Recreational fishermen question use of license funds

>>> IF WE CAN GET THE STOCK UP

EVERYONE WINS AND THIS IS THE

OPPORTUNITY AND HOPEFULLY A

WAKE-UP CALL.>> MORE THAN 1.5

MILLION PEOPLE HOLD FISHING

LICENSES IN NORTH CAROLINA.

TONIGHT WRAL IN THIS CASE

CONCERNS THAT MONEY RAISED BY

THE LICENSE PURCHASES IS NOT

THE BENEFITS THEY WERE

PROMISED.

A COASTAL FISHING LICENSE HAS A

PORTION OF THE MONEY THAT GOES

TO IMPROVE FISHING ALONG THE

COAST.>> HOWEVER, SOME FEEL

THEY ARE VICTIMS OF BAIT AND

SWITCH SINCE THIS BECAME LAW.

WRAL INVESTIGATES WHY THE

ANGLERS FEEL THE LICENSE FUND

IS FLOUNDERING.>> Reporter:

[ MUSIC ]

>> I GOT ONE.

>> Reporter: WHETHER IT'S A

CHILD'S RIGHT OF PASSAGE, OR

EXPERIENCED ANGLERS ON THE

BEACH AND BOATS, IT TAKES A

FISHING LICENSE TO CAST THE

LINE.

A FEW BUCKS FOR A TEMPORARY

COASTAL RECREATION LICENSE, AND

HUNDREDS FOR A LIFETIME PASS

ADD UP TO MORE THAN $4 MILLION

A YEAR IN NORTH CAROLINA.

MONEY MEANT TO SUPPORT

FISHING.>> IT SHOULD GO TO

HABITAT, DISH HATCHERIES,

FISH., ANYTHING THAT IS GOING

TO HELP GET OUR FISHERY UP TO

PAR.>> Reporter: BUT FISHERMEN

SAY THERE HAS BEEN A GRADUAL

SHIFT, A CREEP IN WHERE THE

MONEY GOES.

>> THERE HAS BEEN CLEAR INTENT

TO GO IN TO RAID THE FUND.

>> Reporter: WHEN THE FISHING

LICENSE LAW WAS PASSED, IT SAYS

THE AGENCY MAY NOT AUTHORIZE

DISBURSEMENT OF THE FUND TO

ESTABLISH POSITIONS WITHOUT

SPECIFIC AUTHORIZATION ON THE

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.>> THIS FUND

SHOULD ABSOLUTELY NEVER BE

ENCUMBERED BY GENERAL OPERATING

EXPENSES OF THE DIVISION AT

ALL.>> Reporter: THE NUMBERS

RAISE QUESTIONS.

SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE

FISHING LICENSE FUND BROUGHT IN

ABOUT $45 MILLION.

DURING THE SAME TIME, MORE THAN

25% OF THE REVENUE, ABOUT $12

MILLION WENT TO THE DIVISION OF

MARINE FISHERIES SALARIES.

RECORDS OBTAINED BY WRAL SHOW

THE EMPLOYEES RECEIVED ANNUAL

3% PAY INCREASES AT A TIME WHEN

OTHER STATE EMPLOYEES RECEIVED

LITTLE OR NO BUMP IN PAY.

THE AGENCY SAYS THE NEW

POSITIONS WERE APPROVED BY THE

LEGISLATURE.

BUT ALL OF HER FUNDED POSITIONS

WERE FUNDED SHIFTED FROM OTHER

FUNDING SOURCES WHICH DID NOT

REQUIRE LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL.

THAT MEANS THEY USE FISHING

LICENSE MONEY TO PAY FOR

ESTABLISHED POSITIONS WHICH

LOST OTHER FUNDING OR WERE IN

DANGER OF BEING CUT IN THE

STATE BUDGET.

>> DMF SHOULD NOT WRITE FUNDS

TO PAY THEMSELVES.

THAT IS CRAZY.>> Reporter: THE

AGENCY HANDED OUT ABOUT $80

MILLION FOR GRANTS FOR

PROJECTS, MORE THAN $4 MILLION

OF THAT MONEY WAS GRANTED TO

ITSELF INCLUDING $285,000 FOR

PUBLICATIONS, MONEY GRIFFIN

FEELS SHOULD COME FROM THE

STATE.

>> NOW YOU FIND ALL KINDS OF

PROBLEMS WITH THE WAY THE

MARINE FISHERIES ARE MANAGED.>>

Reporter: LARRY YARBOROUGH, AN

AVID FISHERMAN WHO USUALLY GOES

OUT OF STATE BECAUSE OF HIS

RESERVATIONS ABOUT COASTAL

FISHING.

SPECTRA AFTER A WHILE IT BECAME

CLEAR I COULD SPEND ALL WEEKEND

ON THE GULF COAST AND CATCH

MORE FISH IN ONE WEEKEND THAN I

CAN HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA.

>> Reporter: SPORTSMEN PAY A

FEDERAL TAX EVERY TIME THEY BUY

A REAL, TROLLING MOTOR OR

SHOTGUN SHELLS.

THAT AMOUNTS TO MILLIONS MARK

TO COME BACK TO NORTH CAROLINA

IN SUPPORT OF HUNTING AND

FISHING YET THIS LETTER SHOWS

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THREATEN

TO WITHHOLD THAT FUNDING

BECAUSE OF A LACK OF CONTROL

OVER THE MARINE ISSUE REFUND.>>

WEB 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE PAYING

IN 20 MILLION TO 30 MILLION, ON

TOP OF THE CONSERVATION FUNDS

THAT CAN GO TO COMPETING STATES

WHEN WE'RE FOUND NOT

COMPLETE.>> Reporter:

YARBOROUGH CALLED IN THE STATE

AUDITOR TO FIND WHERE THE

FISHERY MONIES ARE SPENT.

>> NO ONE SHOWS ANY MUSTANG --

ANY MONEY MISSING, IT'S JUST IN

THE WRONG BUCKETS.

>> Reporter: THEY WANT THE

MONEY BACK TO THE FISH STOCKS,

NOT ON ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.

[ MUSIC ]

>> IF WE PUT THE MONEY IN THE

BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN AND WE

HARVEST IT AND GROW IT AND LET

IT BLOOM, EVERY USER WINS.>>

Reporter: I'M COLLIN BROWARD

FOR WRAL NEWS.

>> THE DIVISION OF MARINE

FISHERIES SAID IN A STATEMENT

CAUGHT THE AUDITORS OFFICE

LOOKED INTO THE FUND AND FOUND

NO PROBLEMS.

DIRECTOR BRAXTON DAVIS SAYS

REVENUES ARE MEETING THE STATED

GOALS OF THE LICENSE PROGRAM,

HOWEVER, THERE IS STILL CONCERN

FROM THE ANGLERS BECAUSE THE

LICENSE FUND SHOULD BE EXTRA

MONEY AS PROMISED TO IMPROVE

COASTAL FISHING AND NOT TO FILL

HOLES IN A BUDGET.>> THERE