407,708 lbs</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"> 2010 = 5,955,335 lbs</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"> 2011 = 5,140,360 lbs</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">The following was presented by the CFRG to the Marine Fisheries Commission at their meeting in Raleigh August 23 2012.</span></strong></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial;">The following was presented by the CFRG to the Marine Fisheries Commission at their meeting Aug 23, 2012 in Raleigh</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: large;">Blue Print for Renewal of Marine Resources in North Carolina </span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial;">For decades North Carolina has relied upon the natural bounty of her coastal rivers, sounds, and estuaries to supply an abundance of commercial and sport fishing opportunities unsurpassed anywhere. Within the memory of middle-aged fishermen is the recollection of plentiful and diverse fish stocks coastwide with no restriction on harvest and no detectable impact on abundance. There seemed to be an inexhaustible supply to support unlimited fishing pressure. <br />
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Times have changed. Increasing fishing pressure, the absence of meaningful limits to keep harvest within the confines of productivity, sophisticated fishing techniques, many tons of non-targeted "bycatch", habitat destruction by commercial fishing gear and wetland developments, pollution, and short-sighted management decisions made by policy boards weighted in favor of commercial interests are some of the major factors that have thrown our marine fisheries into turmoil and danger. <br />
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Many species of fish previously abundant beyond belief are now depleted and no longer play a role in our fisheries. The river herring, the gray trout, the menhaden, the striped bass, the speckled trout, the red drum, the southern flounder, and even the ubiquitous spot and croaker are all in trouble, overfished, depleted, and struggling in the face of poor management slanted toward immediate returns regardless of long term impacts. <br />
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It is now time to draw a line in the sand and say, "No more!". Once our citizens and elected representatives understand how valuable but abused our natural resources are, they too will refrain "No more!". <br />
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Our marine resources can and must be managed properly, based upon sound science and current data. No less than total commitment to renewal of these resources is acceptable. The task is formidable but it can be done. Our marine fisheries are resilient and can recover if given the protection and management they deserve and need. The number of people who will be positively affected by such a renewal is astounding with over 1 million North Carolina licensed coastal sport fishermen and women. <br />
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We have made some progress recently with the elimination of the menhaden reduction fishery in NC waters, the creation of a rule requiring a super majority of the Marine Fisheries Commission to override a staff recommendation to end overfishing or restore stocks, and a study on the organization of fisheries management programs in North Carolina with a view toward efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, the Governor has upgraded appointments to the Marine Fisheries Commission for greater balance and less special interests by its members. We hope this trend will continue this year with three more good appointments. </span></span> <b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman;"></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: medium;">Coastal Recreational Fishing <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">Coastal recreational fishing is a strong and valuable activity to North Carolina and her citizens. Not only is sport fishing a cherished tradition, it generates about $2 billion dollars in revenue every year through direct expenditures of sport fishermen in conjunction with their fishing activities that support many thousands of small businesses and jobs in North Carolina. Coastal recreational fishing is an important driver of North Carolina’s economy that requires no capital investment at all. This is justification enough for expanded emphasis on proper management of this important resource. Renewal of our marine fisheries today will pay tremendous dividends in the near future. <br />
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Coastal recreational fishermen have contributed to the decline in fish stocks through past overfishing. Recreational fishermen must be active toward the protection of fish stocks and willing to accept measures required for stock recovery. Recreational fishing rules must be based upon the best available science and enforcement of these rules must be fair, consistent, and vigorous. <br />
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Every species of fish must have a management plan that includes harvest quotas and daily bag and size limits based upon current fish stock assessments. The impact of fishing for fun and release must be evaluated and controlled to ensure that mortality is not a problem. For some species, it may be necessary to close the fishing season for periods of time to protect brood stock, foster spawning success, or allow recovery from cold stuns and other negative events. <br />
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Allowable gear for recreational fishermen must be carefully prescribed by rule to ensure minimal mortality from hooking for both undersized, targeted fish and non-targeted fish. Such gear as minnow seines, bait traps, cast nets, gigs, and other devices used in conjunction with recreational fishing must be carefully defined and allowed only under circumstances that are compatible with the welfare of the fishery. <br />
