Legislative study committee created to reorganize saltwater management

HB 353 would have re-classified red drum, spotted seatrout and striped bass as gamefish, thus making them off limits to harvest and sale or bartering. In effect, netting of these fish to be sold for profit would have been banned.
However, the bill didn’t survive a June 9 deadline to “cross over” to the Senate for consideration, either because five Democrats made deals with the Republican majority for their budget approval votes or the Republican majority didn’t want to answer questions about a relatively small number of job losses in the commercial fishing industry should HB 353 become law.

In either case, McCormick and bi-partisan sponsors of HB 353 managed to morph the bill into an all-encompassing study of saltwater resources management.

One of HB 353’s sponsors told North Carolina Sportsman by opposing the game-fish status bill during this legislative session, commercial fishing interests “basically threw kindling on a smoldering fire.”

A quick look at the topics the committee will examine bears out that legislator’s words. Each section could be a nightmare for the state’s commercial fishing industry and the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission.

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Comments

[Jake Fido]

If interested in this story, please see NORTH CAROLINA LAWMAKERS DENY PUBLIC ACCESS, BESTOW RESOURCE TO WEALTHY WHITE MEN

[Chuck Laughridge]

Wow, that list on the study bill looks impressive and way overdue for some serious looks.

Outstanding job by the House and Senate, and by the way, HB353 wasn't subject to crossover, but gamefish is in the study bill too.

Good Fishing!!!

[King John]

NORTH CAROLINA LAWMAKERS DENY PUBLIC ACCESS, BESTOW RESOURCE TO WEALTHY WHITE MEN
Stolen from the kings playbook (pre-Magna-Carta), several House members in Raleigh plan to reserve (hoard) a sustainably managed public resource for three percent (the royalty) of the Governors subjects. House Bill 353 “Game Fish Status” is designed to chop the remaining leg off the commercial fishing industry, but in fact will cripple the $700 million a year Charter and Guide services, deny peasants access (either through restaurants or fish markets), deter tourism (90% come to enjoy fresh local seafood) and will affect the ability of 10 thousand small business’ to pay the Tax collector.
Game Fish Status means NO ONE can retain that species (not commercial, not recreational, not charter boats or guides), it has been put off limits to all, just like striped bass in the EEZ. PERIOD. NO ONE. Unless you ask HOUSE members from the western part of the state, who are willing to exempt the Nobles, Barons and Earls, three percent of the kingdom, WEALTHY WHITE MEN.
King John, 1215

[Chuck Laughridge]

Wow, I guess you could be more wrong than that, but you'd have to work real hard! LOLs

Nobody can retain any of the three species??? Come on man, it is done every day in inland waters already!

Nobles, Barons and Earls plus "wealthy white men", try managing a public trust resource in the year of our Lord 2012.

If I was looking at history, I'd look closer to the Mayan Calendar, while the world may not come to an end in 2012, some facets of commercial fishing most likely will. How did the Mayans know the MFC would screw it up so bad they'd finally end commercial fishing as we now know it in "different" NC???

Good Fishing!!!