THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 11, 1994 TAG: 9410110272
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B01 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BETTY MITCHELL GRAY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON, N.C. LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines
Approval of a saltwater fishing license for coastal sports anglers will be a tough fight for coastal legislators and proponents of the measure, state Senate President Pro Tem Marc D. Basnight told a license study committee Monday.
``It's going to be tough and difficult, at best. But I believe if you can do it properly, you'll be okay,'' Basnight, D-Dare, said at a meeting in Washington. ``I hope we can be wide and correct and do the right thing. I come to work with you.''
Basnight talked about his ideas for a saltwater fishing license for about 1 1/2 hours with a committee of the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission. The appointed group is studying whether to seek a saltwater fishing license for the state and, if so, what form that license should take.
``I think it's extremely important that we in North Carolina do our part to help enhance the fisheries resource,'' Basnight said. ``I don't think we're doing that. And I don't believe anyone at this table could concede that we're doing all that we could.
``It's going to take money to do that,'' he said.
Revenue from license sales, Basnight said, could be used to better manage and conserve the state's coastal fisheries - primarily through habitat restoration projects and the development of new hatcheries.
But Basnight's ideas about how to spendthe money raised by a saltwater fishing license prompted questions from some study committee members who hoped that some proceeds from saltwater license sales could be used to improve fisheries law enforcement.
While a study committee recommends spending about 10 percent of license proceeds to administer the program and about 20 percent for fisheries enforcement, Basnight has said that no money from license sales should go for either expense.
Basnight's proposal had rankled some members of the saltwater license study committee who, during a meeting last month in Washington, said their study has been usurped by the dynamic Senate leader.
But Basnight said that he and other state leaders would work to ensure that the state's Division of Marine Fisheries' operating budget includes money for increased law enforcement - a move that some committee members said would address some of their concerns.
Earlier this year, questions over how the state would handle the money raised from saltwater fishing license sales had threatened to defeat the proposal. But Basnight, one of the legislature's most powerful members, revived the issue with a proposal that the state create a trust fund with proceeds from sales of the new license. Interest from the trust fund would be used to improve the state's fisheries stocks and related programs.
``I see the development of a commission separate from marine fisheries . . said. ``We do trust funds for our families. We do trust funds for our businesses. Let's do it for our North Carolina fisheries.''
The proposed saltwater fishing license will be the subject of a series of public meetings across the state during the next two weeks.
The latest study committee proposal would require sports anglers to pay either $5 per week, $15 each year, or $250 for a lifetime license in order to fish in North Carolina's coastal waters. Owners of fishing piers and charter boats could exempt their patrons from the license if the business owners buy fishing licenses.
Some fisheries officials have said the money from license sales paid by the estimated 600,000 sports anglers who fish in the state could reach about $9 million a year. But others say that figure will be lower because of license exemptions.
Generally, proponents of a saltwater fishing license for sports anglers say revenue from license sales could be used to better manage and conserve the state's sports fisheries.
Opponents of the license fear the money raised by the license will be appropriated by the General Assembly for other purposes - or will not be spent properly.
The proposed license also faces growing opposition from some commercial fishermen who say that by encouraging sports fishing while a two-year freeze on commercial fishing is in effect, the state is acting unfairly.
Some study committee members said Monday that they were concerned that the trust fund would not generate enough interest in its early years to pay for new habitat conservation and other fisheries management programs.
But Basnight said trust fund revenues could be augmented by General Assembly appropriations for those programs. ILLUSTRATION: Color graphic
MEETINGS IN NORTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA
For copy of graphic, see microfilm
KEYWORDS: FISHING LICENSE
by CNB