Chris Elkins, Ph.D., President of the CCA of NC calls NC marine fisheries advisory committee a sham!
All coastal states in our nation, except North Carolina, have a Joint Enforcement Agreement with the National Marine Fisheries Service because a JEA makes sense: It saves money and aids law enforcement. A special legislatively mandated group called the JEA Advisory Committee has been studying whether North Carolina should enter into a JEA with the National Marine Fisheries Service. A JEA would allow enforcement of federal fisheries rules by N.C. Marine Patrol officers and bring hundreds of thousands of dollars to the patrol. On June 1, the committee, charged with advising the legislature on the JEA, met in New Bern. It has become clear that the committee is indisputably a sham. Read the rest here 19:18
Sham? Perhaps Mr. Elkins should study the history of NOAA / NMFS law enforcement and their dirty dealings with fishermen up and down the coast. And let’s not forget their document shredding party in DC while under an inspector generals investigation. And what came of all of their dirty dealings? Nothing, not one person held accountable. That, Mr. Elkins is the only sham I’ve seen. Kudos to North Carolinians for telling the feds to take a hike. More states should do the same.