Ahab's Journal

Kitty Hawk Fisherman Proposes Economic Stimulus Measure

President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave

Washington, DC 27699

Dec. 15, 2009

In North Carolina, we don't want a handout or a stimulus package. Open the Exclusive Economic Zone to commercial, charter boat and recreational fishermen who want to catch striped bass and it will provide the much-needed economic boost our region needs.

A high stakes game is underway to allot fisheries resources

The truth is that the recreational fishermen harvest three times more red drum and speckled trout than the commercial fishermen each year, but the argument is that these species are worth more money in the recreational fishing economy than they are in the commercial economy.

So, if I understand this correctly, it is better for recreation fishermen to kill these species than commercial fishermen because the recreational industry can make more money from killing the fish.

Yeah. That makes good sense.

Let’s prevent the commercial fishermen from doing their job so that we can make more money for ourselves.

This is one greedy form of thinking and this is coming from a person who makes his entire living from recreational fishing.  Go figure.

Read more

NC Marine Fisheries Commission "Inaction" is in Fact an "Action"

"At the May meeting of the NC Marine Fisheries Commission, the true political bias favoring the Commercial Fishing Sector and its interests were on full display as usual.

Why continue pandering to a system that obviously is not working and is politically designed for paralysis by analysis? Let's do away with the MFC and move the DMF to where it should be, and that is under the direction of the North Carolina Wildlife Commission."

Read "NC Marine Fisheries Commission "Inaction" is in Fact an "Action" "

Fight to protect fish species continues

"Finding and casting to large schools of speckled trout and red drum are quite rewarding to the recreational angler. Seeing these resources exploited by commercial fishermen and their non-selective gill nets, is a huge slap in the face to those of us who abide by the Division of Marine Fisheries strict rules of size and creel limits."

Read "Fight to protect fish species continues"

Why recreational anglers think they deserve game fish status for red drum and speckled trout

"By all accounts, the bill introduced in the state House of Representatives last month that would give game fish status to red drum and spotted sea trout is dead in the water.

The bill, H918, Designation of Coastal Game Fish, would make these two popular species of fish off limits to commercial fishermen and would reserve them for recreational anglers only.

Introduced March 31, the bill was referred to the House Marine Resources and Aquaculture Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Tim Spear, a Democrat whose district includes Dare and Hyde counties."

Read "Why recreational anglers think they deserve game fish status for red drum and speckled trout"

DMF Director Daniel's Testimony Before House Marine Resources Committee on HB 918

Position Statement of the Division of Marine Fisheries

on House Bill 918, Designation of Coastal Game Fish

 

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) is concerned about legislation to designate red drum and spotted seatrout as coastal game fish, a move that would allocate these fish solely to the recreational fishing sector and prohibit all sale by the commercial fishermen and purchase by consumers.  While concern is based on a variety of factors, our greatest issue is that the action would be contrary to the Fisheries Reform Act, our guiding legislation for managing North Carolina’s coastal fisheries.

 

Game fish bill heard by committee

"RALEIGH - Sports fishermen pushing a proposal to designate the red drum and spotted sea trout as a game fish got their bill heard and got to air some of their grievances on Wednesday."

Read "Game fish bill heard by committee"

Game Fish Bill on Committee Agenda for Discussion Only Wednesday

HB 918, Designation of Coastal Game Fish, is on the agenda for "Discussion Only" when the NC House Committee on Marine Resources and Aquaculture meets Wednesday, May 13, 2 pm, in room 425 of the Legislative Office Building, according to the meeting notice sent late this afternoon.

Bill Hitchcock: Just Say NO to Gamefish Status

Just say NO to Gamefish Status. It runs contrary to the goals of North Carolina.

There is currently a bill in the North Carolina state House of Representatives titled  “AN ACT TO DESIGNATE THE RED DRUM AND SPOTTED SEA TROUT AS COASTAL AS GAME FISH “. (HB 918)

Another response to Dean Phillips and CFRG

One needs to look back a short time in the scheme of things to truly understand the present petition by CFRG  and the CCA on the  gamefish bill that is now incredibly seeking  airtime in the legislature.

       It probably would not surprise many of you that one of the main  CFRG members is not new to the effort of seeking gamefish status to the two species  in bill 918 (red drum and speckled trout)......... but it might surprise a few of you that Mr Joe Albea who has a fishing show on PBS  has once before included Stripped Bass and of all things  False Albacore in his prior effort.  In the case of false albacore a small recreational fly fishery had developed off of Cape Lookout, so as with this case, the ELITE few decided that they should have exclusive rights to this resource as well.  As with the present petition, it was not about the health of the resource, but rather  the rights to fish it.  Fortunately that effort didn't make it far.