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Gill nets, strike nets, and trawls have no place in recreational fishing and should be prohibited. The entire concept of "recreational commercial gear" is contradictory and the license that authorizes this activity should be repealed. <br />
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Recreational license fees must be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure collection of sufficient funds to support a viable and successful fishery management program. Presently, several fees, including those for both the short term resident and non-resident fishing licenses are too low to generate any funds for management purposes. The use of recreational license fees to support law enforcement as well as fisheries research, habitat enhancement, and fisherman access projects should be allowed. Periodic review of the decision making process controlling the use of recreational license fees should be made. <br />
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Equitable representation of recreational fishing interests on decision making boards must be set forth in the fishery management law. The current review of fishery management </span></span><b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">programs in North Carolina mandated by the 2012 North Carolina General Assembly and being conducted by the Wildlife Resources Commission, the Division of Marine Fisheries, and the Department of Agriculture should be followed closely to ensure that recommendations coming from this study do not jeopardize in any way the delivery of a sound coastal fishery management program. <br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: medium;">Commercial Fishing <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">While recreational fishing has had its impact on marine fisheries, the damage from commercial exploitation of our fisheries has been far greater. The commercial mindset to maximize harvest and profit by all means, to oppose all regulations, to insist on license fees that are too low to pay for management programs, and to employ sophisticated fishing techniques and gear resulting in overharvest have all led to severe adverse impacts on our marine fisheries. <br />
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This adverse impact is not entirely the fault of the commercial fisherman, who is merely trying to make a meager living from the rivers, sounds, estuaries, and ocean. It is the fault of the economically driven industry that profits from the hard and dangerous work of the commercial fisherman. This industry accepts no position other than its own, insisting that our marine fisheries belong to those who exploit them for short term profit without regard for the future. <br />
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For years, the commercial fishing industry has had its way with policy making boards, securing lax rules governing seasons and harvest. The recreational fisherman sat quietly by as this blatant mismanagement dragged our marine fisheries into a state of depletion. Even today, in the face of overwhelming evidence of depletion, the commercial fishing industry opposes every conservation proposal advanced by scientists and concerned fishermen. We must develop balanced management that conserves our marine fisheries and enhances our marine habitats. The following steps will begin that process. <br />
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Restrictions necessary to bring commercial fishing into balance with the harvest capacity of the resource can be divided into three categories: <br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">1. Gear restrictions. </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">Very few meaningful restrictive rules on the amount or type of gear are currently in place in North Carolina waters to address habitat destruction and bycatch of non-targeted fish and aquatic life. At a minimum the use of the following gear should be changed as described: </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">a. Otter trawls. </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">These destructive devices are dragged in the shallow waters of North Carolina sounds and estuaries, which serve as nursery areas for a variety of juvenile finfish and other aquatic life, to catch mainly shrimp and crabs. In the process of harvesting targeted species, this gear kills many times more non-targeted fish (by weight). Hundreds of millions of fingerling sized fish are wiped out, and most of the dead are species currently listed as </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">Page </span></span><b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">4 </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;">of </span><b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">4 </span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">overfished or depleted. In addition, otter trawls cause tremendous destruction to the bottom as the trawls are dragged along behind the boat. Obliteration of bottom structure and silt from dredging create formidable obstacles to restoration of productive oyster beds and submerged aquatic vegetation. The use of otter trawls in North Carolina waters should be stopped immediately. <br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">b. Strike nets. </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">These nets are deployed around schools of fish usually in restricted, in-shore areas where they have gathered for refuge. After the strike net is deployed, the fish are driven into the net by commotion from the netter. Strike nets are particularly damaging when set in inshore areas in late fall and winter when large brood fish move into these waters to spend the cold months. Activity of fish is limited when the water is cold, so the fish are especially vulnerable to strike nets at this crucial time of their life cycle. Because of this, the use of strike nets should no longer be permitted