The cause of one potential problem, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, is being partly blamed on a lack of government regulation.
The cause of another potential headache, the expected closing of nearly 6,000 square miles of federal waters off Georgia and Florida to snapper and grouper fishing, is seen by some fishermen as an overreaction by government regulators.
Together, the two factors could help make North Carolina's seafood a very sought-after product this year.
But they also could hurt the industry if oil whipping around the gulf eventually impacts the state's fishing grounds or if boats pushed north by the fishing closure put more pressure on local fish stocks.
Read the complete story at Star News Online.