Saving Seafood

Offshore drilling backers, opponents ready for North Carolina battle

August 8, 2017 — RALEIGH, N.C. — Federal regulators again want to hear what North Carolinians think about allowing oil and gas drilling off the state’s coast.

Last year, former President Barack Obama’s administration adopted a five-year energy plan that excluded drilling off the East Coast. But President Donald Trump has said he wants to see more offshore energy development, so his administration has tossed aside the 2016 plan and is starting over.

As part of that process, a public hearing was held Monday night in Wilmington, and others are set for Morehead City on Wednesday and Manteo on Thursday.

Gov. Roy Cooper said last month that he’s opposed to opening the coast to offshore exploration and drilling, saying he doesn’t think the risk to the state’s coastal tourism and commercial fishing industries of a major oil spill are worth the limited revenue North Carolina would receive from the move.

Read the full story at WRAL

NORTH CAROLINA: Proposed shrimping regulations worry coastal fishermen

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — The N.C. Wildlife Federation submitted a petition earlier in November calling for restrictions on shrimp trawling along the coast, saying more regulations are necessary to protect important nursery areas.

But local long-time fishermen in eastern North Carolina don’t necessarily agree, and the regulations on catching shrimp could have detrimental effects on the industry.

“If the consumer is looking for fresh, local seafood, I think these regulations like this will put fisherman out of business and make the American consumer to have to buy more imports,” said Jack Cox, Blue Ocean Market. “That’s something that we don’t want to do.”

The petition includes restrictions like limiting trawling to three days per week, limiting head rope length to 90 feet and making nets smaller.

“It’s also asking that they limit tow times to 45 minutes and that they open Pamlico Sound on a shrimp count,” said Patricia Smith, N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries.

The count would require 60-count shrimp, or 60 shrimp per pound, in the Pamilico Sound before trawling would be allowed in those waters.

Read the full story at WNCT

NORTH CAROLINA: Petition’s aim: Gear bans or resource protection?

November 28, 2016 — MOREHEAD CITY, N.C.– A conservation organization’s request that the state adopt stricter rules for shrimping and recreational spot and croaker isn’t sitting well with a local seafood industry advocacy group.

Jerry Schill, president of the N.C. Fisheries Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the state fishing industry, says the association thinks the petition for rulemaking from the N.C. Wildlife Federation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the state’s natural resources, will lead to gear bans that could put shrimping in North Carolina in jeopardy.

However, David Knight, NCWF policy consultant, said the petition is meant to protect fish and their habitat and actually assist fishing communities by doing so.

The Southern Environmental Law Center presented a petition for rulemaking, on behalf of the NCWF, to the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Nov. 17 in Kitty Hawk at the commission’s regular meeting.

The petition requests several changes to shrimping regulations, special secondary nursery area (SSNA) designation for all coastal fishing waters not already designated nursery areas and additional regulations for recreational spot and croaker fishing. The petition is under review for completeness by the MFC chairman, Sammy Corbett, and the commission’s legal counsel, Phillip Reynolds of the N.C. Department of Justice, after which it will go out for public comment.

Patricia Smith, N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries public information officer, said Mr. Corbett and Mr. Reynolds are still reviewing the petition as of Tuesday. According to a press release from the DMF, the state agency which enforces the regulations created by the MFC, the commission has 120 days from the date of the petition’s submission, Nov. 2, to take action granting or denying the request for rulemaking.

Read the full story at the Carteret County News-Times

NORTH CAROLINA: Marine Fisheries Commission seeking advisory board members

November 23, 2016 — MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission is accepting applications for fishermen and scientists interested in serving on various advisory boards.

Two regional advisory committee and three standing advisory committees — Finfish, Habitat and Water Quality, and the Shellfish/Crustacean committees — review matters referred to them by the commission and recommend management strategies. Committees may also bring issues pertaining to the region or subject matter to the commission’s attention.

The MFC chairman appoints members to the committees for three-year terms and several terms will expire in January.

To serve on a committee applicants must not have had a significant fisheries violation within the past three years.

