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NEWS
| 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. At our request the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission essentially designated tarpon a gamefish by making it illegal to sell them. CCA has a national position supporting gamefish designations. For 20 years CCA NC has participated within the North Carolina fisheries management system to assure the state's valuable marine resources are being managed to maintain healthy populations through sustainable stocks, which is our primary goal. CCA NC understands and believes there are certain species that provide a much greater economic value to North Carolina when managed to benefit the recreational fishery and believe these species should be allocated as such, as has been done in other coastal states for red drum, snook, tarpon, striped bass and spotted sea trout. CCA-NC will continue to be a voice for conservation and represent the recreational anglers that fish in North Carolina's coastal waters.
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| 31 Mar 2009 - 10:09 by CCA North Carolina |
XNews
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| CCA North Carolina Legislative Objectives-2009 |
CCA North Carolina is building momentum to support legislation and management changes in North Carolina that will help better protect our marine resources. Below are CCA's objectives in 2009 to accomplish this task. Please support the agenda and make the necessary contacts when called upon later in the year.
1. CCA NC seeks legislation that would require that all Fisheries Management Plans (FMP) adopted by the Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) have a greater chance of success. In the past, plans have been approved with only a 25% chance of success. CCA NC supports a minimum of 50% or higher. Previous FMPs were passed with chances of success below 50% and subsequent stock assessments showed they failed miserably. For example
- The river herring FMP was so weak that there is now a complete moratorium required. The best estimate is that herring will not recover within the next 25 years - if ever!
- The southern flounder regulations were inadequate when passed four years ago and will require major emergency measures to try to recover the stock.
The MFC in January 2009 adopted a policy for a minimum standard that management plans must have at least a 50% chance of success. This policy is consistent with the federal standard but it is only a "policy". It is clear that legislation requiring at least a 50% probability of success would assure the MFC could not choose to ignore their adopted policy. The legislation will make sure that future plans have a better chance to succeed.
2. CCA NC supports legislation authorizing Joint Enforcement Authority (JEA). JEA would allow NC DMF Marine Patrol Officers to enforce federal fisheries rules and regulations. North Carolina is the only coastal state in the US that does not have a JEA. North Carolina can write the agreement and has the ability to construct one that is acceptable to NC. The state could withdraw from the agreement without penalty. NC would receive Federal funds, which could be as much as $600,000 per year. At a time when our state budget is under such pressure to cut expenses so severely, it is foolish to turn down this money over which our state would total have control.
3. CCA NC seeks gamefish (or no-sale) status for the North Carolina’s State Fish -- the Red Drum and Spotted Seatrout. Gamefish status means that there would be no sale of wild caught fish, similar to nearly all other coastal states. The commercial catch of red drum is only an incidental catch today. The red drum is a gamefish in federal waters and in inland waters; it makes sense to extend this to coastal waters. In states where gamefish status exists for red fish, such as in Florida, Louisiana and Texas, it has generated a huge economic stimulus. Many North Carolinian’s fish in these other states because their fisheries are so much more robust.
The economic impact on NC for the commercially harvested red drum is very small. These fish are much more valuable to NC as a recreational fishery. The increased tourism provided by an expanded red drum population, would boost our state economy many times more than the commercial value.
Recreational fishermen are allowed one red drum per angler per day, but most red drum are caught and released unharmed. Even with a 1 fish limit, recreational fishing for red drum provides an economic value of $50 million to NC.
Commercial fishing for red drum is supposedly a by-catch only fishery and is capped at 250,000 lbs/year. A daily by-catch allowance of 7 fish is allowed-if there is an equal weight of certain other fish. It is illegal to target red drum commercially; however, recently this has happened resulting in conflicts between and within user groups.
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| 12 Mar 2009 - 10:22 by CCA North Carolina |
XNews
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