in primary or secondary nursery areas between November 1 and April 1. </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">2. Bycatch reduction. </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">Rules must be put into effect to restrict commercial fishing operations so that bycatch mortality is eliminated or reduced to levels that do not affect the abundance or life cycle of the non-targeted fish or other aquatic life. It is no longer acceptable to kill 5 to 10 pounds of non-targeted marine life to catch a pound of shrimp. Federal mandates to eliminate interactions between commercial fishing gear and endangered species such as the Atlantic sturgeon and sea turtles will require changes to reduce interactions or the fishing activity will be closed. Bycatch should be reduced through prohibition or modification of gear, or through seasonal and area restrictions or closures. </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">3. Total allowable catch (TAC). </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">TACs are scientifically determined quotas that are set to limit the harvest of a species to levels that are compatible with sustainability. All commercial species should have a TAC established and enforced. TACs should be set in an equitable manner consistent with historical participation or some fair system of lottery. TACs should be set by season or by area when required to allow critical protection during some vulnerable stage of a species life cycle. TACs should also include size limits when appropriate and may be imposed for daily or longer intervals to regulate the rate of harvest. </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: large;">The sea food industry must adapt and change its approach to harvest. The primary goal of management and regulation must be the sustainability of our marine resources. </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
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CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-16567225204051981762012-08-20T17:05:00.001-04:002012-08-23T16:06:21.786-04:00NC Fisheries Agencis Accepting Public Comments on Reorganization<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #c27ba0;"><span style="background-color: #c27ba0;">COASTAL</span> FISHERIES REFORM GROUP (CFRG) ALERT</span>
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Section 2. of Chapter 190 of the 2012 NC Session Laws (SB 821) requires the Director of the Wildlife Resources Commission, the Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries, and the Commissioner of Agriculture to study the organization and function of the fisheries management programs in NC and to report their findings and recommendations for improvement to the NC General Assembly in October of 2012. <br />
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As a first step in this process, the agencies have set up several public meetings to receive public comment on the subject of reorganization of the fisheries agencies in NC. The times and places with maps are given below:
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Public Meetings to receive public comments on reorganization of the fisheries agencies in NC
6 p.m., Aug. 22 and 9 a.m., Aug. 23
N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting
Brownstone Hilton DoubleTree Hotel
1707 Hillsborough St., Raleigh (Map)
5 p.m., Aug. 29
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Committee Meetings
1751 Varsity Drive
N.C. State University Centennial Campus, Raleigh (Map)
6 p.m., Sept. 5
Craven County Cooperative Extension Office
300 Industrial Drive, New Bern (Map)
6 p.m., Sept 6
Dare County Administration Building
Commissioners Meeting Room
954 Marshall C. Collins Drive, Manteo (Map)
All comments offered on this issue will be presented for joint consideration by all three agencies.<br />
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Attend one of these meetings if you can and send the notice to all your fishing friends so they can attend too.
Also, a website has been set up to receive public comments: <a href="http://www.ncsenatebill821.org/default.htm">http://www.ncsenatebill821.org/default.htm</a><br />
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Visit this site and send your comments directly to the three agencies for consideration.
CFRG can identify no role for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to play in the management or administration of fisheries resources. Their charge is to manage farm commodities and assist farmers, of which they do a very good job. No efficiency or economy could be gained by involving NCDA&CS in any of the fishery programs, except aquaculture, which they already handle.<br />
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In fact, delegating reporting harvest statistics and monitoring fishery catches through NCDA&CS would add an element of uncertainty and additional bureaucracy to the current process, which is working quite well.
There are elements of redundancy and overlap of responsibilities between WRC and DMF that, if eliminated, would improve delivery of services, law enforcement, and management of fisheries resources and would save significant overlapping funding requirements through consolidation of those functions. <br />
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The present evaluation should focus on items that would improve efficiency and cut redundancy and include recommendations for change to eliminate overlapping activities.
Finally, the WRC has a total of 19 members and the Marine Fisheries Commission has 9 members. As close as the missions of these two agencies are, it seems plausible that policy making and regulatory duties of the two Commissions could be consolidated and reduced in a way that would preserve the unique focus on marine and inland fisheries and save a lot of unnecessary administrative costs in the process.
If you agree, pass these ideas for savings and efficiency along to the agencies for their consideration in their deliberations.
