Candidates Discuss The Rights of NC Fishing Families

With the North Carolina general election close at hand (Nov. 7), we took the opportunity to ask the candidates a question: 

HOW WOULD YOU BALANCE THE PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA'S NATURAL RESOURCES WITH THE RIGHTS OF THIS STATE'S WORKING FAMILIES WHO MAKE THEIR LIVING ON THE WATER? 

We called, faxed and Emailed all candidates. What follows are the responses we've received.

We thank those that were able to take time to respond and urge each and every one of you to get out and vote.

David Redwine,
Democratic Candidate for NC House, District 14

Note from Jerry Schill:  David responded in time to be included in the October issue of Tradewinds; however, due to my error his response failed to be included.  My apologies for the oversight.  Here’s his response:

I have always believed in the commercial fishermen of our state, and the proud tradition that they are part of. I believe we must protect that tradition so that commercial fishing families can continue to enhance their living standards.  The Fisheries Reform Act that was passed in 1997 has great possibilities for our fishing industry. Through the Fishery Management Plans, I believe we will see an increase in the fisheries that are in trouble, which will, in the long run, mean greater profits for commercial fishing families.

We also need to make sure our regulations are fair and understandable for everyone. Commercial fishing interests should not bear all the burden that comes with new regulations.

We must also protect our coastal habitat.  Through the new Coastal Habitat Protection Plans, I hope we will se better water quality and better cooperation between the agencies that regulate our coastal water quality.

Because of various factors, I do expect to see someone introduce a net ban bill in the next General Assembly.  I have never supported a net ban and I will not in the future.  All fishing interests should work together to enhance our fishery resources.

Richard Vinroot, 
Republican Candidate for Governor

My position on fisheries, management, like my environmental position in general, will be based on science, not politics. As governor, I will work with our scientists and our fishermen to develop sound management that protects our resources while being fair with the men and women who make their living in the fishing industry. I do not have all the answers. But I will work with qualified people to find them.

Mike Easley,
Democratic Candidate for Governor

During my many years as a prosecutor and District Attorney, I lived in Brunswick County, just off North Carolina's coast. I have deep respect for the thousands of working families who make their living on the water, and I have enjoyed longstanding friendships with many commercial fishermen and dealers. Fisheries is a proud, demanding, and sometimes dangerous, industry. It is also vital to the economy of the coast and, indeed, the state's. 

My campaign is dedicated to working families. As Governor, I will make the restoration and conservation of our coastal resources a top priority. These resources are critical to the livelihood and quality of life of so many hardworking North Carolinians. I look forward to working with the North Carolina Fisheries Association on quota, safety, and other seafood and aquaculture issues. In addition, we must continue to assess and address the impacts of Hurricane Floyd and other storms on our commercial fishermen and dealers. Above all, we must promote natural resource preservation and conservation while allowing the fisheries industry to sustain itself now and in the future. I deeply believe that the two concepts are complementary, not competing, and will work to balance environmental and economic concerns as Governor. 

Senator Betsy Cochrane, 
Republican Candidate for Lieutenant Governor

Having recently received the endorsement of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) in this campaign for Lt. Gov. I believe I have demonstrated an understanding of the need to earn a living.  I also recognize the desire of people to have choices in what they eat.  I would encourage the protection of our environment however, so that future generations will have an edible and renewable resource to provide a livelihood for future generations who choose to live of the bounty of the sea.

Senator Beverly Perdue,
Democratic Candidate for Lieutenant Governor

As a 14-year veteran of the North Carolina General Assembly who represents Craven, Carteret, and Pamlico counties, I have a strong legislative record for balancing the protection and enhancement of our state’s natural resources with our working families’ right to make their livings on the water.

In 1997, I was instrumental to the passage of the Fisheries Reform Act.  This legislation requires that all stakeholders—commercial and recreational fishermen, scientists, and environmentalists—are represented on every committee of the Marine Fisheries Commission. 

As Lieutenant Governor, I will continue my work to ensure that all interests are represented equally in the decision making process to best serve the needs of our marine resources and those who make their livings from the water.

