‘Shrimpgate’ continues to ripple through coastal waters

Coastal community journalists are to be commended for the excellent quality of news media coverage surrounding the recent “Shrimpgate” fiasco at the North Carolina General Assembly in Raleigh that threatened to ban inshore shrimp trawling.

 

The Carteret County News-Times editorialist complimented “the commercial fishing industry, their families and all the communities that rallied to the defense of the shrimp trawlers.” They “are to be commended for their investment of time and energy to assure their voices and concerns were heard.”

 

Leadership within the state House of Representatives chose not to take up the proposed anti-trawling amendments that came from the Senate, assuring a “temporary victory” for the shrimpers. But, as the News-Times editorial on June 29 pointed out: “The fight for the survival of the North Carolina commercial fishing industry is not over – it has just begun.”

Lockwood Phillips, publisher of the News-Times

What got everyone so worked up was the revelation of a “cleverly designed, nefarious power play” that “mystically and magically” occurred within two Senate committees. “Presto chango.” Two noncontroversial House bills were “completely altered” under the cloak of darkness, according to political watchdog Bill Hitchcock of Morehead City, owner of a television production company.

 

Jennifer Allen of the North Carolina Coastal Federation reported that Sen. Bobby Hanig, R-Powells Point, was a “fly in the ointment.” He questioned the urgency of the anti-trawling amendments and rationale.

 

“Why all of a sudden and at the 23rd hour?” Sen. Hanig asked. “What data was used to support the amendments to put the men and women who work in our fishing industry out of jobs and completely shut down an entire industry?”

All this “reeks of the same old sleazy, backroom politics and special interests that has caused North Carolina endless fish wars,” he continued. It’s “disgraceful…to the citizens of North Carolina. This is nothing short of special-interest and backroom deals.”

Joy Crist, editor of the Island Free Press, based in Hatteras: commented that the anti-trawling “changes inserted without warning or consultation…ignited a backlash from across the political spectrum, with bipartisan legislators, fishing advocates and marine scientists accusing the state Senate of underhanded political maneuvering.”

Going forward, emerging as a potential kingpin to champion commercial fishing interests is Robert L. “Bob” Woodard Sr., chair of the Dare County Board of Commissioners.

 

His letter dated June 30 to Sen. Phil Berger, R-Eden, Senate President Pro Tempore, effectively drew a line in the sand. The document was reprinted in the Island Free Press.

 

“From one Republican to another, I’m writing to express my deep concern and disappointment over the (anti-trawling) amendments….”

“The last-minute deal pushed through the Senate – with no opportunity for those affected to speak or defend their livelihoods – was unacceptable,” Woodard wrote. “Our democratic system…was designed to ensure that every voice in leadership could be heard – whether in support or opposition. At its core, our Constitution is built on mutual respect and, most importantly, due process.”

“I respect your position in favor of the ban, and your stated concerns about bycatch in shrimp nets. However, it’s important to note that regulations are already in place that significantly reduce bycatch.”

“I would hope you also respect my position, which is to support the continuation of responsible shrimp trawling in our inland waters.”

 

Sen. Berger was questioned about the anti-trawling amendments by members of the news media at the Legislative Building in Raleigh.

“I mean no disrespect, but it’s undeniable that…the Senate bypassed due process….This is not how a healthy democracy functions.”

“I understand you intend to revisit this issue and pursue a ban on shrimp trawling in the future. I respectfully ask that you do so with transparency, fairness and a willingness to hear all voices – especially those directly impacted,” Woodard concluded.

Touché.

Shrimpers ‘have the cards’ to go on the offensive

Strike while the iron is hot. That’s good advice to be heeded by the coastal commercial fishing crowd – especially the shrimpers among us.

The image of the North Carolina Senate has been tarnished by the recent “Shrimpgate” shenanigans that threatened to enact an inshore trawling ban that would imperil the state’s shrimping industry.

Much has been written about the shifty and shady backroom politics undertaken within the Senate in June to try to slip in anti-trawling legislative amendments when they thought no one was paying attention. Fortunately, Sen. Bobby Hanig  was. And he sounded the alarm that triggered a public outcry.

 

Members of the state House wisely opted to distance themselves and let the Senate’s proposed amendments rot on the vine.

Now is the time for shrimpers to develop, implement and communicate a rock-solid, strategic action plan, capitalizing on the blunders made by the “whomevers who were responsible” for the Senate’s misguided political power play.

One easy target is “30-something” Sen. David Craven Jr., R-Asheboro, who represents Anson, Montgomery, Randolph, Richmond and Union counties. 

He’s the guy who set off the fireworks, introducing the anti-trawling language amendments to H.B. 442, during a June 17 meeting of the Senate’s Agriculture, Energy and Environment Committee.

News reporters said Sen. Craven wanted to put North Carolina “on par with regulations in force in Virginia and South Carolina,” and protect the lives of other species of fish that get caught in the shrimp nets.

“This has been an issue for quite some time, and I think it’s time this body (the state Senate) addressed it,” Sen. Craven was quoted as saying.

He commented that there was no intent to put anybody out of business. Shrimp trawlers would just have to adjust, he said. “I believe these fine folks can trawl a half-mile off the coast of North Carolina and continue to shrimp.” 

Sen. Craven added that the state intended to compensate the shrimpers “during that time to make sure that we get these folks transitioned.”

 

One commercial fisherman remarked: “It’s telling that the amendments were introduced by a lawmaker representing inland counties – far from the docks, nets and families who would bear the brunt of this decision.”

Brianna Kraemer and Katherine Zehnder, reporters from the Carolina Journal, a non-partisan publication of the John Locke Foundation in Raleigh, interviewed Thomas Newman, a commercial fisherman in Hyde County.

He said the shrimp trawl ban would be “a devastating blow” to counties like Beaufort, Carteret, Dare, Hyde and Pamlico, “where 75% of the state’s shrimp are harvested inshore. Shrimping is the lifeblood” of these counties.

Furthermore, Newman said: “As many as 75% of the boats that harvest shrimp are 50-feet long or less, and “they cannot safely work ocean waters.”

John Mallette, owner of Southern Breeze Seafood in Jacksonville, noted that North Carolina’s rocky offshore bottoms make trawling half a mile offshore impractical and damaging to their nets. “If we go over a half-mile, we’ll destroy all of our nets,” he said.

 

Rep. Keith Kidwell, R-Chocowinity, who represents Beaufort, Dare, Hyde and Pamlico counties, told Sam Walker of the Island Free Press: “Our shrimpers don’t want a payout – they want a paycheck. These are hardworking men and women who have built their lives around this industry.”

 

Earl Pugh, former chair of the Hyde County Board of Commissioners, said seafood is one of three major industries in Hyde County, along with agriculture and tourism, and a ban on trawling in inshore waters would be crushing, “taking away income that fishermen, fish houses and other locals rely on.”