Thank you,
NC Coastal Reform Group
CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-49843980610529822872012-08-07T20:19:00.000-04:002012-08-07T20:21:15.774-04:00REPORT TO SUPPORTERS OF THE COASTAL FISHERIES REFORM GROUP<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Actions
of the General Assembly in the Short Session, 2012 related to marine fisheries<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
Marine Fisheries Study Committee was established after the 2011 General
Assembly failed to act on the game fish bill HB 353.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That bill would have made striped bass,
speckled trout, and red drum game fish that could not be taken except by hook
and line and could not be sold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Below is the charge given to the Marine
Fisheries Study Committee</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Committee
met four times between January and April without significant progress and very
little discussion on any of the pressing issues given to it for study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Marine Fisheries Study Committee
– Study issues related to marine fisheries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Specifically, the Committee may study the following:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
potential impact to both the State’s fisheries resources and the State’s
economy related to the designation of Red Drum, Spotted Sea Trout, and Striped
Bass as coastal game fish.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Changes
to the appointment process and qualification for membership on the NC Marine
Fisheries Commission.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Creation
of a hook and line commercial fishery.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Elimination
of the trawl boat fishery in NC.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Entering
into cooperative agreements with other jurisdictions with regard to the
conservation of marine and estuarine resources; and regulating placement of
nets and other sport or commercial gear in coastal fishing waters with regard
to navigational and recreational safety as well as from a conservation
standpoint.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-no-proof: yes;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Entering
into agreements regarding the delegation of law enforcement powers from the
National Marine Fisheries Service over matters within the jurisdiction of the
Service.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Potential
modification of the Fisheries Reform Act of 1997.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Whether
Marine Fisheries should be a division of the Coastal Resources Commission o the
Wildlife Resources Commission.\<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Other
findings that promote the allocation of the State’s resources to the optimum
use.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Chairs: McCormick
(Brown)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 53.25pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Members: Ingle,
Samuelson, McComas, Spear, Holloway, McElraft, Murray (Preston, White, Goolsby,
Rabon, Tucker, East, Jackson.)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Their final report resulted in introduction and final passage of SB 821
in the Short Session of 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SB 821 is summarized below</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most positive provision to come out of
this bill is elimination of the menhaden fisheries in NC waters and a super
majority requirement for passage of any rule by the Marine Fisheries Commission
related to <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">overfishing
or recovery of overfished stocks over the recommendation of the staff of the
Division of Marine Fisheries.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Senate Bill
821</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An act to consolidate several issues
raised in the Marine Fisheries Study Committee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The several issues are addressed below:</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></li>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Directs the agency heads of Agriculture,
Marine Fisheries, and Wildlife to study the organizational structure and
function of the various fisheries management programs of NC and to report
their findings and recommendations for change to the General Assembly in
October, 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Directs the agency heads of Transportation,
Wildlife, and Marine Fisheries to study all available sources of funds to
create a new fund to be used for boat navigation projects including
channel dredging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Specifically
mentioned are fishing license fees, gasoline taxes, and boat registration
fees.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Prohibits fishing for menhaden using a mother ship
and purse seine runner boats in NC waters after January 1, 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Requires a supermajority vote of the Marine
Fisheries Commission to override a staff recommendation related to
eliminating overfishing or restoration of overfished stocks.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Consolidated several of the marine fisheries
advisory committees for efficiency.</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Another
bill coming out of the Marine Fisheries Study Committee that never got heard
was SB 850, which would have recreated the Joint Legislative Commission on Fish
and Wildlife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a very bad idea
and we were able to kill the bill by pointing out some of the problems to
sponsors.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Senate Bill 850</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>An act to create an oversight committee of 16 legislators to oversee
fish and wildlife management programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was a very bad idea, which never got any legs due to conversations
with Senate leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the problems
were explained to sponsors, they decided not to move this bill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fish and wildlife management programs do not
need legislative oversight, in fact, a system like that would have serious
negative effects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another good move for
sportsmen.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">CFRG is
gearing up for another full-fledged effort to make meaningful changes to the
management of our marine fisheries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Announcement will be forthcoming shortly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Marine Fisheries Commission meets in
Raleigh on August 22-24, 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will
be there representing the interests of sound management and resource
