. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. Casting for political clout It used to be that a fishing club was a social club. Members gathered to talk tackle, rods and reels and to swap tall tales of fish caught — or almost caught. Today's recreational fisherman is a different breed. He's more likely to talk of coastal habitat, nursery areas, and access to salt water. He wants tighter regulations on some species. He wants a bigger say in policymaking decisions. In the political arena, anglers are demanding attention. Little wonder folks are beginning
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. Casting for political clout It used to be that a fishing club was a social club. Members gathered to talk tackle, rods and reels and to swap tall tales of fish caught — or almost caught. Today's recreational fisherman is a different breed. He's more likely to talk of coastal habitat, nursery areas, and access to salt water. He wants tighter regulations on some species. He wants a bigger say in policymaking decisions. In the political arena, anglers are demanding attention. Little wonder folks are beginning to listen. Estimates of the number of saltwater sport fisher- men in the state range from 350,000 to 800,000. Whichever figure you choose, the numbers add up to clout. (See story, p. 2 for the economic value of the sportfishing industry.) To add strength to their numbers, sport fishermen are banding together. They've found that even though they're a diverse lot, they have com- mon causes. In 1983, with the help of Sea Grant marine recreation specialist Leon Abbas, the Saltwater Fishing Federation formed. Comprised of club and individual memberships totaling over 1,400 anglers, the federation is "a voice for the recreational fisherman in North Carolina," says Bob Stryker, federation president. Through the federation, recreational fishermen are raising a unified voice. Frequently anglers' interests are at odds with those of commercial fisher- men. Often they fish for the same species, but their motivations differ. Anglers claim commercial fishermen are overfishing stocks. The latter protest they are only earning a living, that recreational fishermen fish for sport instead of income. Recreational fishermen claim the com- mercial fishermen have had the advan- tage of representation on policymaking boards such as the Marine Fisheries Commission. People like Stryker would like to see more of their own on the commission, representing. the recreational interests.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionunclibra, booksubjectoceanography
