devastating effect on shellfish. (See Appendix D for discussion 

 of skates and rays in North Carolina Sea Grant publication.) 



Mr. Ed McCoy of the Division of Marine Fisheries informed 

 the Committee that there is presently no money available to 

 combat the cow nose ray problem, but the Division is interested 

 in developing such a program for fishermen. Mr. McCoy also dis- 

 cussed areas of concern by coastal North Carolinians including 

 dredging of inlets, more serious penalties for commercial fish- 

 eries laws, loan programs for commercial fishermen, a marine 

 fisheries newspaper and revival of the artificial fishing reef 

 program. 



The Assistant Director of the Marine Fisheries Division, 

 Mr. Lee Barham, began a discussion of the commercial fisheries 

 fee structure. He focused on the four main elements of North 

 Carolina's fee structure: I. Vessel License, II. Seafood Dealers 

 License, III. Taxes, and IV. Fines, Mr. Barham proposed that 

 North Carolina begin to license fishing gear as part of the com- 

 mercial fishing control program. This proposal came as a result 

 of the number of Maryland and Virginia vessels fishing in North 

 Carolina waters with licensed North Carolina captains. Virginia 

 and Maryland will not now license North Carolina captains. 



Due to the protracted illness and in December, 1978 the death 

 of Sen. D. Livingstone Stallings, co-chairman, the Committee was not 

 able to meet again and has not made any findings relative to the 



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