Walter B. Jones,
Republican Candidate for US House, District 3

As you know, the 3^rd District of North Carolina is home to thousands of folks who rely on the recreational and commercial fishing industry to earn a living. These Americans encounter hardship every day while performing their jobs, from confining quotas to seasonal limitations. I understand the impact it has on our coastal economy.

Estuaries play a huge role in protecting wildlife and our food sources. 75% of fish and shellfish caught in the United States by commercial fishing operations depend on these vital estuaries. Congress has a duty to provide sustainability for America's $150 billion commercial and recreational fishing industries. Yet, North Carolina fishermen continue to be hindered by the quota and geographical restrictions.

Open-ended quotas are not the answer. Since quotas can be bought and sold to the highest bidder, local fishermen, who cannot compete with large corporations, quickly find themselves on the outside looking in. Families who rely upon fish stocks to make their living are then forced to abandon their communities and their heritage.

Disaster assistance, bailouts and buyouts are only short-term solutions. Productive estuaries and other fisheries are the answer for North Carolina's coastal families. Congress needs to increase emphasis on promoting ecosystem health and long-term resource productivity.

The National Marine Fisheries Service and other heavy-handed regulators would rather filet and grill North Carolina's fishing families than offer opportunities for regional councils to develop fishery management plans. Our oceans belong to all Americans but for those of us fortunate enough to make our living in coastal communities, we bear a greater responsibility for safeguarding this heritage. All we ask for is the opportunity to do so.

Ron Toppin,
Republican Candidate for NC Senate, District 1

I have been very concerned about commercial fishing interests in North Carolina for some time. I feel, in my heart, that the same attitudes that have driven tobacco basically "out of business" is at work against the commercial fishing industry in North Carolina. I think that we should look very carefully and very seriously at all current programs that protect and enhance our natural resources. I further believe that we should be prepared to provide adequate funding to insure the success of these programs that protect and enhance our natural resources. I have observed "first hand," I must add, that many times "environmentalists" and liberal newspapers and other media think that commercial fishing interests are the "villain" and try to create and implement unnecessary regulations that have no factual basis. What these so called "environmentalists" have accomplished is that commercial fishermen have a more difficult time making a living and providing for their families. When I am elected to the State Senate from District 1, I want to "fight" for commercial fishing interests and help change attitudes in the senate that think commercial fishing interests and fishermen are the enemies and that they catch everything in sight. This attitude is clearly wrong. Commercial fishing interests are concerned about maintaining their business for future growth. Commercial fishermen know best how to conserve, protect and propagate their future harvests. I make this promise to you; I will fight to insure that the lives of the families who make a living on the water will not have to follow a path of destruction that will end their future as fishermen. We must preserve and protect commercial fishing interests in North Carolina and work to insure that their future is safe.

Scott Thomas,
Democratic Candidate for NC Senate, District 3

As a state Representative, I have worked closely on a number of fisheries issues. I believe that our fisheries resources must be protected and enhanced for the benefit of everyone. 

First, we must continue to protect our water quality by enforcing environmental regulations. Polluters should be punished and forced to pay for damages to our environment. 

Second, we should be sure that the Marine Fisheries Commission is balanced and adequately reflects objective viewpoints. Decisions made by the commission and legislature should be based on facts and solid research. 

Third, all citizens who fish and enjoy seafood should support the common goal of adequate funding for fisheries resource development. 

As a state Senator, I will continue to actively seek input and advice from all interested parties. I will work with those people to develop a consensus that will be balanced and reasonable. Most of all, my door will always be open and I will be available to listen to your concerns and advice.

David G. Hipps,
Republican Candidate for NC Senate, District 3

I believe that protecting our natural resources [water quality] and helping the working families that make their living through commercial fishing are one in the same. Environmental issue4s are critical and we need a common sense approach to protect our rivers and sounds. I support strict enforcement o pollution laws on all sources of upstream pollution of the Neuse River, Pamlico & Core sound. Specifically, waste treatment plants that continually violate pollution laws should be forced to upgrade their equipment and operating procedures. I support accelerated implementation of alternative forms of waste management for our hog farms with the ultimate elimination of all open air hog waste lagoons. Also, reasonable greenways, buffers and setbacks from waterways to reduce run-off and pollution of streams, rivers and sounds are a good idea. Improvement of water quality will certainly benefit our commercial fishing families.

