April 3, 2018 — An advocacy group for the commercial fishing industry has filed a lawsuit against members of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission claiming they violated state open meeting laws and showed a lack of transparency and openness.
According to a press release from the N.C. Fisheries Association, State Auditor Beth Wood in February 2016 issued findings in connection with an audit of the Division of Marine Fisheries.
The group quoted the audit’s findings, saying “there have been open meetings laws violated by several members of the commission.”
“Four separate email chains dated January 14, 2015, September 8, 2015, July 20, 2015 and February 10, 2015 that occurred between Marine Fisheries Commission Members,” the auditor’s office stated. “In each instance, the Commission’s legal counsel, Philip Reynolds, stopped the email communication and reminded the commission members about open meeting laws.”
The North Carolina Fisheries Association notified regulators and legislators about the auditor’s findings in 2016.
Although warned, the association alleged the Marine Fisheries Commission continued violating the open meetings laws, culminating with the most recent meeting in Wrightsville Beach, in February 2018.
At that meeting, the commission voted 5-4 to recmmend that the General Assembly change the criteria for commercial fishing licenses, after overwhelming opposition by commercial fishermen, local governments and the public to any changes.
All of the commissioners representing the commercial industry voted against the measure.
Read the full story at the Outer Banks Voice