protection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stay tuned!</span></div>CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-6349080484810698992012-04-24T15:13:00.004-04:002012-08-20T11:41:14.307-04:00Report of the Marine Fisheries Study Committee - Squandered Opportunity<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This special study committee was established after the 2011 Session failed to take up the issue of game fish status for red drum, speckled sea trout, and striped bass and was to examine and make recommendations for improvements in management of marine fisheries for consideration during the short spring session of the General Assembly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A whole list of subjects was laid out for their review, including game fish, joint law enforcement authority, merger of the fisheries agencies, and other issues related to management of marine fisheries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Study Committee met four times since January.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A great opportunity to reform and improve protection and management of our marine fisheries was squandered by failure of the Study Committee to seriously examine or analyze the current situation relative to management of marine fisheries or ways to improve it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pertinent information about the current declining status of marine fisheries stocks and the inherent value of marine fisheries to the state and local economies as compared to its meager value as a commodity were not presented and not discussed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Political paralysis set in early in the process resulting in stagnation of any meaningful discussion or action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The final report is an orchestrated, last minute surprise that contains not one valuable recommendation to improve North Carolina</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">’</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">s coastal fisheries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Game fish was never mentioned nor was joint law enforcement authority for Marine Patrol Officers; commercial interests did not want these.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Merger of the fisheries agencies became a new study kicked down the road until October 1, 2012; now the study on merger will include the Department of Agriculture; commercial seafood interests would prefer to be considered as a commodity not subject to strict control as a natural resource.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Additionally, and perhaps the worst idea to emerge in many years, is a recommendation to establish a sixteen member legislative oversight commission to oversee every detail of, not only marine fisheries issues, but also all wildlife resources issues as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this oversight commission is enacted, it will politicize fish and wildlife programs and set back professional, science-based management to the dark ages. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So, not much positive to report from the touted Marine Fisheries Study Committee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next step along this tortuous road to improve management of our marine fisheries will be the actions to come from the short session.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The game fish bill, H353, is still alive in the House and can be taken up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, the recommendation of the Marine Fisheries Study Committee may be acted upon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The oversight commission for fish and wildlife deserves swift and certain action to see that it never sees the light of day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will watch carefully for positive signs of support for improvements in the way we protect and manage our marine fisheries in the short session.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will give you our analysis in early July. </span></div>
CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-6327569736284658942012-02-15T09:39:00.001-05:002012-02-15T09:40:27.774-05:00Coastal Fisheries Reform Group Press Release<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">For Immediate Release</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">North Carolina Fisheries Reform Group Seeks Coastal Net Ban<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Over the last four years, the Coastal Fisheries Reform Group (CFRG), which is composed of thousands of dedicated sport fishermen with the common goal of improving North Carolina's marine fisheries, has worked<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>diligently within the established system to promote a more equitable and effective fishery management program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After running into a blank wall at the Maine Fisheries Commission, CFRG carried its concerns to the North Carolina General Assembly in 2009.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our bill to give coastal game fish status to speckled trout and red drum was derailed by a few coastal legislators even though significant support was present in the public arena and in the legislature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our bill never even got a fair hearing and no vote was ever taken.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In 2011, recreational fishermen came back to a Republican legislature and promises of action on the coastal game fish issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>House Bill 353 was introduced by a bipartisan group of over 20 Representatives and hope was alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the session, HB 353 was sacrificed on the altar of overriding the Governor's budget veto with the promise that a special study committee would look into this question and other aspects of the marine fisheries program in NC and report legislative changes to the spring session of the legislature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This special study committee has met twice now without any discernable progress or even meaningful discussion of the most critical issues.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Time is running out and no progress is in sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are hearing that the coastal game fish issue is just too volatile to bring up in an election year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are tiring of this same old story that just kicks the issue farther down the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need action now and we will be heard.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">With the legislature continuing in its meek course paralyzed into inaction by the loud noise of commercial fisheries interests, CFRG plans to act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have retired our effort toward compromise and are rededicated to the cause to eliminate all gill nets from the waters of North Carolina as a conservation measure to protect our marine fisheries and the other aquatic life in our sounds and estuaries.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CFRG is developing plans to unite with all other fish and wildlife conservation organizations and agencies, private, state, and federal, to rid our waters of this destructive gear that has taken and continues to take a terrible toll on our marine resources.