September 28, 2026 — The tug-of-war between regulators and recreational fishermen isn’t over as North Carolina has decided to appeal a judge’s ruling that the state has mismanaged its coastal fisheries.
The move comes roughly a month after a Wake County judge found that there was overwhelming evidence that the state had failed to protect and manage its fish stocks in the public interest of all North Carolinians.
In the case filed by the Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina and dozens of other private individuals, the recreational fishermen argued that the regulators failed to adequately protect the state’s fisheries for long-term sustainability and the benefit of all residents.
But how to turn the proverbial tide while protecting the interest of all parties − recreational fishermen, commercial fishermen and the fish themselves − remains as murky as ever. The state’s decision to appeal the case drags that process out.