March 30, 2017 — A Brunswick County senator’s proposed resolution opposing catch-share fisheries management is drawing praise from the fishing community.
In fisheries managed by catch shares, certain fishermen or companies are assigned individual limits for a given species during a season, a strategy the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says allows fishermen to make decisions based on market conditions and avoid hazardous weather conditions.
Many North Carolina fishermen have expressed great concern about catch shares reaching their waters and are supporting Senate Bill 370. Sen. Bill Rabon, R-Brunswick, introduced the bill, which would communicate to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, NOAA Fisheries and the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission that the Senate opposes catch share management off the N.C. coast.
Rabon did not respond to phone calls and a text message seeking comment on his resolution, which says catch shares give private ownership of federal fisheries to individuals, cause consolidation of fishing fleets and lead to lost jobs. A virtually identical resolution was adopted March 7 by the South Carolina House.