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-38389879806301681052012-02-07T11:37:00.000-05:002012-02-07T11:37:54.273-05:00CCA President Greg Hurt and Fisheries Managers from TX, LA and SC's Mike Able weigh in on Gamefish Status<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0tNwlAsj7tU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-5549415001873578942012-01-31T09:40:00.000-05:002012-01-31T09:40:03.016-05:00"Visiting" fishermen say Gamefish Protection would benefit Coastal Tourism and Economies by Jerry Dilsaver<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><strong>‘Visiting’ fishermen say gamefish protection would benefit coastal tourism and economies<o:p></o:p></strong></span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Out-of-state tournament fishermen promise they won’t return until net conflicts are resolved; tournament trail eliminates annual visit<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><em>By Jerry Dilsaver<o:p></o:p></em></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Even in the current depressed economy, fishermen plan their vacations around catching fish. It’s the opinion of many fishermen that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place> is losing out on plenty of tourist dollars that could wind up in the state’s economy if the legislature designates red drum, speckled trout and striped bass as gamefish.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Proponents of gamefish status for those three species believe that having them in abundance would be good for economies in coastal areas, that a healthy recreational fishery would bring more anglers to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place>, creating jobs and providing an economic boost. This belief is shared by many fishermen from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place> and other states. What is certain is that constant conflict over saltwater fisheries is in no way positive, and several fishermen whose travels to the coast have been changed have no problem explaining why <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place> won’t be a destination until the situation changes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">James McManus of Sylva, N.C., guides fishermen in several lakes, rivers and streams in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place>’s western mountains and is a former competitor on the Inshore Fishing Association (IFA) redfish tour. He enjoys fishing for red drum and speckled trout and would like to do more of it in <st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state>, but his experiences on the IFA Tour have him heading to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state></st1:place> for his red drum and speckled trout.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWyx47NCzmdwZxAD2G5uYLX_-mBFjlQFjZTKgdGKfsNB-_OVPihFxWsPcX-pD1n9VBdo870wHR08m1Gd5mPGuS2jJ9-jMQBMues_AzbEi7MbbWur-6_WzyAWF2L7hdAQ_n1u_A8cXfRSH/s1600/083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWyx47NCzmdwZxAD2G5uYLX_-mBFjlQFjZTKgdGKfsNB-_OVPihFxWsPcX-pD1n9VBdo870wHR08m1Gd5mPGuS2jJ9-jMQBMues_AzbEi7MbbWur-6_WzyAWF2L7hdAQ_n1u_A8cXfRSH/s320/083.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">“I am a <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place> citizen and would love to fish here more, but I can’t take the chance that I could drive from the mountains and then find my fishing area wrapped up in nets or fished out when I arrive,” McManus said. “I go tuna fishing on the Outer Banks once or twice a year, and I would love to take my bay boat down and stay a few extra days. However, the fishing is too uncertain for the expense and taking time off work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">“When I vacation, instead of heading for the <st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state> coast, I pack up my family and drive to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Steinhatchee</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Fla.</st1:state></st1:place>,” McManus said. “<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state></st1:place> gave gamefish status to red drum about 20 years ago and doesn’t allow gill nets in inshore waters. I can go there and fish unobstructed water and catch fish. It’s a longer drive and costs more, but it’s well worth it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rob Beglin of Pawley’s <st1:city w:st="on">Island</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">S.C.</st1:state>, is another IFA redfish pro who has had some negative experiences fishing tournaments in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place>. He said he doesn’t plan to return to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place> until the fishery laws change.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The <st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state> coast reminds me of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Louisiana</st1:state></st1:place>, and I was expecting a fishery that was similar when I first went there for a tournament several years ago,” Beglin said. “My fishing partner and I went a week early to familiarize ourselves with the waters and locate some fish and were happy the night before the tournament. We found some upper-slot reds in a bay on Wednesday, and they were still there Thursday and Friday, so we felt good about our chances for the tournament.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“When we got to the shallow bay on Saturday morning, it was criss-crossed with nets, and a commercial fisherman was at the mouth crossing back and forth as if to dare us to try to go in,” Beglin said. “We left and didn’t challenge him. Later, someone told us the fisherman was probably fishing for flounder. We said ‘No way’ to that. We had fished there Wednesday, then went back Thursday and Friday just to be sure the fish were still there, and (we) never caught a flounder. We catch some flounder fishing for reds, but hadn’t there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That bay was loaded with 25- to 27-inch redfish.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Beglin said that in September 2011, he was in contention for Angler of the Year honors in the IFA’s Atlantic Division, and against his better judgment, he and his partner returned to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place> try to win the division. This time, they didn’t find the fish until Thursday, but again on Saturday morning, a netter had several nets spanning the bay.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Fish had been scarce this year, so we decided to try and fish the mouth of the bay and catch fish that would be leaving,” Beglin said. “We managed to catch one nice fish, but found out where the others were later in the morning. When the netter picked up his nets, they were loaded with redfish, and they were large enough we could hear them thumping as they hit the deck. I was told the netter’s limit was 10 fish, but this fishermen put many more than that in his boat, and we never saw him throw any back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That afternoon after weigh-in and awards, I voiced how upset I was to the IFA officials, and several other fishermen had similar stories,” Beglin said. “I told them I wouldn’t fish in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place> again until something was done. For 2012, they have eliminated the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place> tournament from the Atlantic Division. I enjoyed the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Surf</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place> area and hate that for them, but it needed to be done.