THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 20, 1995 TAG: 9508170231
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 50 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 123 lines
Water, water, it abounds
Not just the ocean, also sounds;
but is it fit for man or beast?
Not to drink, not in the least.
Fifty plants we've built at great expense
and that was our deliverance.
But trying times are soon forgot
and so we're helping neighbors out.
Our water rates are going up
so we can sell to Currituck.
But when our liquid turns to salt
Whom will we blame, who'll be at fault?
What will ensue as we run dry?
Will Currituck heed our mournful cry?
Our leaders often fail to see
the distant forest for the tree.
We need to ponder this and more
lest we destroy what Nature bore.
M.L. Reifschneider
Kitty Hawk Favored fishermen
Having always assumed that the Dare County Commissioners would take actions benefiting the majority of our citizens, I was very disappointed upon reading a newspaper account of the board meeting that took place on Aug. 7.
At this meeting, it seems that the commissioners approved, at least conceptually, the adoption of several resolutions concerning the commercial fishing industry without apparently giving much thought to how their actions would affect the livelihood of the majority of county residents.
I have a great deal of respect for commercial fishermen. They work long, hard hours, often in harsh and dangerous conditions, for less compensation than they deserve. Most of them are not trying to harm the beautiful environment with which we have been blessed. What we must all realize, however, is that the fish stocks in our waters are a public trust resource. They belong to all the citizens of our state and county and not just to those who choose to fish them commercially.
If we are going to economically use this resource, we should, in my opinion, use it in a manner that provides the greatest economic benefit to the greatest number of people. Inasmuch as the vast majority of the work force in Dare County relies either directly or indirectly on tourism for their incomes, that use would be tourism through recreational fishing - not commercial fishing.
Recreational fishermen tend to visit Dare County in the greatest numbers and bring an influx of dollars when they are needed most, during our shoulder seasons. This means more jobs are provided and more profits realized by just about all of our local businesses. The Dare County restaurant owners with whom I have discussed this issue are less concerned with possible limited seasonal availability of certain types of seafood than they are with how many people will be visiting our county and dining in their restaurants.
We are in direct competition with other Southeastern states for these tourist dollars. Florida, Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina and several other states have already banned or severely restricted inshore net fishing to help protect declining fish stocks. If North Carolina, and Dare County in particular, stand as lone pariahs in supporting commercial fishing interests at the expense of the recreational fishery, our tourism industry and our county will suffer greatly. Erecting billboards or otherwise proclaiming Dare County's support of the commercial fishing industry is very ill-advised and will do more harm to our local economy than will 100 hurricanes.
I have, in the past, always tried to support our county commissioners. However, when I read that they are now allowing county policy to be shaped and influenced by an individual who cites unnamed ``evil forces'' and a murky ``national conspiracy,'' it is proof to me that the inmates are now being allowed to help run the asylum.
Randy Foster
Kill Devil Hills A self-serving myth
After reading Capt. Browny Douglas's Aug. 13 letter, I felt compelled to write.
His belief that ``. . . the Creator filled the oceans of the world with fish to be utilized primarily as a food source,'' needs to be seen as the antiquated, self-serving myth that it is. Such convictions have meant extinction for hundreds of species (both plants and animals) unlucky enough to come to modern man's attention as a food source, ornament (feathers, fur) or exotic pet - or those that are just in the way.
But I do agree that ``the most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is reason,'' as Douglas quoted Thomas Paine. Let's assimilate the knowledge and awareness of evolution, biology, ecosystems, etc. - accumulated by dedicated scientists and naturalists - into our culture. Let's admit our errors and not pretend that our irresponsible, wasteful actions are sanctioned by a god. We must be held accountable to ourselves and future generations.
Commercial fishermen are their own worst enemy. After areas are heavily overfished, conservation organizations try to educate and reason with the fishermen. Usually the ``cure'' involves restrictions and limits or maybe a change in method. These are almost always met with loud opposition. The mentality seems to be that all of the fish (crabs, shrimp. . . ) can never be caught, and they resent any controls that may curtail a maximum harvest - consequences be damned.
I urge all concerned citizens to read Rachel Carson's ``Edge of the Sea,'' ``Under the Sea Wind'' or ``The Sea Around Us,'' to gain insight into a world in which man's economic, moral and scientific concerns are placed into their proper perspective.
Dale Ball
Moyock Go on, build bridge
I have been vacationing with my family on the Outer Banks for the past 13 years. I just spent a week in Ocean Sands, having not been to the area north of Duck for the past four years. I must say that Corolla has changed, and not for the better. The development has degraded the character of the northernmost portion of the Outer Banks.
For a long time, I thought it would be awful to build a bridge over the Currituck Sound to Corolla. But it doesn't matter now. Sadly, the Corolla area has lost its charm. There is no one to blame; it's the course of human nature - New Jersey and New York have discovered the place. You can build your bridge now to accommodate them.
Richard McCormack
Annandale, Va. by CNB