Local fishermen to attend rally in support of industry

The next big trip won’t be offshore for some area fishermen with concerns about a federal fisheries law they say is flawed.

Fishermen from both the commercial and recreational side are making plans to attend a Feb. 24 rally in Washington, D.C., to stand up for the fishing industry and reform of the Magnuson Stevens Conservation and Management Act.

“We need the numbers to be up there to show support for the fishing industry,” said Capt. Sonny Davis, owner of the Capt. Stacy head boat based out of Atlantic Beach.

Davis plans to attend the rally and has worked to recruit others for a North Carolina Fisheries Association-organized bus trip, just one of several being planned around the region as the rally nears.

The NCFA said there are plans to have buses leaving from New Bern and the Outer Banks. Ocean Isle Fishing Center is also sponsoring a bus to leave from that area.

Capt. Joe Hifko of Sneads Ferry, who operates Rough and Ready Charters, is heading to Washington as well.

Hifko has commercial and charter fishing experience and said the rally is one that is bringing both the commercial and recreational fishing sectors together for a common cause.

“We either have to come together or we’re not going to fish,” he said.

At the heart of concerns are a lack of flexibility in rebuilding fish stocks and fishing closures they say are based on the “best available” science rather than solid, comprehensive data.

“We want flexibility and we want real science-based fishing laws. We don’t want the science fiction they are using now,” Hifko said.

Capt. Dave Tilley of the Continental Shelf head boat based out of Morehead City agrees.

The Magnuson Stevens Act provides the statutory framework for federal fisheries management, and Tilley said one goal is to change the “best available science” definition in the law. He said the best available science is often flawed or the only data out there and isn’t necessarily the best, most-recent information on which to base fishery management.

And after being re-introduced several years ago, the law now mandates that overfishing be ended in one year, with stock rebuilding completed within 10.

The stricter mandate leaves little room for flexibility in bringing back stocks, Tilley said, and compounding the issue is the lack of consideration of the economic impact on fishermen.

Tilley noted that this is the first year he’s ever closed for the winter.

New regulations for the South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper Fishery have resulted in season closures and harvest limits affecting both commercial and recreational fishermen in the area.

Fishermen seeking reform say the Magnuson Stevens Act has become conservation at all cost, without regard for the fishermen and their communities.

“They don’t consider the livelihood of the people involved,” Davis said.

And Davis said the impact goes beyond the fishermen. If fisheries close, he said, it trickles down to related businesses, from bait and tackle shops and seafood houses to the wider marine industry.

U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-NC) said in a phone interview that he previously introduced the Flexibility in Rebuildng American Fisheries Act, a bill that has been re-introduced this Congress by Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ).

Jones said he favors balance between preservation of fish stocks and the impact of management measures on the commercial fishermen and those whose livelihoods depend on the fishing industry.

“It’s a matter, really, of finding the balance between what’s right for the fish stocks and what’s right for the fishermen,” Jones said.

Hifko, for one, said it’s time to take a stand and show his support for change at the rally.

“I’m going to show my support for the recreational and commercial sectors,” he said. “I’m going to show I need my job and I want to go fishing.

“I hope it makes an impact.”

For more information on the North Carolina Fisheries Association bus trip, call 252-633-2288 or e-mail Peggy@ncfish.org. Information and discussion on the rally can also be found at www.fryingpantower.com.

Contact Jannette Pippin at 910-382-2557 or jpippin@freedomenc.com.