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The
state chapter of the Recreational
Fishing Alliance is calling for a ban on fishing nets
in what the group describes as "non-coastal waters."
"By non-coastal waters, we mean all waters inside the inlets,"
said Tim Barefoot, co-chairman of the Recreational Fishing
Alliance-North Carolina (RFA-NC) and owner of Barefoot Fishing
Gear in Wilmington.
Although he couldn't provide membership numbers for the NC
chapter, Barefoot did say that the chapter had formed recently.
The organization's board announced unanimous support for the
"complete removal of all mobile and fixed net gear" from the
state's "sounds, bays, estuaries and creeks" in a March 31
press release.
Barefoot said his group is especially interested in a ban
on gillnets, otter trawls, and dredges.
"We are targeting gear that scrapes the bottom, disturbing
critical habitat for fish, and gear with bycatch problems,"
he said, adding that the ban would not apply to cast nets.
He also indicated that the group might not seek a ban on commercial
pound nets. As expected, commercial
fishermen had plenty to say about the net ban proposal.
"A
net ban in Pamlico Sound would eliminate a whole segment of
the fishing industry and literally shut us down," said commercial
fishermen Michael Peele in Hatteras. He said many of the men
who work in the sound are older fishermen and use small, traditional
skiffs.
"It'd be tough on the older man," Peele said.
Sean McKeon, president of the North Carolina Fisheries Association
(NCFA), a commercial fishing trade organization, wasn't particularly
surprised by a call for a net ban in the state.
"In states that have created a recreational fishing license,
the next step is a net ban," McKeon said.
Elected officials also were quick to weigh-in on the RFA-NC
net ban proposal.
NC Senate Pro Tempore Marc Basnight said, "We have the largest
system of shallow inner waters in the country, and our fishery
supports itself very well, producing fish, crabs and shrimp
for a large population of people.
"Nets are now well-managed in NC. We have a system in place
for measuring the health of stocks and managing the resource
for the benefit of both recreational and commercial fishermen."
NC Rep. Tim Spear said he was not aware of the net ban proposal,
but its impact on the state's commercial fisherman was a tremendous
concern to him.
In a written statement, Marshall Adame, Democratic candidate
for US Congress from NC's 3rd district, urged the state to
continue protecting fish stocks and habitat "without resorting
to such drastic measures as a net ban."
Adame also said that the net ban would result in greater dependence
on seafood imported from other countries.
But, RFA-NC co-chairman Barefoot said the net ban would go
hand-in-hand with a plan to increase domestic seafood production.
"We don't want to put commercial fishermen out of business.
We have a very definite plan in place to make fishermen more
profitable and better organized through aquaculture," Barefoot
said.
He declined to provide more specific information in a telephone
interview, but did say the program would be available to all
licensed commercial fishermen in the state.
Commercial fishermen have pointed out that property costs
and coastal land development regulations would present challenges
to creating fish farms or shrimp ponds in most areas of Dare
County. They also have raised environmental and economic feasibility
questions over the offshore aquaculture operations promoted
by federal fisheries managers.
Barefoot said the RFA plans to be active in this year's election
campaigns.
"We will support the gubernatorial candidate who will run
the state like a business, on nothing but dollars and cents
and sheer economics," he said.
The RFA-NC press release noted the value of recreational fishing
to the state's economy.
"While we recognize that an absolute maximum of 4,000 commercial
fishermen may be impacted by [the net ban], there are sufficient
opportunities available though buyout programs, retraining,
and aquaculture to invalidate the excuse that commercial fishermen
will be put out of business," the release continued.
That statement didn't sit well with McKeon, NCFA president.
"What they are saying is that recreational fishing is so important
to the economy that commercial fishing is no longer needed
to provide seafood to the American consumer," he said.
"I hope that is an eye-opener for consumers," McKeon said.
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