September 18, 2026 — North Carolina is appealing a judge’s ruling that the state has failed to meet its constitutional obligation to manage and protect its fisheries, extending a years-long legal battle over coastal fishery management.
Lawyers with North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s office filed a notice of appeal Wednesday, Sept. 16, according to The Carolina Journal. The appeal challenges an August ruling from Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins that found the state had breached obligations under the public trust doctrine and two provisions of the North Carolina Constitution.
“The Order in Liability Phase affects a substantial right that would be lost, prejudiced, and/or inadequately preserved without an immediate appeal,” the state said in its one-paragraph notice.
Collins issues the 190-page ruling Aug. 17 following a trial that stretched from January to February and included roughly six weeks of evidence. In his ruling, Collins concluded that the state had failed to meet its obligation to manage and protect fisheries for the general public, keep fisheries safe from “injury, harm, or destruction for all time,” and protect harvestable fish populations for North Carolina residents.