North Carolina House Bill 353

My neighbor to the North has a very important decision to make—and North Carolina House Bill 353 seeks to do just that.

For you and me, and most people outside of the commercial fishing industry, this bill seems like a no-brainer. If passed, it would grant game fish status for redfish, stripers, and speckled trout.

This would effectively eliminate the legality of the practice of gill-netting the fish for commercial harvest. But not so fast anglers, there’s politics afoot…

Commercial Harvest Of Redfish, Stripers, And Speckled Trout

The commercial fishing association in the Tarheel State, the Marine Fisheries Commission, has decided to put up a fight.

Their claim is that this bill would effectively put this resource (the fish) into the hands of a select and elite few, rather than the masses that purchase seafood. Yes indeed, the anglers that are hunting these fish are indeed elitist…

But is this assertion true? Like most things political, the truth can be as hard to find as a salmon in Northern California these days.

In reality, these three fish represent less than 2 percent of the commercial harvest in NC, and about $88 million in revenue in 2010 (think about it, when is the last time you went to a restaurant and ordered redfish?).

Contrast that with the economic impact of recreational fishing for the state. That number is estimated at $1.6 billion, and that doesn’t include the purchase of durable goods which is estimated at $1.2 billion.

Hmmm…for those of use who can do math, the decision seems pretty easy to make.

In reality, this bill probably won’t pass.

Perhaps though, we can raise enough awareness (read: make enough of a stink) to at least make some people feel the pressure and start making sense.

When it’s all said and done, these fish and the state of North Carolina deserve this decistion.

See ya on the water…