THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 15, 1995 TAG: 9512150503
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
North Carolina Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. has re-appointed two members of the state's Marine Fisheries Commission and named three newcomers to the 18-member panel that regulates commercial and recreational fishing practices.
Joey Daniels, a Wanchese commercial fish company owner who has been a member since May 1993, and commercial fisherman Jodie Gay of Hamstead, on the commission since December 1992, were reappointed.
New members include Twila Nelson, who represents commercial fishing interests from her Harkers' Island home; Sherrill Styron, a resident of Oriental, who represents commercial fishing interests; and Jimmy Johnson of Washington, N.C., a spokesman for the shellfish industry.
All Marine Fisheries Commission seats carry six-year terms.
Commission member Ed Cross of Vandermere did not wish to be reappointed to his seat, said Bonnie McIntosh of the state Division of Marine Fisheries. Cross, who represented shellfish interests, had served on the administrative body since December 1993.
Commissioners Linnie Perry and Jule Wheatly, however, said they would have served again - if they had been asked. The two commercial fishermen were replaced by the governor's new appointees. The governor did not say why he replaced Perry - who had been on the state's Marine Fisheries Commission two years this month - or Wheatly, who had served eight years on the commission. Perry, of Washington, represented shellfish interests. Wheatly represented the commercial fishing industry.
``Commercial fishermen didn't send those new names in. We all wanted Linnie and Jule re-appointed,'' Daniels said of his former co-commissioners. ``I'm very frustrated. It's sickening. I tried to resign my seat, too. But the other commercial guys convinced me to stay.
``The biggest job we've got now, as commissioners, is to set aside the myth that there's no fish. Our fish aren't in trouble,'' said Daniels, a third-generation Outer Banks waterman. ``The problem isn't the fish at all. The problem is they're regulating us out of the water.''
Debbie Crane, a spokesperson for the state's Division of Environment, Health and Natural Resources, said Hunt's failure to re-appoint Perry and Wheatly ``should not be interpreted as a slight against them. They've been excellent commissioners who've done a tremendous amount of work,'' Crane said Thursday from her Raleigh office.
Wheatly said he wasn't surprised that he wasn't re-appointed. But he would've gladly served again if asked. ``I'm a Republican and Carteret County's Republican Party chairman. Hunt's a Democrat,'' Wheatly said from Perry's Washington fish house.
``I'm hoping all the appointees will do a good job and stick up for the commercial fishermen.'' Wheatly said.
North Carolina Fisheries Association Director Jerry Schill agreed. ``It's extremely critical in these contentious times for the commercial fishing industry that everyone sitting in those seats be staunchly vigilant and vocal advocates,'' said Schill, whose non-profit organization lobbies the legislature on behalf of commercial fishing interests.
State Division of Marine Fisheries Director Bruce Freeman said the new slate of commissioners was ``a good selection. There's a very good balance in that group now,'' Freeman said Thursday. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by DREW C. WILSON, The Virginian-Pilot
Joey Daniels, above, a Wanchese commercial fish company owner, and
Jodie Gay were reappointed to the fisheries commission.
by CNB