June 18, 2018 — North Carolina officials say commercial fishing in the state declined by weight last year even as shrimp volume increased to a record high.
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries issued a release this month saying fishermen sold about 54 million pounds (24 million kg) of fish and shellfish to North Carolina dealers in 2017. That’s down about 9 percent from the previous year and below the five-year average.
But the $96.5 million estimated value of the catch was slightly higher than the previous year.
Biologists say the drop in volume is largely due to a decrease in hard blue crab landings by more than a quarter from the previous year.
Meanwhile, shrimp landings increased to the highest volume on record since the state began its current measurement program in 1994. The state reports that the value of the shrimp was nearly $30 million.