 

Letter to Dean Phillips & CFRG

Dear Mr. Phillips,

I am a resident of Gloucester-- a Down East community-- and a retired
Research Fishery Biologist with 30 years of service with NOAA, National
Marine Fisheries Service.  I hold a life-time Saltwater Recreational
Fishing license, and a Retired Standard Commercial Fishing license.  As a
private citizen, I am opposed to House Bill H918 ("Designation of
Coastal Game Fish"). I am perplexed that this bill was written without
regard for science, fishery economics, and without regard for the
process the NC Division of Marine Fisheries employs in developing
management plans.  

Response to CFRG Letter to Basnight & Spear

"The words “recreation” and “future generations” have been propagandaed to such an extent that a lot of very fine people and others have begun to believe that God had no use for the hard working clerk or the man in the field, or the poor and lowly, or the HUNGRY, a class of folks that must work all the time and cannot RECREATE, but must work under the burdens of the OTHER class who are recreating; that God created all the good things in life for a favored CLASS of folks.  These folks with money and influence secure, through THOUGHTLESS LEGISLATION, FAVORS that do not belong to them.  A BIG LOT OF FOLKS HAVE GONE “ hog wild crazy” on the subject of RECREATION. "

The first person, who lives west of I 95, that can call me and tell me who wrote this and when it was written will receive a free copy of the FISHERIES REFORM ACT OF 1998.

Jake Reibel    252 473 2901

CFRG Letter to Basnight & Spear

Subject: Prosperity vs. Poverty?

 Dear Senator Basnight and Representative Spear,

 First let me say “Thank You” for your service to North Carolina.

In “traditional” form, and with all due respect gentlemen, you are looking “substantial, additional prosperity” for your counties, constituents and local businesses straight in the face, and you can’t even recognize it! Dare County was the most productive county for the commercial harvest of Speckled Trout and Red Drum in 07 and 08, yet you both refuse to investigate or even consider the resulting positive impacts on the people you represent if Speckled Trout and Red Drum were to become “Game Fish”.

Group pursues bill to keep commercial fishermen away from two species

"RALEIGH - A coastal recreational fishing group is pushing North Carolina legislators to enact a bill that would designate red drum and spotted sea trout, or speckled trout, as coastal game fish and make them off limits to commercial fishermen.

Commercial fishermen are fighting the bill, saying that it would take away a portion of their livelihood and that the proper place to air their grievances over who can and can't fish for the two species is in the Marine Fisheries Commission, not the General Assembly."

Read "Group pursues bill to keep commercial fishermen away from two species"

Untangling the truth about North Carolina's gill nets

"Tilman Gray, age 50, has been a commercial fisherman for 38 years. He owns four commercial boats and personally fishes a 25-footer and a 42-footer. His son runs another boat; a friend runs Tilman's fourth boat. He said his family has fished the local waters for more than 200 years.

"I fish gill nets, pound nets, long lines and Bandit reels," he said. "From the sound (Pamlico Sound) and the ocean, we catch 24 different species of fish. Gill netting is the most effective type of fishing. But, like an automobile in the hands of the wrong person, a gill net can also be the deadliest thing on earth." "

Read "Untangling the truth about North Carolina's gill nets"

From the Coastal Fisheries Reform Group: Dollars That Demand A Verdict

"The last 10 years the Spotted Sea Trout and the Red Drum combined have only represented .6 % of the total NC commercial harvest revenues! That’s right, just a little over one half percent! These 2 fish historically have never been substantial or "dependable" sources of income for commercial fishermen. Just look at the commercial harvest reports. NC Latitudes place these fish in a very susceptible freeze zone, and incomes have been minuscule in years following these events."

Bill to designate red drum as a game fish stalled

BY SUSAN WEST, OUTER BANKS SENTINEL | Commercial fishermen say the game fish designation bill introduced in the state legislature this spring is the first shot over the bow fired in an aggressive campaign waged by some recreational fishing groups.

Position Statement of the Division of Marine Fisheries on House Bill 918, Designation of Coastal Game Fish

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) is concerned about legislation to designate red drum and spotted seatrout as coastal game fish, a move that would allocate these fish solely to the recreational fishing sector and prohibit all sale by the commercial fishermen and purchase by consumers.  While concern is based on a variety of factors, our greatest issue is that the action would be contrary to the Fisheries Reform Act, our guiding legislation for managing North Carolina’s coastal fisheries.

