August 21, 2026 — A North Carolina judge has ruled that the state violated its constitutional and public-trust obligations to protect coastal fisheries, setting the stage for additional court proceedings that could ultimately affect how the state manages commercial and recreational fishing.
Wake County Superior Court Judge G. Bryan Collins Jr. entered judgment Monday in favor of Coastal Conservation Association North Carolina and 86 individual plaintiffs, concluding that evidence presented during the case “overwhelmingly established” decades of systemic failures in the state’s management of coastal fish stocks, according to Island Free Press.
The ruling does not immediately ban shrimp trawling or restrict gillnets, nor does it close fishing areas or change seasons, quotas or recreational bag limits. Those issues could be addressed during a separate remedy phase. Collins ordered attorneys for both sides to meet within 30 days and submit a joint report within 45 days regarding further proceedings.