On this episode, we’re talking about the decades-long battle between commercial and recreational fishermen, why they’re fighting, and what they’re fighting about. And, of course, why does it matter?
We’ll start by talking about the difficult science of counting fish. That’s crucial because those numbers — and we should be clear that they are only estimates — impact how the state regulates fisheries.
We’ll also talk about how some fish populations have declined in North Carolina, and the challenges behind managing fisheries — and that includes managing separate rules for commercial versus recreational fishermen, a thorny problem that’s proved difficult to solve. In fact, the inability to find a solution probably led to the removal of at least one state official who oversaw fishery management.
We’ll also address a lawsuit filed by the Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina (and dozens of individual plaintiffs) against North Carolina, alleging that the state has mismanaged the fish as a public resource — something the people have a right to under the state constitution. The civil action compares the state’s management practices unfavorable to other states, and takes a hard look at the potential environmental impacts.
We’ll wrap up by walking through what some fishermen and advocates think should be done to solve these issues — although we’ll be honest, if there were easy fixes here, we wouldn’t be doing a whole episode about it.
You can find Grace Vitaglione's long-form reporting on the issue in this two-part story:
- Fish Wars, Part I: The decades-long battle over North Carolina fisheries
- Fish Wars, Part II: Concerns about, and possible changes to, North Carolina's fishery management practices
Voices
- Matt Littleton — recreational fisherman and guide
- Fred Scharf — Professor, Biology and Marine Biology Department, University of North Carolina Wilmington
- Sammy Corbett — commercial fisherman
- Louis Daniel — former director, Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF)
- Dewey Hemilright — commercial fisherman
- Stephen Poland — Chief of Fisheries Management, DMF
- Rob Bizzell — Chairman, Marine Fisheries Commission
- Mark Fisher — Science Director, Texas Parks and Wildlife
- David Sneed — Executive Director, Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina
- Craig Harms — veterinarian, Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center
- Mel Bell — former director, Fisheries Management, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
