February 2, 2016 — The following was released by the North Carolina Fisheries Association:
CARTERET COUNTY FISHERMEN’S ASSOCIATION TO MEET
The Carteret County Fishermen’s Association has scheduled a meeting for Saturday, February 6, 2016 at the Marshallberg Community Center at 6:30pm.
SOUTHERN SHRIMP ALLIANCE & SHRIMP IMPORTS:
The Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) is an organization of shrimp fishermen, shrimp processors, and other members of the domestic industry in the eight warmwater shrimp producing states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.
Founded in 2002, the SSA works to ensure the continued vitality and existence of the U.S. shrimp industry. The livelihoods of U.S. shrimpers are threatened by cheap, unfairly traded imported shrimp. The U.S market has become a dumping ground for shrimp that are turned away from other major seafood importing countries. Proposed restrictions on shrimp fishing and rapidly increasing costs of doing business also loom over the industry. The SSA is committed to preserving the long term viability of one of our nation’s most valuable fisheries, which for decades has been a foundation of the economy and social structure of countless coastal communities throughout the Gulf and Southeast regions.
SSA is currently conducting a sunset review, which is required to determine if antidumping duties should remain for imported shrimp from certain countries. John distributed surveys for shrimpers and processors. It is very important for shrimpers and shrimp processors to participate in this survey! If not, the antidumping duties could be lifted.
We have copies at the office, so call if you want us to send you one or more. Or you can contact John Williams of the Southern Shrimp Alliance directly: john@shrimpalliance.com or call: 727-934-5090.
PROPOSED BOUNDARY EXPANSION TO MONITOR NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY
After several years of scientific and archaeological assessment and in coordination with the public, NOAA is proposing to expand Monitor National Marine Sanctuary off North Carolina’s Outer Banks to include additional maritime heritage resources. The proposed expansion would protect a nationally significant collection of shipwrecks that currently have little or no legal protection, including one of America’s only World War II battlefields.
For more details and maps see http://monitor.noaa.gov/management/expansion.html.
This expansion could have significant impacts on fishermen off the Outer Banks. Please plan to attend one of the following public meetings:
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Raleigh, NC Tues., Feb. 9 from 6-9 p.m. North Carolina Museum of History 5 East Edenton Street 919-807-7900 |
Beaufort, NC Wednesday, Feb. 10 from 6-9 p.m. North Carolina Maritime Museum 315 Front Street 252-728-7317 |
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Hatteras, NC Thurs., Feb. 11 from 6-9 p.m. Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum 9200 Museum Dr. 252-986-2995 |
Washington, D.C. Tues., Feb. 16 from 6-9 p.m. US Navy Memorial – Main Auditorium 701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW 202-380-0710 |
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Nags Head, NC Wed., Feb. 17 from 6-9 p.m. Jennette’s Pier – Oceanview Hall 7223 S. Virginia Dare Trail 252-255-1501 |
JERRY’S COMMENTS
Last fall WRAL aired a documentary that was not at all complimentary to our state’s commercial fishermen. I was interviewed for it and offered some suggestions for other interviews to the producer, Clay Johnson. After I watched it, I sent him a note and said it was the most subjective piece of fisheries journalism I’ve experienced. He didn’t agree with that statement, but I maintain that it’s a fact.
Since then, there are some fishermen who wonder why I would even consent to an interview. At the same time, we all seem to agree that we “need to get the word out”, and quit preaching to the choir. How do we do that by saying no to a request for an interview, when the question is, “would you be interested in being interviewed for a documentary about commercial fishing”? Before saying yes, I did some research on the producer. I watched several of his documentaries with one being about commercial fishing in 2008. The others were not about commercial fishing but all of them, in my opinion, were fair and objectively done.S
Below is the link to the video, “Net Loss”, produced by Clay Johnson in 2008. If you haven’t watched the other one that aired last year, let me know and I’ll forward to you.
http://www.wral.com/wral-tv/video/3599816/
CALENDAR
Feb 2-4 ASMFC Winter meeting; Alexandria VA
Feb 6 Carteret County Fishermen’s Association; 6:30pm;
Feb 9 Monitor National Marine Sanctuary hearing; 6-9pm; Raleigh
Feb 10 Monitor National Marine Sanctuary hearing; 6-9pm; Beaufort
Feb 11 Monitor National Marine Sanctuary hearing; 6-9pm; Hatteras
Feb 9-11 MAFMC meeting in New Bern NC
Feb 17 Monitor National Marine Sanctuary hearing; 6-9pm; Nags Head
Feb 17-19 NC MFC meeting in Wrightsville Beach, NC
Mar 7-11 SAFMC meeting in Jekyll Island, GA