THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 31, 1994 TAG: 9410310043
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY BETTY MITCHELL GRAY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 112 lines
Commercial and sports anglers who violate state fisheries regulations would be hit with additional costs for their actions under a proposed rule that is being considered by the state Marine Fisheries Commission.
The commission is considering a proposal to bill fishermen for the cost to replace any fish and shellfish caught illegally in state waters and any applicable investigation costs. These fees would be levied against fishermen in addition to fines imposed by the courts for violating state fisheries rules.
Fisheries regulators said the proposal would serve as an additional deterrent for potential lawbreakers and would provide additional money to the division for improving the state's stocks of fish and shellfish.
``Right now fishermen are not charged anything other than the fine, whether they're caught with one undersized flounder or with 50 undersized flounder,'' said Nancy Fish, Division of Marine Fisheries spokeswoman in an interview Friday from division headquarters in More-head City.
Currently, fishermen can be assessed fines of $25 up to $2,500 for violating fisheries regulations with $25 fines levied for first offenses of less serious violations such as some license violations, and $2,500 levied for more serious offenses such as deliberately harvesting shellfish in polluted waters.
Under the proposal, the division would determine replacement costs for about 75 different fish and shellfish and assess violators for those costs.
The proposal is one of 21 rule changes that will get their first review by the public Tuesday at a hearing in Manteo. Five other public hearings on the proposals will be held in Greenville, Morehead City, Raleigh, Edenton and Wilmington during the next two weeks.
This is the first group of proposed rules the commission has considered since a two-year ban on new commercial fishing licenses and a corresponding restriction on new fisheries rules were enacted by the state legislature earlier this year.
The commission will also take public comments on a plan to prohibit fishing for river herring and shad from April 15 to Jan. 1 and a proposal to allow the state fisheries director to continue restrictions on commercial net fishing off Oregon Inlet and other sections of Dare County that have been implemented in recent years.
The commission is scheduled to act on the proposals when it meets Dec. 2-3 in Selma.
The commission will also hold a second series of workshops to provide help for potential applicants for the new $1 million Fisheries Resource Grant Program before the public hearings in Manteo, Morehead City, Edenton and Wilmington.
Grants will be awarded to fishermen and others who want to test new equipment, research industry trends and perform environmental studies designed to improve North Carolina's coastal fisheries. MEMO: PROPOSED RULE CHANGES
The state Marine Fisheries Commission has proposed 21 changes in
fisheries regulations for the coming year including to the proposed
clamp-down on violators of fisheries rules. Eleven of the proposed
changes will be the subject of six public hearings over the next two
weeks while an additional 10 rules governing appeals filed under the
current ban on commercial fishing licenses will be discussed only in
Morehead City. The commission is expected to act on the proposals when
it meets Dec. 2-3 in Selma. Here's a look at some of the proposals of
interest to Albemarle-area fishermen that will be discussed at the
hearings:
Prohibit shad and herring catches from Jan. 1 through April 15.
Change the minimum size for weakfish, also known as gray trout, caught
by sports anglers to 14 inches and the catch limit to 14 fish.
Prohibit the taking of coral and live rock from state water.
Prohibit any portion of a channel net within a marked navigation
channel.
Extend the authority of the fisheries director to continue restrictions
on commercial net fishing off Oregon Inlet and other sections of Dare
County implemented in recent years.
Allow the transfer of a vessel license from one vessel to another or
from one individual to another.
Establish procedures for appeals under the moratorium on commercial
fishing licenses.
For additional information about any of these proposals, contact the
Division of Marine Fisheries in Morehead City at 1-800-682-2632 or (919)
726-7021.
GRANT WORKSHOPS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS
Here's a look at the schedule of four public hearings and grant
workshops in northeastern North Carolina during the next two weeks.
Nov. 1, Manteo, N.C. Aquarium, Airport Road, grant workshop at 6 p.m.,
public hearing on rule changes at 7 p.m.
Nov. 2, Greenville, Pitt County Community College, room 153, Fulford
Building, N.C. 11 South, public hearing at 7 p.m.
Nov. 7, Morehead City, Carteret County Community College, Joslyn Hall,
Arendall Street, grant workshop at 6 p.m., public hearing at 7 p.m.
Nov. 16, Edenton, John A. Holmes High School, 600 Woodard Street, grant
workshop at 6 p.m., public hearing at 7 p.m.
by CNB