Time to forget about following orders

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18 KJV

Mr. Charles Laughridge III is a recreational-fishing appointee to the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission. One of his qualifications, in addition to being a crackerjack angler who displays a good touch with the fly rod, is operating a popular Web site, www.ncwaterman.com.

The web site allows commercial and hook-and-line saltwater fishermen to vent their feelings and frustrations at issues faced and decisions made by the Commission and the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. It allows people to take potshots at one another’s comments and play amateur sleuth in posting semi-pro guesses about motivations and loyalties of Commission members and agency employees.

People, especially those backing what they see as “heritage” rights to earn money from public saltwater resources, can get a little testy when their horse seems to be faltering. Chuck posted an April 24 statement noting it was fine to disagree, but he wouldn’t permit abusive written ripostes (name-calling, etc.).

I’ve planned for a while to write a similar column, but events always seemed to overtake me.

The bottom line is this: when it comes to the biologists and other agency employees, about 99 percent are hard-working folks dedicated to working demanding, sometimes dangerous jobs. They don’t deserve ridicule from recreational anglers. Treat them with respect, and respect normally will be given. They are doing their jobs and following orders from above.

The courtesy should extend to Dr. Louis Daniel, the agency’s director. He has some discretion, but mostly he is not given free reign to act upon scientific information handed over by his staff. It is one of the ironies of fisheries science that North Carolina has the best data of any state on the east coast but can’t act upon it. But his actions are still somewhat restricted. Who can forget some of the disasters that befell past directors who bucked Raleigh’s bought political leaders?

A former director, intent on full retirement, told me his predecessor was “an idiot” for trying to fight city hall. It was his idea to go along to get along; and he did. But the state’s saltwater fish stocks didn’t make much progress under his rule.

The real problem lies in money supplied to politicians long ago by commercial interests. Those pols controlled the Commission appointment scheme that has maintained a commercial majority for decades, slim though it may be at times.

Nobody was paying attention when the pols gave the foxes the keys to the hen house (nursery areas and inshore waters).

Still, Chuck, it’s tough to blame people wanting to catch fish at the coast. The “I’m-just-following-orders” excuse is anything but a water haul.