Enviro Group and Lies

October 28, 2003

By Jerry Schill, President of the North Carolina Fisheries

New Bern, NC

http://www.ncfish.org

jerry.schill@ncfish.org or 252-633-2288

I encourage you to read Janna Normans article in this issue called, Glitzy Smokescreens. When I first heard of this Legacy to Conserve Oceans by National Environmental Trust, I contacted them to find out where I could attend the closest presentation. When they offered to give the presentation at our office, I agreed. Due to hurricane Isabel paying our coast a visit, only 4 folks were able to participate when Erika Hartwig stopped by to giver her power point view on the conditions of our fisheries resources and what to do about them. In addition to myself, other attendees were Amy Willis, NCFA staff, Matt Parker of the N.C. Department of Agriculture, and Dr. Louis Daniel of the Division of Marine Fisheries.

As pointed out in Jannas article, it is very troubling to know that this so-called environmental group has been giving a very subjective view to many non profit groups, service clubs, and middle school and high school students and teachers. If you would like an audio cassette tape of the presentation, along with a brief critique by Louis and me, please call the NCFA office. There wont be any charge, but a donation to help with the costs of the cassette and postage would be nice.

SOUTHERN SHRIMP ALLIANCE

On October 10th, NCFA sent out a short form to those shrimpers on our e-mail and fax list to fill out and send to the attorneys in Washington who are handling the SSA petitions against dumped shrimp imports. If you are in the business of catching or packing shrimp and have not received a copy of this form, please call our office. It does not require any monetary commitment, but simply states that you support the effort to fight the flood of dumped frozen/processed shrimp entering the U.S. market and also support the filing of petitions to impose antidumping duties against dumped shrimp imports.

FISHERMEN & SCIENCE

In a recent article that appeared in the November issue of National Fisherman, NMFS head Bill Hogarth was quoted as saying that he wished that I would give his agency more credit. Bill is a friend of mine. He was the Director of the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries when I started with NCFA over 16 years ago, and we worked together and fought each other over a lot of different issues. There are a lot of good people working for the National Marine Fisheries Service, and Bill has made some very impressive attempts at making the agency more responsive.

But just when one gets ready to get warm and fuzzy, which is natural the closer we get to the holiday season, you experience a sickening display that makes you wonder if theyll ever get it.

The Mid Atlantic Council just finished a meeting in Kill Devil Hills, and I attended the dogfish deliberations. Commercial fishermen Jim Lovgren from New Jersey and Jimmy Ruhle from North Carolina did an outstanding job of articulating their personal observations in this fishery. It was impressive, as they walked us through the changes they have witnessed this year in the Atlantic, with Jimmy Ruhle giving a detailed account of his most recent fishing trip that ended less than a week before the meeting. They described the anomalies in the ocean that they have observed this year, and how it contradicts the best available science as NMFS put forth earlier in describing the condition of the dogfish shark resource.

For every dire prediction, the fishermen gave an example of how NMFS assertions just dont add up.

Ruhle capped it all of by showing the Council members REAL dogfish that he caught as bycatch in his recent trip, showing them the size variations. Two recreational anglers who are also Council members, collaborated that information with explanations of what the recreational sector is experiencing.

But none of that seemed to mean anything to the NMFS Regional Administrator or her minions.

She argued vehemently against the proposal put forth by the fishermen, with the Council approving a bycatch fishery that was half of what it should have been.

More important than the draconian measures approved by the Council, was the absolute disdain shown for those who have so much knowledge by working on the water, rather than sitting behind a desk.

In a few years when the managers sit around a desk trying to figure out why good, experienced fishermen fail to apply to serve on the Council or to show up and give their opinions, all they need to look at is the sickening discussions that took place in October of 2003 in Kill Devil Hills.

Sorry Bill. Maybe as it gets closer to Christmas Ill be in more giving mood toward NMFS. At the moment, Ill give credit to the Division of Marine Fisheries and Red Munden for listening closely to the two Jimmys, as well as other fishermen he talked to.

All was not lost, as the Council did approve a 1,500 pound trip limit, which would not have been possible without the excellent arguments put forth by Ruhle, Lovgren, and Munden.

SCIENCE: Knowledge, especially that gained by experience.

Thats one for NMFS to chew on, and heres another:

NMFS CREDIT: That acknowledgement [that is] given once it is earned.

http://www.ncfish.org/oped/oped_article.asp?id=22