*****NCFA ANNUAL 2019 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE*****
We still have sweatshirts available for new memberships.
Quantities are limited, so there are no guarantees that we will have every size in every sweatshirt for long. This offer applies to an “Individual” $25 yearly membership. With your membership, you’ll receive a weekly update that is mailed, faxed, or emailed every Friday; to keep you current about all of the meetings and issues related to the commercial fishing industry. With your membership, you will also receive a subscription to our bi-monthly publication “Tradewinds”.
If you’d like to become a member, you can call our office at (252) 726-6232 or visit our website at ncfish.org/join-ncfa/
NCFA ANNUAL MEETING
All proxies need to be turned in to the NCFA office no later than January 18, 2019 for members not able to attend our Annual Meeting in Kill Devil Hills. If you need a proxy form, please call the office 252-726-6232 or email nikki@ncfish.org and we will be glad to email or fax one to you. We highly recommend that you as a member of NCFA try to attend. You can reserve a room if needed at our corporate rate, just let them know that you would like to reserve under “North Carolina Fisheries Association Room Block”.
Hilton Garden Inn Outer Banks/Kitty Hawk
Address : 5353 N Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949
Phone : (252) 261-1290 ext 103
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
The General Assembly convened at noon on Wednesday for the swearing-in ceremonies in the Senate and House. NCFA’s Glenn Skinner and Jerry Schill were there to meet some of the new legislators and talk to the veterans. It was a full day with a lot of family also in attendance and mostly smiles from all in the Legislative Building.
Glenn & Jerry also attended Thursday’s meeting of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources in the Legislative Office Building. The meeting lasted over 2 hours where the committee heard several presentations, including an update on hurricane relief for commercial fishermen by DMF Director Steve Murphey as well as an overview of the Shellfish Mariculture Plan Final Report by Dr. Joel Fodrie, on behalf of the Shellfish Mariculture Advisory Committee (SMAC). There were other reports unrelated to fishing.
It’s expected that legislators will begin working on draft legislation for a shellfish bill this session and will consider the recommendations made Thursday by the Advisory Committee. NCFA has been plugged into that process and will discuss the recommendations later this month at our Annual Meeting.
The new General Assembly is not fully organized not all room assignments have been completed, or at least they haven’t been announced. Leadership also needs to work on committee assignments.
While you can expect some legislators and staff will be getting their offices organized, they don’t return to Raleigh for business until Wednesday, January 30th .
At this point, there are always rumors of a fish bill or two, but the only thing we know for certain is the legislators will draft a shellfish bill. Other than that, rumors float outside of the legislature about other measures that would be unfriendly to commercial fishing families.