I have spent a great deal of time talking to people connected with the fishing industry. Most recently, I met with fishermen on Harkers Island and also attended meetings in Pamlico Country where I listened to the concerns of fishermen and their families. I vividly remember the lady in Pamlico County who broke into tears as she described how her husband, a fourth generation fisherman, could no longer make a living in the job that he loved. They expressed legitimate concerns about the ever-changing rules that make it increasingly difficult to continue their profession. I believe that a proper balance can be struck between the commercial fishermen, state and federal government regulatory bodies and other organizations that utilize this precious resource. It will take a state Senator who is not afraid to be vocal for our commercial fishermen and if I am fortunate to be elected then I will be that voice.

Thomas R. Mattison,
Republican Candidate for NC Senate, District 7

I had a Commercial fishing license until the early 1990's, I am on the Email list of Philip Kent Jr., and I receive Nance Fish's MFC updates. I am also a member of North Carolina Shellfish Growers Association, with Jim Swartzenberg as President.  The Commercial Fishing industry is the most dangerous, the most regulated, and the most volatile industry in the world.  I will do all that I can to help inform, educate and remove as much as possible the political sting out of the fishery management system.  I teach safe boating with the Coast Guard Auxiliary. If we do not stop the pollution from all sources in eastern North Carolina we may not have a Fisheries to be worried about.  As you know my name is on the lawsuit filed in North Carolina, by Bobby Kennedy, Jr. and the three coastal RIVER KEEPERS over the issue of disposal of hog waste by Smithfield's North Carolina hog production subsidiaries. 

Jean R. Preston,
Republican Candidate for NC House, District 4

Since 1993, the first year I began serving in the State Legislature, I have supported the commercial fishermen, the working families who make their living on the water.

I know that your Executive Director, all the Board Members of NCFA and its membership are completely dedicated to the protection and conservation of the fisheries resources.

The Fisheries Reform Act of 1997, which I sponsored, will protect and enhance our fisheries and natural resources as well as protect the rights of working families who make their living on the water.  I will continue to protect the provision allowing advisory committees made up of the fishermen to make recommendations regarding fishery management plans and habitat protection plans to the Marine Fisheries Commission.  IT IS CRUCIAL THAT FISHERMEN, BASED ON EXPERIENCE, BE ALLOWED TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION IN DEVELOPING THESE PLANS.

Bill Caster,
Republican Candidate for NC House, District 14

As a retired Coast Guard officer of twenty-seven-years, I am well aware of the dangerous and difficult working conditions that commercial fishermen face each day at sea.  As a small business owner, I also realize the difficulties that all face in running their small businesses.  As a State Representative, one of my goals is to do all that is possible to protect small businesses from being over regulated by the State government.  I realize that commercial fishermen have a strong tradition in North Carolina of caring for the environment; after all, their living depends on well managed fish stocks that will sustain the needs of their consumers.  The economy of Eastern NC has seen a decrease in manufacturing and farming jobs. We need not see that happen to the commercial fishing industry too. Since I have a masters degree in oceanography, I will take a great interest in any depletion of fishing stocks, looking for the potential causes, whether that be over fishing or pollution by municipalities, agriculture, etc.  This is a complex subject and needs rational analysis, not ranting without scientific data!

Robert Quinn,
Republican Candidate for NC House, District 14

As an individual that has attended numerous hearings on coastal fisheries I have developed a sense that the pollution that has reduced our fisheries has been explained away by numerous government officials as "the result of over fishing." Nothing could be further from the truth. The pollution has destroyed our shellfish beds and primary finfish nurseries reducing the harvest available.

