Marine Fisheries Commission Membership
Membership
The Marine Fisheries Commission is a Governor-appointed nine-member board composed of commercial and recreational fishermen, commercial and sport fishing industry representatives, at-large members, and a scientist. They adopt rules and policies, and implement management measures for fisheries. For more information on member terms and and appointments, please visit the NC Boards and Commissions website.
|
Commissioner
|
Seat
|
Contact Information
|
|---|---|---|
|
Rob Bizzell, Chairman
|
Recreational Fisherman | R.Bizzell.MFC@deq.nc.gov |
|
Sammy Corbett, Vice-Chair
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Commercial Industry | S.Corbett.MFC@deq.nc.gov |
|
Ryan Bethea
|
Commercial Fisherman | R.Bethea.MFC@deq.nc.gov |
|
Mike Blanton
|
Commercial Fisherman | M.Blanton.MFC@deq.nc.gov |
|
Sarah Gardner
|
At-Large | S.Gardner.MFC@deq.nc.gov |
|
Donald Huggins
|
At-Large | D.Huggins.MFC@deq.nc.gov |
|
Doug Rader
|
Scientist | D.Rader.MFC@deq.nc.gov |
|
Tom Roller
|
Recreational Industry | Tom.Roller.MFC@deq.nc.gov |
|
Vacant |
Recreational Fisherman | Vacant |
MFC Staff
| Staff Member | Position | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Jesse Bissette | MFC Executive Assistant for Commissions and Councils | 252-515-5530 Jesse.Bissette@deq.nc.gov |
| Rick Crawshaw | MFC Program Assistant | 252-515-5527 Rick.Crawshaw@deq.nc.gov |
| Christine Ryan | Legal Counsel Special Deputy Attorney General Department of Justice |
919-716-6400 CRyan@ncdoj.gov |
Membership Requirements
The membership, appointments, terms, and ethical standards for the Marine Fisheries Commission are set out in G.S. 143B-289.54. As with many regulatory commissions, individuals whose activities are regulated by the commission are required to make up a certain proportion of the membership.
| Seat | Qualifications |
|---|---|
| Commercial Fisherman | Individual currently or recently deriving at least 50 percent of annual earned income from taking and selling fishery resources in coastal fishing waters of the state. Spouses of qualified individuals may be appointed. |
| Commercial Industry | Individual deriving at least 50 percent of annual earned income from activities involving the buying, selling, processing, or distributing of seafood landed in the state. Spouses of qualified individuals may be appointed if he or she is actively involved in the qualifying business. |
| Recreational Fisherman | Individual actively engaged in recreational sports fishing in coastal waters of the state who does not derive more than 10 percent of annual earned income from sports fishing activities. |
| Sport Fishing Industry | Individual deriving at least 50 percent of annual earned income from selling goods or services related to the sport fishing industry in the state. Spouses of qualified individuals may be appointed if he or she is actively involved in the qualifying business. |
| At-large | Individual having general knowledge of and experience related to subjects and persons regulated by the commission. |
| Scientist | Individual who is a fisheries scientist having special training and expertise in marine and estuarine fisheries biology, ecology, population dynamics, water quality, habitat protection, or similar knowledge. He or she may not receive more than 10 percent of annual earned income from either the commercial or sport fishing industries. |
As with many regulatory commissions, individuals whose activities are regulated by the commission are required to make up a certain portion of the membership. In 1997 the legislature enacted a specific conflict of interest standard for the Marine Fisheries Commission set out in G.S. 143B-289.54. The more particular provisions for Marine Fisheries Commission members are applied in determining when recusal from participation and voting is required. This provision reads as follows:
Voting/conflict of interest. A member of the Commission shall not vote on any issue before the Commission that would have a "significant and predictable effect" on the member's financial interest. For purposes of this subdivision, "significant and predictable effect" means there is or may be a close causal link between the decision of the Commission and an expected disproportionate financial benefit to the member that is shared only by a minority of persons within the same industry sector or gear group. A member of the Commission shall also abstain from voting on any petition submitted by an advocacy group of which the member is an officer or sits as a member of the advocacy group's board of directors. A member of the Commission shall not use the member's official position as a member of the Commission to secure any special privilege or exemption of substantial value for any person. No member of the Commission shall, by the member's conduct, create an appearance that any person could improperly influence the member in the performance of the member's official duties.
Under the State Government Ethics Act each member of the Marine Fisheries Commission is to make a diligent effort before participating in discussion and voting on a matter before the commission to determine whether the member has a conflict of interest.