May 24, 2018 — CRYSTAL COAST, N.C. — Fishermen and seafood lobbying groups spent their Wednesday in Raleigh for North Carolina Seafood Lobby Day, talking to legislators about fishing laws.
On the Crystal Coast, commercial fishing is a huge driver of employment and the economy.
Local businesses on the coast are dependent on commercial fishing.
Marc Smith, the owner of Captain Jim’s Seafood said, “It actually employs quite a number of people in this area. And through time it’s been one generation after another.”
And lately, they say the industry has faced harsh regulation that makes it hard to do their jobs.
Wrenn Johnson, the owner of Atlantic Beach Seafood Market said, “We like to keep everything as local as possible. The shrimp and everything is the stuff that’s made here. We like to do local because we always have, and it gets tougher and tougher each year as more regulations come into play.”
Glenn Skinner is the executive irector of the North Carolina Fisheries Association. He said going to Raleigh gives local fishermen a chance to create change in the industry.