NC Camo Update
Coastal Game Fish Proposal Before Special Legislative Study Committee
The 2011 North Carolina General Assembly deferred action on the Coastal Game Fish Bill (HB 353) that would have designated speckled sea trout, red drum, and striped bass as coastal game fish. Coastal game fish status would mean that these three fish could be taken only with hook and line and could not be sold. These fish are already game fish in inland waters where they occur but when they venture into joint or coastal waters, they are subject to commercial net fishing under liberal rules designed to maximize catch for sale, which has led to overfishing and depleted numbers. Sport fishermen protested vigorously over the failure to act, which led the General Assembly to set up a special study committee to review the case for coastal game fish status and several other issues related to management of our marine fisheries.
The issues being considered by the Marine Fisheries Study Committee can be found at this link under the Marine Fisheries section. The main issue about which NC Camo is alerting members is the proposal to create coastal game fish status for red drum, speckled sea trout, and striped bass; but, you may be interested in the others too. The findings and recommendations of the Marine Fisheries Study Committee will be reported to the General Assembly this Spring for action in their Budget Session.
Red drum, speckled sea trout, and striped bass account for only 3% of annual commercial finfish landings in NC by weight and account for only 2% of the dockside value to commercial fishermen. In 2010, only 250 commercial fishermen had more than $2,000 in landings of these three species, separately or in combination, and less than 30 had landings that equaled or exceeded $10,000. These figures as collected and presented by the Division of Marine Fisheries show that red drum, speckled sea trout, and striped bass are relatively minor components of the commercial harvest in NC by weight and by value to the commercial fisherman.
Conversely, figures from the Division of Marine Fisheries on the value of recreational fishery for these three species show the annual value to NC’s economy to be over $140,000,000. This value comes from expenditures of recreational fishermen as they buy fishing equipment and supplies, travel to favorite fishing spots on the coast, and support thousands of small businesses and jobs in the process. Sales of Coastal Recreational Fishing Licenses show that well over 1 million people fish in our coastal waters each year. Recreational fishing is big business for NC and can be even bigger. The great thing about this source of growth in our economy is that no capital investment is required and it is truly “green” growth. All we have to do is protect our fisheries resources and allocate them to their highest and best use for the people of NC.
The first meeting of the Marine Fisheries Study Committee was held on January 5, 2012 and was attended by dozens of recreational and commercial fishermen. The agenda was mostly introductory for the committee members and no discussion with real substance occurred. The next meeting is scheduled for February 2, 2011 at 1 pm in the Auditorium of the General Assembly, 116 West Jones Street. The agenda for this next meeting is designed to give sport and commercial fishermen the opportunity to voice their concerns and ideas to the Marine Fisheries Study Committee on the issue of coastal game fish status for red drum, speckled sea trout, and striped bass and the other topics before the Committee.
NC Camo encourages all recreational fishermen who can to attend and speak in favor of game fish status for speckled sea trout, red drum, and striped bass. The case for conservation of these three fish via coastal game fish designation is given in the NC Wildlife Federation’s Fall Journal and can be read at this link beginning on page 2.
Interested sportsmen can catch up with the history of the coastal game fish proposal and keep up with new developments on the North Carolina Sportsman Magazine website at this link. Also, a hot link to the e-mail addresses of every member of the Marine Fisheries Study Committee is included. Use them to contact the members to let them know you favor game fish status for speckled sea trout, red drum, and striped bass.
Finally, NC Camo has prepared a Take Action message you can send to your elected State Representative and Senator as a part of this alert. Read it over and if you agree that speckled sea trout, red drum, and striped bass need and deserve coastal game fish status, send it out with a click of your mouse.
NC Camo Coalition is a project of the NC Wildlife Federation.