SC GENERAL ASSEMBLY SAYS “NO” TO FISHING CLOSURES

In a concurrent resolution, the South Carolina General Assembly is working to oppose any
fishing area closures off the coast of South Carolina associated with the South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council’s (SAFMC) proposed amendment 17A to the fishery management plan for
the grouper/snapper fishery. Two bills currently in the Assembly are H 4497 and S 1095 and
call upon the SAFMC to not adopt any version of Amendment 17A that includes the closure of
areas off the coast of South Carolina to be closed to fishing activities.
South Carolina members of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) lobbied the general
assembly extensively to garner support of this very important issue, and the response from the
General Assembly is applauded by RFA and its South Carolina Members. “We need these
passed immediately,” said RFA-SC member Cantey Smith of Charleston. “These bills advocate
protection of our economy, jobs, our ability to do what we love and the state of our offshore
fishery. Smith stressed that fellow South Carolina anglers should contact their local legislator
asking for support of the resolutions, adding “South Carolina values are at stake here.”
In the resolution sponsored by Rep. Thad Viers of Myrtle Beach, Sen. Ray Cleary of
Georgetown, Horry and Charleston Counties and Sen. Ronnie Cromer of Lexington, Newberry
and Saluda Counties, South Carolina Assembly members made it very clear that the proposal
under consideration for closures by the SAFMC were “unjustifiable and would create severe
economic hardship to the state and its coastal counties, including significant job loss at a time
when job creation is badly needed and is a priority.”
“Between NOAA restrictions on snapper and grouper, and the proposal to shut down the entire
coast to bottomfishing, I’m not sure how much our coastal sector can bend,” said Charleston
charter captain, Mark Brown. “Our local fishing industry is close to broke as it is now.”
The concurrent resolution reads that “any closed area to fishing off the coast of South Carolina
will result in excessive fishing pressure on the remaining open areas, causing localized
depletion of fish species, further, seriously impacting fishermen, employment, and the local
economy.” Furthermore, the Assembly “strongly urged representatives of South Carolina on the
SAMFC to cast votes in opposition to any amendment that will result in any area of the state’s
coast being closed to fishing of any kind.”
Ideally, RFA would like to see other coastal states within the SAFMC domain follow suit before
the council reconvenes in March to vote on the area closures. “RFA is thankful to Congressman
Henry Brown for contacting members of the General Assembly in South Carolina to get this
done,” said Jim Donofrio, Executive Director of the RFA. “Mr. Brown is primary co-sponsor of
HR 1584, the Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act, and a champion for sciencebased
and sustainable fisheries management. We would like to see more of our coastal
legislators step up on behalf of its constituents the way these South Carolina representatives
have,” Donofrio said.