CCA Call to Action

As recreational fishermen of NC, we need your help today.  House Bill 918 has been introduced and has been assigned to be heard by the House Marine Resources and Aquaculture Committee in the House.  This bill will designate Spotted Seatrout and Red Drum as Gamefish in N.C.  Please take a few minutes to read this alert and take action.

 

CCA Apparently Out to Deceive NC Voters

"The CCA is apparently out to deceive North Carolina Voters. FFF Proved that the CCA lied to Florida Voters ... And continued to lie to the FWC about Redfish... That is until we exposed their lies with irrefutable facts."

Read "CCA Apparently Out to Deceive NC Voters"

Justice Says Conservation is Reason Behind Game Fish Bill

TOPSAIL BEACH – Officials from area municipalities got a chance to hear about state issues from one of their state delegates last week.

State Representative Carolyn Justice (R-Pender, New Hanover) was the guest speaker at the quarterly Four Town meeting, which was hosted by Topsail Beach on April 9.

Concerning Speckled Trout/Red Drum Gamefish Status

"Usually, I do not get involved in political matters, but I feel that commercial fishermen are being

unfairly targeted and misrepresented in this matter. I feel that sports-fishing groups, in special

reference to the Coastal Fisheries Reform Group, are spreading propaganda to further their

agenda under the guise of conservation and preservation, when actually it is themselves they

are advocating."

 

Proposed Game Fish Status for Red Drum & Speckled Trout

"The Camo Coalition states that “A few courageous souls in the NC General Assembly have introduced House Bill 918, which will convey game fish status on the red drum and the speckled sea trout, two of the most important fish for the 400,000 licensed sports fishermen and women in NC. Of the 40 some species subject to commercial fishing and markets in NC, no fish now enjoys protection from commercial gear and the pressure of a price on their heads generated by the marketplace." 

Read "Proposed Game Fish Status for Red Drum & Speckled Trout"

Bill 918 set to designate coastal game fish

"RALEIGH -- Two popular fish species along the North Carolina coast may be granted a reprieve from commercial fishing thanks to a new bill filed in the state House of Representatives this week." 

Read "Bill 918 set to designate coastal game fish" 

N.C. sportsfishermen, watermen clash over bill

"Sportsfishermen and watermen are clashing over a bill that would designate red drum and spotted sea trout as coastal game fish, a change that would make the saltwater catch disappear from fish markets."

Read "N.C. sportsfishermen, watermen clash over bill"

Killing fish for fun instead of food

"House Bill 918, Designation of Coastal Game Fish, would prohibit the sale and purchase of the species and prohibit the use of nets to catch the fish. 

In other words, commercial fishermen working for a living would no longer be able to catch and sell these fish.  They would become the private resource of recreational fishermen who fish for the fun of it.

It also means that unless you are a recreational fisherman with access to the resource, you will no longer be able to buy drum or speckled trout in a fish market or order it in a restaurant.

I hope all of you understand what an outrageous proposal this is."

Read "Killing fish for fun instead of food"

Groups want gamefish status for two species

BY SUSAN WEST, OUTER BANKS SENTINEL | Red drum and spotted sea trout would be off-limits to commercial harvest in North Carolina if a bill introduced in the General Assembly on March 31 becomes law.

Coastal Game Fish Act

  Looks like the Coastal Fisheries Reform Group is taking credit for HB 918, the Speckled Trout and Red Drum Game Fish Bill.

Read the "Coastal Game Fish Act Primer"

HB 918 - Designation of Coastal Game Fish - passes 1st reading

And is referred to the House Committee on Marine Resources and Aquaculture.

The bill picked up co-sponsors: Sandra Hughes (D-New Hanover), Marvin Lucas (D-Cumberland), Grier Martin (D-Wake), Cary Alfred (R-Alamance), Randy Stewart (D-Nash), and Bonner Stiller (R-Brunswick).

CCA NC supports House Bill 918

Raleigh, N.C. – The Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina (CCA NC) supports House Bill 918 introduced today in the North Carolina General Assembly.  This bill seeks gamefish status for Spotted Seatrout and Red Drum thereby making the commercial harvest or sell of Speckled Trout and Red Drum illegal. 

 

CCA NC also supports, in some form, financial mitigation for lost income that will be experienced by the commercial fishermen that will be affected by these changes.  This short term replacement of income should allow sufficient time to transition into other income producing activities.

 

CCA NC’s goal is to assure the state’s valuable marine resources are managed to maintain healthy populations and sustainable stocks and to advocate for the interests of recreational fishermen of our state.  The Red Drum and Spotted Seatrout, combined, represent about one percent (1%) of the total value of all the commercially sold fish in North Carolina.  CCA NC and other states have clearly recognized and acted upon the increased economic value of gamefish status for these two species. 

