EDITORIAL: Commercial fishing avoids being gaffed one more time
In August of 2020, almost three years before the date of the circuit court decision, a citizen’s lawsuit was filed against local shrimp trawl operators who regularly trawl for shrimp in Pamlico Sound. The plaintiffs argued that shrimp trawlers are violating the Clean Water Act by engaging in two type of unpermitted activity, “throwing bycatch (untargeted fish) overboard and disturbing sediment with their trawl net.” Named as defendants were local trawl owners who fortunately, with the help of outside support, were able to withstand the cost and time to defend themselves and by extension, the commercial fishing industry, during the three-year path of the lawsuit. >click to read< 08:15
It is sad that a small, elite group of recreational interests are so determined to rid the coast of commercial fishing that they are willing to put at risk the very activity they seek to protect – recreational fishing – as Judge Richardson noted in his conclusion.
People have to wake up to the fact that commercial fishermen are the only access to the resources and bounty that our nation provides.
While those with enough time and money are able to access these resources with their very expensive toys, the majority of the people in this country cannot. Fishermen are the only conduit to this wonderful treasure and pure protein the good lord has blessed this nation with!