Saving Seafood

Commercial fishermen: Net ban would destroy N.C. seafood industry

May 23, 2016 — A state House bill first introduced 16 years ago has been resurrected that would ban the use of large trawling nets in state waters, a move that the commercial fishing industry says could destroy the livelihood for most North Carolina fishermen.

New Bern native Billy Richardson, D­-Cumberland, filed a bill that would let voters decide whether to outlaw gill and certain other nets in all state coastal waters. If the N.C. General Assembly supports House Bill 1122, the binding referendum would be on the November election ballot.

“It would be the end of North Carolina’s (commercial) fishery,” said Wayne Dunbar, a waterman for nearly 40 years, located in Pamlico County’s Paradise Shores on Lower Broad Creek, leading into the Pamlico Sound. “People that don’t fish wouldn’t get North Carolina seafood.”

Dunbar said this time of the year most of the fishermen trawl inland waters for speckled trout, flounder, spot, croakers and menhaden. On a typical day, he will go out in his small boat with 300 yards of net and fill a fish box with about 300 pounds of seafood.

Dunbar, who studied fish and wildlife management at Wayne Community College, said a net ban also would be devastating to the crab industry, the largest of the state’s fisheries.

The bait includes menhaden and other fish caught in nets.

Read the full story at the New Bern Sun Journal

NORTH CAROLINA: Fisheries meetings this Monday in New Bern!

January 23, 2016 — The following was released by North Carolina Fisheries Association:

NCFA’s Annual Meeting is this coming Monday, January 25th, at the Riverfront Convention Center in New Bern.

The day’s agenda will include the Bycatch reduction workshop at 10:00, the Southern Shrimp Alliance at 2:00 and our Annual Meeting at 3:00.

At the very top of this note, you will see a link to print out a proxy form if you cannot attend. You can either email the form to David Bush, davidbush@ncfish.org, or fax it to us at 252-633-6233.

NCFA will celebrate its 64th anniversary this summer. I’ve been involved for almost 30 of those years. Every year since 1987, I have heard some fishermen and some dealers complain about what we do or what we don’t do. Some of those criticisms have been valid and some absolute bull. Regardless, there is no doubt that we can learn from those comments to make us more effective.

Some who criticize do it for the right reason and some are just chronic complainers. NCFA gives one vote to each member in good standing regardless of what they do. Our meetings are not closed but open to anyone, although only members in good standing can vote. If you are a regular member in good standing of one of our affiliates, you are automatically a member of NCFA.

We remain in a rebuilding mode at NCFA. We need your help to make that effort successful and once again, ask you to make a very strong attempt to attend the Annual Meeting this Monday. If you cannot, please send in your proxy.

View the Annual Meeting Proxy Form