Fisheries officials question recreational impact

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State fisheries officials plan to take a closer look at ways to limit recreational fishing catches. Traditional methods of regulating recreational catches include limits on the number and size of fish recreational anglers can keep.

For some species, managers establish a harvest target, but there is no mechanism to hold recreational catches to target levels. The system of reporting and monitoring commercial landings so that a fishery can be closed when the commercial quota is reached, could not be extended to recreational landings. North Carolina ranks third in the nation in the number and pounds of fish landed by recreational fishermen, according to National Marine Fisheries Service.

"The logic is crushing. With more recreational fishermen, we have more people pursuing a declining resource," said fisheries commissioner Jim Leutze, during the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) meeting at the Ramada Inn in Kill Devil Hills on Thursday.New controls could include limiting the number of recreational fishing licenses issued by the state, restrictions on the number of rods and reels used, or requiring special permits to land certain species.


"I don't see this as an immediate concern," said Marshall Williford, commissioner and recreational fisherman from Edenton, "but there's no doubt that the coast is in a tremendous growth mode and that there is more and more pressure on the resource. "Chairman Mac Currin said that the commission could recommend a limit on the number of recreational licenses, but warned that legislators would demand strong justification for a limit."I haven't seen that the impacts of the recreational community push us to do that," he said.Leutze said he wasn't sure how the commission would approach limits, but volunteered to research the issue.

Speaking during the public comment period Wednesday evening, Ocracoke commercial fisherman David Hilton addressed the lack of control on recreational fishing effort in the red drum fishery. "Recreational fishing is growing unchecked. How are you going to deal with that?" he asked commissioners. "With no ability to check effort on the recreational sector, the inequities in the management system will continue to glare at the commercial sector."Lee Paramore, biologist at the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), discussed the update of the state's Red Drum Fishery Management Plan on Thursday. A new stock assessment will be released later this spring."We're pretty close to our target for recovery of the fishery, either at it or just below it," the scientist told the commission.

Louis Daniel, director of DMF, cautioned that fishing restrictions would not be relaxed immediately."We need to reach the goal and then hold steady for a number of years," he explained.It is illegal for fishermen to possess red drum smaller than 18 inches in length or larger than 27 inches. Recreational fishermen can keep one drum per day. Commercial fishermen are allowed to keep up to seven fish per day while fishing for other species. Commercial landings in North Carolina cannot exceed 250,000 pounds.

Annette Hargett, director of the Eastern Office of the Office of the Governor, attended the MFC meeting. Hargett said the meeting provided an opportunity to meet Daniel, who became DMF director in February, and to hear the concerns of the public. "My first impression is that we have issues that we certainly need to look into," said Hargett after the portion of the meeting designated for public comment.


The Outer Banks Sentinel