December 17,  2009




In North Carolina, we don't want a handout or a stimulus package.

Opening the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to commercial, charter boat, and recreational fishermen who want to catch striped bass will provide a much-needed economic boost to our region.
 
On Oct. 20, 2007, at the request of his good friend Walter Fondren, former President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13449 that made it illegal to keep striped bass caught in the Exclusive Economic Zone, which stretches from three to 200 miles off the coast.

There was no pretense that this was a science-based decision. It was simply another step toward making the species a gamefish, which has been a long-time wish of Fondren.
 
Recreational fishing which is a major fuel of our local economy depends on fishermen being allowed to catch and keep prized species such as striped bass. Not allowing them to keep these fish translates into millions of dollars of lost revenue not only to Dare County but to the entire state.

Dare County has traditionally been one of only three "donor" counties in the state -- more tax revenues flow from local businesses to the state than the amount that comes from the state to the county. This means that this closure is affecting the entire state.
 
This closure also not only shuts out commercial fishermen but also means that the non-fishing public -- 97 percent of Americans -- also has lost much of their access to this product.

Should only those who live on the coast or who are well-heeled enough to afford to go fishing have access to this species?

No, that isn't how this country is supposed to operate.
 
Politics has long ruled fisheries management, particularly on the federal level. During the last two decades, increasing restrictions -- many of which have no scientific basis -- have forced many to leave the commercial fishing industry because they could not comply with all the laws and still make a living. During this same time, the owners of this public trust resource -- the public -- often have been denied access to fresh, wild-caught seafood and have instead been encouraged to buy imported farm-raised seafood often found to be not healthy. Also, the manner in which seafood is raised on farms contributes significantly to environmental problems.
 
Restaurants, particularly on the coast, depend on being able to buy fresh striped bass for their menus. There is no appeal in stating on marquees, "Special today: farmed-raised seafood sold here."

That's not why folks come to the coast. Part of their cherished experience is to be able to enjoy their seafood without catching it themselves.
 
Striped bass has been deemed a fully rebuilt stock since 1996. During the years previous to that, commercial fishermen were told to be patient and that what they gave up by not targeting the species would come back to them several fold when the stocks were at healthy level.

That promise has not been fulfilled.
 
This is a migratory species and each state is given a pound quota that it must enforce. In North Carolina, we can't catch the quota without access to the EEZ.
 
Our charter boat fleet also is feeling the impact of the EEZ closure.

Their customers don't want to pay for trips offshore if they can't keep the fish they catch. This industry also is a mainstay of the local economy, and with the current economic downturn, the closure is just one more nail in the industry's coffin.
 
And when the charter boats are tied to the dock, it ripples over to the boat building industry. There is no need for new boats if there is no business or if fishermen can't keep their catch - or at least a portion of it.
 
In a time when the nation is dealing with enormous financial problems, it doesn't make sense to spend millions of dollars to enforce the closure. That money would be better spent on education, creating employment opportunities, and taking care of real problems.
 
Please help us help ourselves. We just want to work.

 
(Dewey Hemilright is a Dare County commercial fisherman.)


FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information, see Susan West’s news article from October, 2007, “New federal policy reserves red drum and striped bass for recreational fishermen” at
http://islandfreepress.org/Archives/2007.10.24-NewFedPolicyDrumBass.html

Also read Ernie Foster’s October, 2007, Guest Column, entitled, “Politicians and the end of fishing: Is choosing fun over food the new American dream?” at
http://islandfreepress.org/Archives/2007.10.26-GuestColumnErnieFoster.html

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