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bart Schad, director of the IFA Redfish Tour, confirmed the IFA had restructured its trail for the 2012 season and did not have a tournament scheduled for <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place>. IFA has brought tournaments to <st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state> the past five years and fished two there in 2008 – out of Beaufort and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Surf</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Schad said he remembers some fishermen were upset about incidents while fishing tournaments in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“In restructuring the IFA Redfish Tour, we weren’t specifically looking to cut the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place> tournament out,” Schad said. “We reduced each division from three to two tournaments and added some regional tournaments for multiple divisions. The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Surf</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place> tournament had the lowest participation in the Atlantic Division for the past two years, and that was the basis for our decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know some of the fishermen had bad experiences, but the issue of nets and the pending gamefish status weren’t used in our decision. Perhaps those issues influenced the participation numbers, but we based our decision solely on participation.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Chris Floyd, an IFA redfish pro from <st1:city w:st="on">Charleston</st1:city>, said he had also made the decision not to return to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place> for any tournaments. He said he had made several trips to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place> for IFA tournaments and had commercial fishermen move in on large schools of drum he had found and disrupt his fishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said IFA officials knew he did not plan to return to after the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Surf</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place> tournament last fall. Floyd’s estimate was that 90 percent of out-of-state fishermen said they wouldn’t return to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state></st1:place> for another tournament.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I don’t really understand this,” Floyd said. “It was explained to me that the commercial fishermen can only land a few redfish, so why would they be allowed to wrap up a bay with nets and interrupt a tournament that brings 50 to 100 boats with anglers and family members? Most of the tournament fishermen arrive by Wednesday before the tournament on Saturday, and a good number are there for the entire week before to the tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">“The economics just don’t add up,” Floyd said. “When we go to a tournament, we are renting motels or cottages, spending money at restaurants, local tackle shops, doing entertainment things, buying gas for boats and trucks and spending money in many other ways. Then, when we finish the tournament, all the fish are let go to stay in the area. Certainly, this has to be worth more to the local economy than the few drum the commercial fishermen can sell.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bobby Sands is an avid fisherman who lived in several Gulf of Mexico states before retiring to <st1:place w:st="on">Southport</st1:place>. He said he initially judged the area by all the estuary and marshes around it and thought the fishing would be as good as <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Louisiana</st1:state></st1:place>. He said after several years here, he still thinks the fishery has the habitat to recover and prosper, but the fish badly need the protection of the gamefish bill to do it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I was living near <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Corpus Christi</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state></st1:place>, in the 1980s when the inshore fishery there bottomed out.” Sands said. “It was in bad shape, but after less than 10 years with gamefish protection and no gill-netting for reds and trout, it became a premiere fishery. The entire <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state> coastal lagoon now has excellent fishing, and <st1:place w:st="on">Baffin Bay</st1:place> has become a place where 5-pound trout don’t even raise eyebrows, and 8- to 10-pounders are surprisingly common.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Louisiana</st1:state></st1:place> also had similar issues,” Sands said. “The demand for blackened redfish had all but destroyed the red drum populations in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Louisiana</st1:state></st1:place> marshes. Now, after being protected for about two decades, the <st1:state w:st="on">Louisiana</st1:state> marshes are once again actually the Sportsman’s <st1:place w:st="on">Paradise</st1:place> they proclaim on their license plates. The limit for redfish is five per day, and the limit for speckled trout is 25. Here, our limits are a single redfish and four trout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a big difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">“I know that given the opportunity, the <st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state> fishery would rebound quickly and could be as good as either <st1:state w:st="on">Louisiana</st1:state> or <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state></st1:place>, if maybe not better. We have the habitat; we just need the fish to be protected from the constant pressure of commercial fishing, and gamefish status would do that. We would also find the fish are worth a lot more to everyone in the area as a recreational fishery. Many of the guides in <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Louisiana</st1:state></st1:place> are former commercial fishermen, and they will tell you they are far better off now than when they were fishing commercially.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>CFRG Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827110737430191799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513109968258018117.post-75501659649197833002012-01-26T22:46:00.001-05:002012-01-26T22:47:45.779-05:00Interview with NCDMF Director Dr. Louis Daniel: On the record about Gamefish Status and NC Fisheries ManagementPlease take a moment to watch this informative video with NC DMF Director Dr. Louis Daniel. <br />
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