I feel that activities of recreational fishermen, those that in fact are unlicensed commercial fishermen, have created an unfair competition with our fishermen. I feel regulations that allow recreational fishermen to utilize commercial fishing equipment actually makes them commercial fishermen without the restraints and reporting requirements of the commercial fisherman.

Edwin W. Congleton,
Republican Candidate for NC House, District 6

I believe we need to look very seriously at useful and performing programs and enhance our natural resources and provide a significant amount of funding. I have seen too many times "environmentalists" and liberal news media think the "sky is falling" and try to create and implement unnecessary regulations that have no factual or "common sense" basis. All this does is make it harder and harder for commercial fishermen to make a family happy by making a reasonable living. When I am elected as a legislator, I want to change the attitudes of those in Raleigh that think commercial fishermen just "catch everything in sight." Why would the commercial fisherman do this? This practice would eventually cause them to go out of business. They know best how to conserve, protect and propagate their future harvests.

Leigh McNairy
Democratic Candidate for US House, District 3

Eastern North Carolina has been blessed with good earth for farming, beautiful beaches, and rich fishing grounds off our coast. I believe we must be good stewards of the environment so that our children's children may enjoy the legacy of our bounty.

As good stewards we must be wise in the use and management of these precious resources, ever mindful that many people depend on coastal waters to feed their families and indeed, the nation. As such, we must balance the needs of responsible use with the needs of the environment. Make no mistake; the needs of the people must come first. Our resources are too important to our local economy to consider otherwise.

That is why, after much consideration, I must wholeheartedly support the Jetties Project at Oregon Inlet. Mr. Bob Peele of the Governors office has assured me, and I am convinced that the Army Corps of Engineers has taken every precaution to minimize the environmental impact.

Our fishermen have been overburdened with restrictive and contradictory environmental regulation. The job of the congressional representative is to serve as a liaison between the people of the district and the agencies tasked to serve them. We need an aggressive congresswoman who will listen to the people she represents and who will cut through the red tape in Washington.

Jonathan Robinson,
Republican Candidate for NC House, District 4

I’ve been a commercial fisherman all my life.  As a Carteret County Commissioner, and a former member of the N.C. House of Representatives, I’m fully aware of the challenges that face those of us who make our living on the water.  Many of the problems are real.  However, much of our time is spent on fisheries issues based on false perception or misinformation. 

It’s important that a working commercial fisherman serve in our state legislature.  In North Carolina we have a part time legislature that enables our elected officials to have the benefit of debate from all kinds of perspectives.  I’m a member and supporter of the Carteret County Fisherman’s Association and the North Carolina Fisheries Association and appreciate the work that these groups do. Having a commercial fisherman serve in the N.C. House would enable these groups do a better job, be a benefit to the fishing community, and offer a much needed perspective to the General Assembly.

I was able to help protect the rights of our state’s working families who make their living on the water when I served previously in the House, and ask for the privilege of doing so again.

Ronnie Smith,
Democratic Candidate for NC House, District 4

I have been in or around the commercial fishing business all of my life, and know very well about the good times and the bad times. Since serving in the North Carolina House, I know how important it is to use my experience when discussing legislation that may harm our commercial fishing families. The majority of our legislators are not from coastal areas and know very little about a commercial fishermen's way of life, but I make sure they know what effects any proposed legislation may mean to our coastal areas. 

When fishing issues come before us, I look for the opinions of those who could be affected, and I work closely with the North Carolina Fisheries Association to find out how anything we do in the General Assembly will help or hurt our fishermen and their communities.

Dewey Hill,
Democratic Candidate for NC House, District 14

I realize that we must protect our North Carolina natural resources and also help our commercial fishermen. We cannot let recreational fishermen threaten the livelihood of our State's working families.

Zeno L. Edwards,
Democratic Candidate for NC House, District 2

I plan to balance the protection and enhancement of North Carolina's natural resources with the rights of this state's working families who make their lives on the water  by what Jerry Schill tells me.

