Commission chairman dissolves advisory committee against its wishes

Commmittee will no longer review CRFL grant requests

Rob Bizzell, chairman of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission, recently dissolved a long-standing advisory committee because he said the group wasn’t doing its assigned jobs, a decision that caused concern among recreational anglers and surprised other commissioners.

The conflict surfaced May 29 at a public hearing at Morehead City’s Crystal Coast Convention Center. Ron McPherson, a member of the Coastal Recreational Fishing License Advisory Committee, asked permission for his CRFL advisory committee to review and comment on the fish and habitat grant requests, as the committee did last year for “people” grant requests.

Bizzell then announced he was dissolving the committee.

“The meeting started (and) everything seemed to be OK until the chairman came to our request on the agenda, and he dissolved our committee. The commissioners around the table were shocked. (Bizzell) gave no reason,” McPherson wrote in an email.

“At the break, I spoke to the chairman, and he said he did it to save money, and he didn’t like committees asking to do things beyond their assignments,” wrote McPherson, whose email also said his proposal was supported by at least four other commissioners.

“That means there aren’t any recreational fisherman reviewing the grant requests that will be spending the money our licenses generate. This is not right.”

Contacted June 7, Bizzell said the CRFL advisory committee was formed by then-MFC chairman Mac Currin when the Coastal Recreational Fishing License was created. Bizzell said at the time the CRFL advisory group was a good idea.

“But over the years, the committee lost its purpose and mission,” Bizzell said. “(The MFC) would need input on certain things, but their response was, ‘We want to do this or that.’ They were basically telling us what they would give us and not serving the needed purpose we had for them. They were trying to construct or define their own purpose, and it created a heckuva lot of frustration for staff. Now we also will save some money from the staff time spent. (The committee) was really causing more difficulty than any benefit given.”

However, commissioner Joe Shute of Atlantic Beach said he wasn’t aware of any problem that problem existed with the CRFL Advisory Committee.

“I knew nothing about it until it happened,” said Shute, a fishing guide and owner of a fly-fishing shop. “But I’ve always liked input from wherever it’s come from. I’ve been on a bunch of committees.

“I don’t think a whole lot of (commissioners) were expecting (Bizzell’s decision). But I don’t know what was behind it; I didn’t have anything to do with it.”

On June 3, five days after Bizzell’s decision, the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries released a news bulletin advising that it is accepting applications for proposals for the 2013-14 funding cycle for the N.C. Marine Resources Fund.

“The fund, which receives proceeds from the sale of Coastal Recreational Fishing Licenses, provides grants for projects that help manage, protect, restore, develop, cultivate and enhance the state’s marine resources,” the news release said.

McPherson pointed out that recreational anglers, through license fees, support the N.C. Marine Resources Fund, and that input and oversight by recreational anglers has been reduced.

“I see this as a way to keep recreational fishermen less informed on how their fishing license money is spent,” he wrote. “The AC used to view all grant requests. Last year (the MFC) asked us to only look at ‘people’ requests and did not have us go over the ‘fish’ or ‘habitat’ requests. Our AC asked why we could only view the ‘people’ requests at just about every meeting. We never got an answer. So now there will be no prying eyes or voice of recreational fishermen to have a say in how fishing license money is spent.”

The Republican state senate’s proposed budget also would reduce sportsmen’s input and review of funding projects. It doesn’t allow the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission to have an equal role with the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission in determining how Marine Resources Funds will be spent. It puts expenditure of funds totally in the hands of the MFC, while the NCWRC has an advisory role.

Bizzell also hinted that CRFL advisory committee members aren’t qualified to comment on fish and habitat funding requests.

“They are really scientific areas, and most people don’t have the tools in their toolbox to properly comment,” Bizzell said.