THE MFC ADVISOR

Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting
Morehead City, North Carolina
May 22, 2006

The Marine Fisheries Commission and the Division of Marine Fisheries continue to look for ways to keep committee advisors and the public informed about commission activities. It is our intent to publish the MFC Advisor after each business meeting, summarizing the meeting, and providing a list of motions and rulemaking proceedings. Hopefully, this bulletin will keep you better informed about commission activities. Your comments regarding this update are always appreciated – please contact Nancy Fish by e-mail at nancy.fish@ncmail.net or by phone at 252-726-7021 or 1-800-682-2632.

The MFC held a meeting May 22 at the Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City, North Carolina. The following members were in attendance: Mac Currin - Chairman, Dr. B.J. Copeland, Vice Chairman, Charlie Adams, David Beresoff, Dr. Barbara Garrity-Blake, Bryan Gillikin, David Hilton, Rusty Russ and Bradley Styron.

The meeting was held to discuss future relations with other fisheries management organizations. The level of dissatisfaction with federal and interstate fisheries management expressed by some commercial and charter boat fishermen has reached the point where the MFC has decided to examine North Carolina’s relationship with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The ASMFC is a compact of 15 Atlantic coast states coordinating conservation and management of near shore migratory fisheries. The NMFS manages and regulates fisheries occurring in federal waters.

Approximately 180 people attended the meeting, which began with an overview of interstate fisheries management through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, given by the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Director Pres Pate. Following was a synopsis of management of fisheries falling under federal jurisdiction presented by Dr. Louis Daniel of the DMF. Then, MFC counsel and Special Deputy Attorney General Frank Crawly reviewed the MFC’s relationship with the ASMFC and the United States in fishery management matters.

During the 4-hour-long public comment period there were 28 speakers, most from the commercial fishing sector. There appeared to be two main categories of issues that stood out; concerns with the way NMFS used data and the quality of that data, and process/procedure problems with ASMFC operations.

A summary of comments follows:

Use of best available science - what does that mean? Why aren't fishermen's reports used? Concern that best available science is not good enough - there should be a distinction between best available science and bad science. Data used doesn’t reflect true state of fisheries.
More federal dollars should be used to fund research and improve quality of data used to make important decisions.
Fishermen need to do everything they can to help managers see what they are seeing.
If N.C. pulls out of councils, state will lose quotas and allocations.
What is the burden of proof to show regulations are necessary?
NMFS is an arrogant organization that needs reform.
Partnership with ASMFC has eroded, now just a one-way street.
ASMFC rules allowing states without a commercial fishery to participate on management boards. ASMFC voting needs to be regionalized, coast-wide voting is too broad for many species.
Lack of federal standards by ASMFC.
Other states disregard ASMFC, i.e. Virginia and sharks, and nothing happens. North Carolina follows rules and fishermen lose.
N.C. needs to stay at the table to help make changes; it would be a mistake to withdraw from ASMFC.
ASMFC taken over by recreational fishermen.
NC needs fair and reasonable representation on management boards.
MFC needs greater involvement in the state’s ASMFC appointees.
Commercial sector needs larger quota of striped bass
Unnecessary harvest restrictions on spiny dogfish when the stock is so abundant.
Increase dogfish quota.
Increase the daily commercial limit of red drum allowed to be harvested under the CAP.
Young people need hope for the future and need to be able to make a living.
Everything cannot be based on science.
To fisheries managers, turtles and dolphin are more important than humans and families.
N.C. fishermen are fighting for their survival.
Every year more and more taken and fishermen want something back.
Any litigation needs to come from resource users/watermen.
Commercial fishermen have to be able to make a living.
Cultural heritage of commercial fishing is being destroyed.
There needs to be a charterboat representative on the MFC.

Motions and Actions

Motion to write a letter to the North Carolina legislature expressing the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission’s level of dissatisfaction with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Mid-Atlantic Marine Fisheries Council and the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council and the need for reforms regarding North Carolina’s relationship with these management entities, so as to improve our relationship, so as to improve the condition of North Carolina’s fishing industries, and to avoid having to withdraw from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Motion passed unanimously.

Motion to send the information mentioned in the previous motion to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and to encourage DENR Secretary Bill Ross to personally deliver this message to the ASMFC. Motion passed unanimously.

Chairman Currin stated he would appoint a committee to draft the letter to go to the N.C. General Assembly.

Meeting Adjourned

Upcoming MFC Meetings 2006:
June 27-28 Raleigh, Brownstone Hotel
Sept. 28-29 Atlantic Beach, Clam Digger Hotel
Nov. 30-Dec.1 Hatteras