William Wainright,
Democratic Candidate for NC House, District 79

In 1997, the North Carolina General Assembly enacted the Fisheries Reform Act. The centerpiece of this legislation is the Fishery Management Plan process. The Fishery Management Plan process requires the Marine Fisheries Commission to develop Fishery Management Plans with the assistance of numerous stakeholder advisory committees. This process allows individuals who engage in commercial fishing to participate directly in the development of the plans that will govern commercial fishing in North Carolina. 

The North Carolina General Assembly also balances the protection and enhancement of the State's fishery resources with commercial fishing interests through the oversight functions of the Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood & Aquaculture, (JLCS&A). The JLCS&A exercises its oversight by receiving regular reports on the activities of the Marine Fisheries Commission, especially those activities that relate to the development of Fishery Management Plans. In the past, the JLCS&A has successfully encouraged the Marine Fisheries Commission to more fully consider the recommendations of its stakeholder advisory committees. (Note: Rep. Wainright serves as the Co-Chairman of the Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood & Aquaculture.) 

Louise McColl
Democratic Candidate for NC Senate, District 4

I grew up in a family where my grandfather was a commercial fisherman.  Going fishing every morning and then going to a shrimp house located on Market Street in Wilmington and watching him cook shrimp and fish and selling them to the various fish markets. Born in Folkstone, North Carolina I look back today and admire my grandfather and his love for the water.

Patrick Ballantine,
Republican Candidate for NC Senate, District 4

Having grown up near Hewlett's Creek, in New Hanover County, I care deeply about our natural resources. I used to drag a net in "my back yard" and catch shrimp. I know how important the seafood industry is, not only to the commercial fisherman and their families, but to all of North Carolina. I understand the slogan, "no nets, no seafood". I want to work with all stakeholders to make sure all of the fish stocks are as plentiful as possible. I don't believe that pointing the finger of blame at the commercial fisherman is helpful to solving any of our problems. I have not been supportive of a recreational salt water fishing license in the past because no one has shown me how that will replenish the resource. This is too important of an issue to be politicized. I can work with both parties to finally have a long term plan that will allow the commercial fisherman to maintain their livelihood, and protect the resource at the same.

Alice Graham Underhill,
Democratic Candidate for NC House, District 3

I believe the commercial fishing industry is compatible with a healthy environment and the long-term proper utilization of our state's natural resources. The social heritage of much of North Carolina is based on the traditions and independence exemplified by our fishermen.

The world is changing rapidly. Our population is growing and development is occurring on a daily basis. Access to resources is desired by all sectors of our society. The wild harvest of fish and shellfish has been a major portion of our economy for hundreds of years. I see no need for additional restrictions. I do see the need to insure that the commercial fishing industry remains intimately involved in the policy and regulatory bodies which determine the future utilization of the coastal resources.

I support the continuation of a strong commercial presence, while working to enhance the availability of fish, shellfish and water access to all our citizens and their interests.

Cheryl Byrd,
Republican Candidate for NC House, District 86
Commercial fishing is and always has been a very important part of our heritage and economy in Eastern North Carolina.  At the same time, the growth of tourism and recreational fishing have focused more attention on the quality of our estuarine waters and the quantity and health of our fish stocks.  The quick response to these issues has been to impose more and more regulations and restrictions without adequate or accurate scientific assessments of either estuarine water quality or fish stocks.  Poor science has lead to regulations that undermine the ability of working families of commercial fishermen to make a living.  The disputes between commercial and recreational fishermen haven't helped.  Regulations that apply to commercial fishermen today, can just as easily be applied to recreational fishermen tomorrow.  We clearly need better data and analysis of water quality and its impact on fish stocks.  Those who are polluting our waters need to be held accountable.  We also need a cooperative effort of commercial and recreational fishing interests with State and Federal regulators to agree on how to measure fish stocks and their health.  This one area has been the underlying source of disputes that prevent us from agreeing on reasonable measures to protect the health of our fisheries while enabling commercial fishermen to make a living.  I am a firm believer that when an industry is regulated by government, it must be a participant in the process of rule making and must be convinced that the rules are necessary.  This is how we can achieve balance between opposing interests.  

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