Game fish bill heard by committee

RALEIGH - Sports fishermen pushing a proposal to designate the red drum and spotted sea trout as a game fish got their bill heard and got to air some of their grievances on Wednesday.

The bill, sponsored by Reps. Paul Luebke, D-Durham, and Carolyn Justice, R-Pender, would prohibit commercial fishermen from buying or selling the two fish.

"This is an allocation issue," said Jim Hardin of Greenville, a member of the Coastal Conservation Association. Hardin, speaking to the House Marine Resources and Aquaculture Committee, said doing so would provide for the best economic value for the state.

Dean Phillips, a Surf City resident and member of the Coastal Fisheries Reform Group, said that the state's fisheries system is failing.

"We have finally stepped forward and said enough is enough," Phillips said.

Representatives of commercial fishermen, however, argued against the bill.

Mike Johnson, who is a Dare County commissioner, said that the bill would cause people to lose their jobs.

"A bunch of guys are having fun and they want a lot of people to lose their jobs so they can have more fun," Johnson said.

Luebke and Justice said they filed the bill because some sports fishermen had told them that they didn't feel like they could get their petition heard at the Division of Marine Fisheries. Justice said that the sports fishermen were told that there was a "minor problem with the petition."

Since they didn't feel like they were getting results from the commission, they took their case to members of the General Assembly, Justice said.

Louis Daniel, director of the Division of Marine Fisheries, said the Marine Fisheries Commission followed established administrative rules in addressing the sports fishermen's petition. Daniel said even though a written letter wasn't sent for weeks after the January rejection of the petition, an attorney representing the division did respond verbally to the sports fishermen the next day.

In addition, Daniel said that sports fishermen were given more time than usual to address their concerns over the two fish.

Daniel added, "Game-fish status will cause a definite economic loss in the commercial fishing industry."

Johnson cautioned lawmakers about micromanaging the Division of Marine Fisheries.

"Does the legislature want to manage the fisheries?" Johnson asked.

The committee took no action on the bill. The committee chairman, Rep. Tim Spear, D-Washington, said he didn't know whether the bill would be brought back up.

Barry Smith can be reached at bsmith@link.freedom.com.