The North Carolina Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) is complaining loudly about the decision by the state last week to intentionally go out of compliance with federal mandates to stop the overfishing of weakfish (also known as gray trout).
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has told NC to stop overfishing of weakfish by limiting the recreational catch to 1 fish a day and commercial trip limits to 100 lbs per day. By federal law, NC must enact the requirements of ASMFC Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) or risk federal sanctions against NC fisheries.
At issue is the number of weakfish commercial netters would have to throw back under the new rules. The CCA claims that the Marine Fisheries Committee (MFC) decision is irresponsible and sets up NC for a potential total closure of all fishing for weakfish, while the MFC says that going out of compliance with federal rules is a necessary evil to prevent the waste of a lot of dead discards.
Read the complete story at The Examiner.