November 2011 Newsletter


Letter from the NCWU President


Ladies and Gentlemen of the NCWU,

Bruised and battered, but still standing! We have come out of a summer that seemed to take a while to get started, but we all finally hit a groove. Our commercial fishermen also started catching fish and making some money. The charter/headboat fishing, although not as robust as years past, filled in some gaps and surprised us. The recreational fishing was good, but it took a little change of target. We had a couple of winters of very cold temperatures, and we  lost a good amount of our larger speckled trout. The good news is that there has been a hyper-spawn, which always seems to follow a cold event, and we are seeing a huge crop of juvenile specks.

The big event of the summer was the weather. After a cool start, it was nice for a long time. Needless to say, when Hurricane Irene hit, it got ugly – quick – and has not been straight since. Our brothers and sisters in Hatteras were cut off, and late summer/early fall was a “bust” for most of our fishermen on the lower end of the island. The storm also had a chilling effect on business overall, and we are all praying for a great late fall.

However, there are some positive things to note. Our long-liners are catching some beautiful swordfish and some nice tunas. Swordfish have “officially” been declared recovered, and there are some beautiful fish around. Our guys in the Sound had a great brown shrimp season, but the hurricane shot down green tail fishing. Hard crabs were plentiful again, and that helped. Dolphin fishing and billfishing were both good in the ocean for charter boats, and we have seen a better sign of tuna than we have seen for a couple of years.

And Irene did something that our county, state and feds were not/did not/could not do – it cleaned out Oregon Inlet! It is straight and deep after the hurricane, like it is supposed to be! Every cloud has a silver lining!

With all of these things going on, we are still in a daily battle for your rights, as fishermen – men and women of all stripes – to fish. We struggle every day to maintain your access to fish and for your access to resources that your dollars maintain. Do not delude yourself by thinking that there are not groups that have and will continue to deny your access to our fish and natural resources. We have people from the president on down who do not have a clue what it means to fish for a living, or to fish for fun. Cabinet posts are filled with people from supposed “environmental” groups that have become agencies of “No!” The majority of our fish stocks are recovered or are recovering. Most are not overfished, nor is overfishing occurring, yet our government wants to kill jobs and send our food production overseas. Our government wants to deny American anglers access to our fish stocks.

Catch Shares, Annual Catch Limits, Accountability Measures, Limited Access Privilege programs, Ocean Zoning and Fishing Mortality are phrases thrown around constantly;  it is enough to make you throw your hands in the air and say, “The heck with it!” But giving up is what the Green Machine is banking on from our fishermen. Some have, some will, BUT MOST WON’T. We have won some major victories and we will continue to win. We will have some setbacks, but we have had them before. Our message will overcome, and we will ultimately stand in the winner’s circle. We are not “environmentalists,” “conservationists,” or “preservationists” in today’s context. We are STEWARDS of what God has created for us, and we will continue to fight every day for you – our members. Come join us.

Standin’ By,
Shack
info@doghousesportfishing.com




Magnificent Sail!
Charter Fishing...PHIDEAUX
Capt Jamie Reibel...Wanchese

Learning Early!
Chaerter Fishing...Reel Rebel
Capt. JH Miller...Hertford

Live-Baiting for Kings!
Charter Fishing...Godspeed
Capt David Wilson...Hatteras


      
Opposition to Catch Shares Postcard

Earlier this summer, NCWU issued an Opposition to Catch Shares postcard  to guide people to information about the national policy of Catch Shares established in November 2010 by NOAA and the National Marine Fisheries. (Go to www.NCWU.net; Click on Catch Shares Information.)

It is NOT too late to mail in these cards!

The postcard can be signed with name, address and email by ANYONE from any state who is opposed to the Catch Shares policy. The cards are being collected at Senator Kay Hagan’s satellite office in Greensboro, NC; the Senator is also an opponent of Catch Shares.

The cards have been placed in charter/headboats for boat crews and clients to sign. They are also at fish houses and marinas in Hatteras village and Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, at Pirates Cove Marina in Manteo, at Board Creek Marina in Wanchese and at the Capt Stacy Fishing Center in Atlantic Beach.

Our thanks to the many people who have already sent one in! If you would like a postcard or a “stack” of them for your boat or business, please contact –

melba.ncwu@gmail.com.
Walmart Boycott

Early in the summer, Walmart announced that it had created a parternership with a South African company to import its hake which will create 100 jobs for that country. Walmart could obtain hake from our country’s New England fisheries and save fishermens’ jobs here!
 Walmart also reported that it favors a national policy of Catch Shares. In response to Walmart Stores support of Catch Shares, the NCWU is urging all of its members, friends and families to boycott Walmart Stores. We sent a letter to the Walmart Global Ethics division to inform them, with copies to the Walmart Stores and the Walton Family Foundation.

Last year, the Walton Family Foundation donated $71.8 million to various environmental agencies. To read the entire article about the Walton Family Foundation donations to environmental groups, Go to DanBacher Investigations/Walton Family Foundation Donations to EDF.

We believe the Foundation and Walmart Stores are closely allied, and we find that the Foundations’ donations violate two of the Walmart Stores Ethics. To find Walmart Ethics, Go to ethics.walmartstore.com.

To write, the Walmart Stores Company address is Walmart; 702 SW 8th Street; Bentonville AR 72716. To email the Global Ethics Division, go to www.walmartethics.com; Click Submit Concern.

At the time of this publication, NCWU has not had a response to the letters.
 

     
Great Headboat Fishing
Capt Stacy IV
Capt Maurice Davis...Atlantic Beach
Rebuilding the Cabin and Flybridge
Bluefin
Capt Charles Parker...Hatteras


2011 Membership

Still Time!

Please pay your 2011 Membership  Dues

Every day, the NCWU works to

Protect Your Freedom to Fish!

For more information –
 ncwu_robbi@yahoo.com

Trawlers at Sunset
Photo by Megan Shaw....Swan Quarter