Chris McCaffity has been fishing for more than 20 years now in Beaufort but fears the end may be near for that way of life, in part due to tightening regulations. He said that the way the bureaucracy set up right now it is difficult to continue as fisherman here. he wanted to opt for photography as he took pictures of the scenic coast on his fishing trips. Some of those pictures as well as others he has taken are part of the “Natural Art and Commercial Fishermen’s Assistance 2011 Calendar” he produced.
he told that this calendar aims to benefit the Commercial Fishermen’s Assistance program to help fishermen pay electric bills. McCaffity had 5,000 of the calendars printed and has sold about 1,000. They are available in Havelock at Bob’s Trading Post and McDowell’s Flooring for $10 each. McCaffity said he produced the calendar as a means of supplemental income because his income from commercial fishing was getting sketchy.
According to McCaffity new regulations proposed by the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council threaten to close bottom-fishing in water more than 240 feet deep to all commercial and recreational fishermen. he told that these are a bunch of arrogant bureaucrats that look down on us with contempt and rule with an iron fist. he believe that these unelected bureaucrats are being given the power by Congress to destroy the business and take the freedom of the fishermen of Beaufort.
McCaffity said that there should be regulation but they need to have sound science and work with the fishermen that have hands-on knowledge of the fishery. He noted that the commercial fishermen that are left are an endangered species because we don’t have the money or power to defend ourselves. McCaffity said the regulations impose unnecessary and unreasonable pressure on commercial fishermen that are sometimes forced to dangerously fish in foul weather to survive.
