12 May NC Chamber Endorses Sound Economy

Raleigh, NC- The North Carolina Chamber announced Tuesday its support of NC Sound Economy and House Bill 867, The Coastal Fisheries Conservation and Economic Development Act. The North Carolina Chamber is the state’s largest business advocacy organization.

NC Sound Economy is an expanding coalition of fishermen, business leaders and concerned citizens who seek to end the unproductive fights over a shrinking publicly owned economic resource. Both NC Sound Economy and the North Carolina Chamber believe that the state must grow the resource and maximize its economic benefits.

“We are very excited to have the support of the North Carolina Chamber,” said Allen Gant, Chairman of the Board of Directors for NC Sound Economy. “Our broad coalition is seeking to reform our dated fishery management laws, streamline the regulatory process and grow the entire fishing economy. With the support of our state’s largest business advocacy group we will continue to push for real solutions that provide sustainable economic growth for our entire fishing economy.”

“Improving our coastal fishing economies will have positive impacts across our whole state,” said Lew Ebert, president and CEO of the North Carolina Chamber. “As the state’s largest business advocacy organization, our priority is to proactively drive positive change to ensure that North Carolina is a leading place in the world to do business. House Bill 867 and the research presented by NC Sound Economy clearly demonstrate the opportunity that our state has, today, to improve our coastal fishing economies for future generations.”

This year, NC Sound Economy commissioned a study to examine various fisheries management strategies for North Carolina. The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), in collaboration with an economist from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), finds that if House Bill 867 is passed, our state’s fishing economy stands to gain:

an additional $829.7 million dollars,
$4.2 billion in total sales,
1,493 additional jobs, and
$1.6 billion in labor income.
In addition to benefits to the recreational fishing economy, the struggling commercial sector can be a premier local and sustainable seafood producer for future generations.

About NC Sound Economy: NC Sound Economy is a nonprofit organization made up of an expanding coalition of fishermen, business leaders and concerned citizens who seek to end the unproductive fights over a shrinking publicly owned economic resource. For more information visit www.ncsoundeconomy.com.