Smoking gun: A term that originally referred to an object or fact that serves as conclusive evidence of a crime or similar act. — Wikipedia
In today’s combustible political atmosphere, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) may not ring a bell. He was the Congressman who resigned in 2011 after admitting he sent “sexting” images to women.
The lesson is this: anyone who posts true images or videos on social media may regret it later. Now we have a 2-hour, 32-minute video about commercial fishing that was unveiled Nov. 14 on the “N.C. Fisheries Management and You” Facebook page.
Smoking gun? More like a howitzer.
We understand that someone wanted video shot of a summer action-plan meeting of the N.C. Watermen United group, whose president is reality TV tuna fisherman Britton Shackelford of Wanchese. Somebody copied the video and, voila, it was on YouTube quicker than you could say turtle lawsuit.
In a remarkable performance, Shackelford held serve for most of the session, with some input from Jerry Schill, head of the N.C. Fisheries Association, and Mikey Daniels, of Wanchese, a member of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission.
Here are some lowlights:
• Fishing regulations are bad.
• Don’t trust the public — “special interests” to Shackelford — because they “poison the well,” and be wary of “observers” on commercial boats.
• The Joint Enforcement Agreement “basically taps our state officers to write federal tickets” and that’s terrible.
• Netters chose not to challenge a 2014 moratorium on large-mesh gill-nets so observers couldn’t get evidence of snared turtles. The quid pro quo was that Louis Daniel, director of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, would allow seven reds to be caught in the fall and permit black drum and bluefish by-catch, both of which have happened.
• When netters caught too many gray trout, that didn’t mean they’d targeted grays. It meant too many trout in the water. Shackelford said they’d next ask for seatrout by-catch.
• An audience member wanted flounder netting to be legal in December because it’s easier to sell illegal red drum when they can be “packed” in boxes under flounder.
• Schill that during a lunch with Daniel, the DMF director “said he’d do anything (netters) wanted.”
• Shackelford said Daniel texted him during an meeting of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission to make sure Shackelford “was okay with a new policy.”
Is this 2 ½-hour video gospel, especially the comments about Daniel? We aren’t certain, but we hope not.
Shackelford, et al, seemed sincere to us. Watch and make up your own mind. Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVepfPI7dFs&feature=youtu.be
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