SOUTHEAST N.C. — State legislators are working to protect several species of fish including flounder, spot, and kingfishes through new requirements on minimum sizes of fish people can take from waterways — but some local anglers aren’t excited, saying they’re being punished for the state’s management of fishing stock.
House Bill 438, which has the short title as the ‘Let Them Spawn Bill’ was first submitted in March of this year and has seen several variants since then, the, most recent version of the bill coming out June 20.
The goal of the bill is to ensure that the several species of fish listed all have at least a 75% chance to spawn once in their lives.
Size minimums have not yet been established, but according to the bill, it would need to be done by December of this year. If the fisheries director decides that a minimum size limit for particular species is not appropriate, then the director will propose slot limits to protect spawning adults.
“Under current law, the Department of Environmental Quality (Department) and its Division of Marine Fisheries (Division) must prepare proposed Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) for adoption by the Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) for all commercially or recreationally significant species or fisheries that comprise the marine or estuarine resources of the State,” according to the bill summary.
But some local fisherman were less than positive about the changes, with many anglers posting their frustrations online.
One fisherman voiced his disdain with the new rules saying it will punish anglers for the state’s poor management of fisheries.
“So if you like fishing with finger mullet (alive or dead), you can forget about doing that anymore. If you like to throw a spot head for trophy red drum., you can forget about it. If you like using live bluefish or menhaden to catch Kings, you can forget about that, too. This bill gives unelected officials more power to dictate how you go about fishing recreationally. This bill also has the ability to economically decimate small businesses along the coast. North Carolina has done a horrible job managing its fisheries and once again the recreational angler is punished,” Kerry Harris wrote on Facebook.
The bill passed the House of Representatives with 58 votes in favor of the changes and 47 against. It will now need to head to the Senate for approval before becoming law.
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