In order to decrease fishery’s interaction with sea turtles the commission has announced to allow gill net fishing four days a week to better comply with the National Endangered Species Act. It is informed that the commission considering a proposed proclamation to eliminate gill fishing with nets larger than 3½ inch mesh from May 15 to Dec. 15 to limit interaction with endangered sea turtles.
Member Bradley Styron of Cedar Island, a commercial fisherman and dealer, said the proposed measure would badly affect the state’s flounder industry, probably shutting down, and also affect other commercial fish catches. According to him the compromise action that was approved in a 5-2 vote of the board on the third motion submitted by members who had listened to passionate pleas from members of the state’s fishing industry fighting for survival and winning a small, and possibly brief, victory.
Member Joe Smith of Hampstead, who seconded the motion, said that the action calls for N.C. Marine Fisheries to apply for a Section 10 Permit to allow fishermen to handle sea turtles that are incidentally caught and will allow large mesh gill net fishing to occur from 5 p.m. Commission Chairman Robert Bizzell of Kinston said that if all 92 of those signed up to speak took their three minutes it would take 4½ hours to hear them all.
Louis Daniel, Division of Marine Fisheries director, was advised in a letter from National Marine Fisheries Service in July they had become aware of high levels of illegal takes of threatened and endangered turtles in the state’s fisheries management and asked for “actions to immediately address” it. The exceptions were Stephen Ammons of Raleigh, Coastal Conservation Association director, who said the proposed proclamation was too narrow and limited in scope.