HB 918 - Designation of Coastal Game Fish

Reps. Paul Luebke (D-Durham) and Carolyn Justice (R-New Hanover) are primary sponsors of a bill that would make spotted sea trout and red drum gamefish.

"A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO DESIGNATE THE RED DRUM AND SPOTTED SEA TROUT AS COASTAL GAME FISH, TO PROHIBIT THE TAKING OF RED DRUM AND SPOTTED SEA TROUT OTHER THAN BY HOOK-AND-LINE, AND TO COMPENSATE COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN FOR CERTAIN LOSSES DUE TO THE DESIGNATION AND PROHIBITION."

 

Read the full bill text here

 

CCA NC Supports Concept of Gamefish Status

Coastal Conservation Association North Carolina supports the concept of gamefish status for specific species important to the recreational fishery. 

PALLONE INTRODUCES LEGISLATION PROHIBITING THE COMMERCIAL HARVESTING OF STRIPED BASS

Washington, D.C. --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) introduced legislation that would prohibit the commercial harvesting of Atlantic Striped Bass in the coastal waters and the exclusive economic zone of the United States in order to enable coastal populations to return to historical abundances.The

Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act would designate striped bass as federal game fish by prohibiting the commercial harvesting of the fish and reserving it exclusively forrecreational catches.

Response to "Conflict heightens over fishing rules"

"Dear Mr. Mooneyham,

This letter is in reference to a recent column that appeared in the "Coastland Times" regarding one of the latest efforts to eliminate commercial fishing in this state by a Mr. Hislop and friends.

I operate the Albatross Fleet charter service out of Hatteras (a business started by my late father in 1937).  And, having fished every charter season since 1958, I perhaps have as good a sense of "why people recreational fish" as does Mr. Hislop.

I also grew up in a "fishing community" populated by fishermen who earned their living by producing food from the sea for consumers.  Most of the people I knew as a youngster fished both charter and commercial and produced something other than just a "personal good time" when they went fishing.

I found your article very troubling.  It was troubling not because of the reporting which I believe to be accurate.  Rather, it was troubling because it conveyed, to people all over this state, a false premise.  A premise that, repeated often enough, becomes "accepted knowledge", a "real fact" and ultimately, a "literal truth" that will form the basis for legislators to take legislative action, action taken in good faith but, sadly, based on a false assumption.  Your article in complicit in spreading "the false assumption"

Response to "A Rising Tide"

(Note: The Mooneyham column called 'A Rising Tide' ran under various titles in different state newspapers, including 'Conflicts heighten over fish rules,' posted below.)

"In response to Scott Mooneyhams’ PUBLIC RELATIONS press release (3-1-09 article in The Coastland Times, A Rising Tide) on CONFLICTS between commercial and recreational fishermen in North Carolina, I must again try to wade through the deceit and negative PR coming from my hometown of RALEIGH. 

Conflicts Heighten Over Fishing Rules

"Since at least the mid-1990s, calls for an end to the commercial netting of fish in inshore waters, as several other states have done, have risen and ebbed.

That tide appears to be rising again.

John Hislop, a Swansboro retiree and recreational fisherman, has enlisted friends and supporters to begin a new campaign to ban gill nets, which are staked out mainly in tidal creeks to await any fish that swim through the area. Hislop has rented billboards on Interstate 40 near Benson and U.S. 70 in Kinston to proclaim the evils of gill netting."

Read "Conflicts Heighten Over Fishing Rules"
 

Bill seeks end to commercial striped bass fishing

"Striped bass have been imperiled in recent times but now their hunters, on the commercial front, are the endangered species.

A bill, numbered (House Docket) HD 245, introduced by state Rep. Matt Patrick of Falmouth on Jan. 14, would prohibit the commercial harvest and sale of striped bass in Massachusetts.

“The spawning stock (females) has declined for three or four years,” Patrick explained. “What I wanted to do is protect the fishery. I don’t think the commercial fishery is economically much of a fishery. Several other states have made it recreational only. That’s something we need to investigate.” "

Read "Bill seeks end to commercial striped bass fishing"

         

Big Step for Striper Conservation

"A bill to end all commercial harvesting of wild striped bass in state waters and to manage the resource for recreational fishermen has been introduced in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

The new Massachusetts Striped Bass Conservation Bill also prohibits the sale of wild striped bass in the Commonwealth and sets a recreational daily bag limit of one striper measuring between 20 and 26 inches, or alternatively, one fish of 40 inches or greater per angler. Stripers Forever, www.stripersforever.org was instrumental in proposing the new legislation."

Read "Big Step for Striper Conservation"