Sandy Semans Ross

Sandy Semans Ross Image
Location of Interview
Collection Name

1997 North Carolina Fisheries Reform Act

Description

The Fisheries Reform Act is the most significant fisheries legislation in NC history. 

In 1994, the NC General Assembly approved a moratorium on the sale of new commercial fishing licenses and established the 19-member Fisheries Moratorium Steering Committee to oversee study of the state's entire coastal fisheries management process and to recommend changes to improve that process.  The Moratorium Steering Committee included legislators, fisheries managers, scientists, commercial fishermen, and recreational fishermen. The committee commissioned six research studies and reviewed a broad range of issues, including fishing licenses, fishing gears, habitat protection, agency organization, and law enforcement.  The committee issued a draft report in late summer 1996, held 19 public meetings across the state, and adopted a final report in October 1996 that formed the basis for the Fisheries Reform Act.   Governor James B. Hunt signed the Act into law on August 14, 1997.

The 1997 NC Fisheries Reform Act: An Oral History Perspective was made possible by the North Carolina Sea Grant Community Collaborative Research Grant Program.

Interviewer
Date of Interview
06-17-2016
Transcribers

Mary Williford

DOI
10.25923/QV64-CC81
Audio
Transcript
Biographical Sketch

Sandy Semans Ross is a retired newspaper editor and freelance writer who has a deep connection with the coastal communities and seafood industry. Born in a coal mining town in West Virginia, Ross moved to coastal communities due to her father's Navy service, where she developed a love for seafood. Ross's professional career includes working as a newspaper editor and doing freelance work for various publications. She is also the Executive Director of Outer Banks Catch, an organization dedicated to promoting locally caught seafood and supporting the local fishing industry.

Scope and Content Note
This interview with Sandy Semans Ross, conducted by Susan West on June 17, 2016, provides an in-depth look at Ross's early relationship with seafood, her work history, and her role as the Executive Director of Outer Banks Catch. The interview also delves into the mission of the Outer Banks Catch organization and Ross's role in fact-checking fisheries-related press releases. The discussion further explores the Fisheries Reform Act, including key players in the process, gaps in the legislation, and changes Ross would like to see to improve the legislation [3]. Ross also discusses the necessity of developing an appeals process, her issue with the perceived recreational-versus-commercial paradigm, and the necessity of "good" science in fisheries management. The interview also covers the state's responsibility to regulate and monitor public trust resources, the role of healthy coastal economies and commercial fishing, and the influence of special interest groups and the book Tragedy of the Commons during the Fisheries Reform Act process. Ross also shares her experiences with the Moratorium Steering Committee meetings, environmental, habitat, and water quality concerns expressed by fishermen, and the lack of effective date for the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan. The interview also touches on the fish kills of the 1990s, the creation of the Clean Water Trust Fund, and the role of key players like Bob Lucas and B.J. Copeland in the Fisheries Reform Act process.


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