March 11, 2026 — When it comes to being a fisherman, it’s about much more than getting out on the water and bringing home fresh seafood. There are regulations that come into play to prevent overfishing populations in North Carolina waters.
But over the years, fishermen have questioned the stock assessments that lead to restrictions on their catch, feeling they see plenty of the regulated fish out on the water throughout the year.
“They manage us based on the results of a stock assessment. The last thing you want is for somebody to come back and say, oops, we were wrong. They put you out of work, you couldn’t send your kid to college, you couldn’t pay your mortgage,” said Glenn Skinner, executive director of the North Carolina Fisheries Association.
Skinner is a lifetime fisherman and one of a handful to voice concerns in person about stock assessments to the Marine Fisheries Commission in late February in the Outer Banks, saying the regulations impact the everyday fisherman’s bottom line.