Dare County chair vows coalition to defend commercial fishing after HB 442 fight

Chairman Robert L. “Bob” Woodard told the Dare County Board of Commissioners on July 4 that he has proposed forming a coalition of North Carolina coastal counties to coordinate a response to recent legislative activity around House Bill 442 and to defend commercial fishing livelihoods.

Woodard said the county and area fishermen successfully opposed an amended version of HB 442 in the House after last-minute changes in the state Senate. He described traveling to Raleigh with fellow commissioners and witnessing large numbers of fishermen and support vehicles outside the Legislative Building. “When I came home from that, witness[ing] the looks on these families’ faces ... really, really touched me,” Woodard said as he explained his effort to organize county chairs.

Woodard read a letter he sent to North Carolina Senate President Pro Tem, calling the late Senate amendments “unacceptable” because they were attached with “no opportunity for those affected to speak or defend their livelihoods” and urged future transparency and fairness. He also recited language from a broader outreach letter inviting other coastal counties to appoint a representative to a proposed “North Carolina coastal counties fisheries coalition” and said he had already scheduled a tentative first meeting for Aug. 5 in Carteret County.

Woodard framed the proposed coalition as a unified voice that would bring county leaders, fisheries scientists, managers and legislators to the table to pursue “collaborative, adaptive, and transparent management grounded in science, equity, and local knowledge.” He cited comments by the executive director of the North Carolina Fisheries Association (referenced by Woodard) criticizing current fisheries management and said local leaders must “rebuild trust” between managers and fishermen.

Commissioners at the meeting welcomed the plan; Woodard said a majority of the 19 coastal counties he contacted had already signaled interest and he and county staff would follow up about meeting logistics and participant lists. He also said staff would provide research and preliminary cost estimates for hiring outside lobbying or technical assistance should the coalition decide to retain consultants or lobbyists in Raleigh.

Why it matters: Local shrimp trawling and other commercial fishing activity supports family incomes, local processing and related businesses in Dare County and neighboring coastal counties. Woodard and several commissioners portrayed the coalition as a way for county leaders to protect those livelihoods if similar legislation resurfaces in the next General Assembly session.

What’s next: Woodard said the coalition’s kickoff is tentatively set for Aug. 5 in Carteret County; he asked commissioners to share input and said county staff would publish meeting details. He also said the coalition would develop a mission statement, leadership structure, and a short-term work plan that could include pooled lobbying resources.

Quotes in context: Woodard said, “Let it be known and let it be a fact that we will do everything humanly possible to support our fishing community.” He added, “It is time to strike a better balance, one that protects resources without sacrificing the communities who depend on it.”

Speakers listed below were the primary on-record participants in the meeting segment on the fisheries coalition; the article cites only statements attributable to those speakers or to written material Woodard read into the record.