The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1959-03-06
POOR LEGISLATION
WOULD CRIPPLE
+ FISHING INDUSTRY,
Association President Roy Watson
Says Bills Pending Would
Be Its Finish

Hobucken.-The 15 million dol
lar commercial fishing industry for
North Carolina may well be DOOM
ed to extinction if the conserva.
ton methods it has obtained in
the past two years are wiped, out
by the bill proposed by Senator
Cicero Vow of New Hanover COun-
ty and Senator S. Bum Frink of
Brunswick County, according to
President Roy L. Watson of the
North Carolina Fisheries Associa-
| ton.
The bill would open North Car
DINA coastal waters to the taking
of shrimp, oysters, and clans any
time during the year by an indi-
vidual for his own use. The
shrimping grounds are now closed
from 8 am. on Saturday until IL
midnight as clay" period for the
shrimping population during sea-
son. The taking of oysters is pro-
hibited how by anyone without liz
cense during the season and by
anyone during the off season.
Watson explained that the re-
striction on the time of shrimping
during season was imposed upon
the commercial fishing industry by
the industry itself and for no 9TH
er reason. The decline in shrimp
ing population in the past season
lessened the catch from 1857 by
68.4fo which constituted major
money loss to the industry, since
the shrimping phase is the most
profitable one of the whole opera
ton.
Watson pointed out that it was
the opinion of many in the shrimp
ing industry that the closing of
the shrimping week during season
should have begun at IL noon on
Friday rather than at 8 am. on
Saturday. Circumstances of the
1868 season, he pointed out, indi-
Gated that the Friday closing
would have been in order.
The regulation on the taking Of
oysters, Watson said, was to pre-
vent the widespread bootlegging
of oysters by week end oystermen
employed on the various military
bases in North Carolina. This boot
Logging was done, and the oyster
shucked in the home kitchen with
out any health regulation. The eff
fort to stop the threat to the
public health by this fruit jar ped
ding, he said, was major part
of the effort to restrict the taking
of oysters by the individuals on
the week ends.
At the same time he pointed
out that the decline in the oyster
population has been a continuing
one in recent years, and that only
recently had regulations been eff
fected to restrict large areas of
the oyster grounds of the state
to hand longing only, in order
that the oyster population of the
State might make a comeback.
There was a decline of 1870 in
total volume of oyster meats TAX
en- from North Carolina waters in
1858 from 1857.
Watson stressed that the COM
mercial fishing industry had no OBJ
lection to anyone taking oysters
or shrimp during proper conserva-
ton season. He insisted that the
proper administration of an in
dustry such as commercial fishing
could not depend upon the whim
of any individual employed else
where for their livelihood.
He said he knew of no case, as
was pointed out in previous hear
ings on the bill, where person
was employed at such sub-stand-
ard wages that they were forced
to seek food from the public wat
ers in order to exist, particularly
when pleasure boating equipment
and motors at an average unit cost
of $1,000 is required.
Watson said, 81 hope the con-
servation and development COM
mittee of the State Senate in its
wisdom will not see fit to destroy
the conservation gains we have
made in the fishing industry,
which has for so many years been
target of political expediency."