Making waves gets him a license to reel.

• Author: Gautschi, Eric
• Position: PEOPLE

Growing up on False River Lake, near Baton Rouge, La., Will Morgan learned to fish as soon as he was big enough to hold a rod and reel. Back in the bayous, the fish were "so thick you could walk on 'em."

He's not hearing that from North Carolina anglers. With shrinking fish stocks, there are fewer to catch, says Morgan, 35, executive director of the North Carolina chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association, a Houston nonprofit with chapters in 15 states along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. The state chapter, based in Raleigh, started in 1988.

CCA North Carolina had been lobbying legislators for a recreational coastal fishing license when he took the reins in November 2003. The issue had spawned a decade of debate in the legislature and the fishing community. CCA North Carolina said the license would allow the state to generate revenue and collect information on where, when and how many fish are caught, helping researchers and regulators prevent overfishing. The commercial fishing industry argued that recreational regulations could have ramifications--such as net bans--that would hurt commercial

fishermen. Others were concerned that the money collected would go to the general fund.

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Morgan helped organize volunteers to lobby legislators. "I was able to rally the troops and get the membership informed." CCA North Carolina also got a boost from a powerful ally--Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight, a Democrat from Manteo, who helped shape the legislation. "One of the key factors was that the Senate leadership decided to hear the license. We were able to meet...