Individuals interested in serving should be willing to attend meetings at least once every two months and actively participate in the committee process, which includes reviewing scientific documents and issue papers to make recommendations on management issues.

Read the full story at JD News 

Fishing for flood relief: Businesses sign on to aid Eastern North Carolina

October 28th, 2016 — One county restaurant and a seafood business are joining forces to cook up support for Hurricane Matthew flood victims in Lenoir and Greene counties.

Restaurant owners Jessica Murphy and chef Kevin Davis of La Perla Restaurant & Bar in Morehead City are encouraging other county restaurants to do the same.

From Sunday until Saturday, Nov. 5, the restaurant will serve fish stew, with proceeds going to the United Way in Lenoir and Greene counties for flood victims.

Blue Ocean Market in Morehead City is donating the fish to the restaurant to create the stew.

Ms. Murphy said Kinston chef Vivian Howard, star of PBS’s “A Chef’s Life,” is inviting chefs in the state to serve Eastern North Carolina fish stew during those days to raise money for Hurricane Matthew recovery efforts. Ms. Howard is the owner of Chef and the Farmer Restaurant in Kinston.

Ms. Murphy said Ms. Howard sent an email out to restaurant owners in the state inviting them to take part in the fundraising effort, and as soon as she saw it, she wanted to participate.

Read the full story at Carteret County News-Times

NORTH CAROLINA: Ceremony to honor county fishermen

September 29, 2016 — Each October, as the N.C. Seafood Festival comes to a close, fishermen and their families are honored during the Blessing of the Fleet.

This year’s ceremony is at 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, at the N.C. State Port, 113 Arendell St., in Morehead City.

Fishermen spend long, hard days on the water providing a living for their families, and the ceremony draws attention to the work that these men and women provide for their community.

“Every year we gather at the Blessing to honor the men and women who continue to work the water, along with their fathers and grandfathers who went before them,” said Jonathan Robinson, of Atlantic. He is a fisherman, county commissioner and member of the Carteret County Fishermen’s Association. “It is a very special time to those of us who are part of this industry. We hope that somehow this service will inspire the next generation to hold on to this way of life.

“It’s not easy now, and it never has been, but fishing is vital to our communities and our state to provider fresh seafood to consumers everywhere,” Mr. Robinson said. “Commercial fishing is an honorable occupation and worthy of our appreciation for their hard work and perseverance.”

Read the full story at Carolina Coast Online

Report shows North Carolina fishermen caught and sold a rising number of fish in 2015

June 22, 2016 — MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — A new report says North Carolina’s commercial fishermen caught and sold an increasing number of fish for the second year in the row.

According to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, 66 million pounds of finfish and shellfish were sold to seafood dealers in 2015, which was 6.8% more than in 2014. The five-year average is 60.5 million pounds. Revenues also increased, with the value of the fish at $104 million, which also tops the five-year average.

The agency credits the mild weather for allowing the fishermen to work late in the year into the early winter of 2015.

Read the full story at NBC Morehead City

Livelihoods on the line: The impact of the fishing industry on eastern North Carolina

May 13, 2016 — MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — Everywhere you go in eastern North Carolina, you’ll see signs of fresh seafood and folks selling local catch at reasonable prices.

The question is, how hard is it for those fishermen whose lives depend on the waters of North Carolina?

“This community has always depended on the water and the fish for their livelihoods,” said Capt. Bill Dillon of Beagle Charters in Morehead City.

Eastern North Carolina is home to some of the largest seafood festivals, fishing tournament and tourism dollars in the state. Those who work in the fishing industry say their livelihoods are on the line.

“They’re not only on the line, I mean people’s livelihoods have changed and been shut down because of it,” said charter mate Michael Tickle.

Read and watch the full story at WNCT

NORTH CAROLINA: Tighter cobia regs may hit charter boats

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (March 28, 2016) — Local recreational fishing experts say recent federal and state regulation changes for cobia may deal a blow to charter fishing this year.

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced March 11 that the cobia fishery will close on Monday, June 20, for the Atlantic migratory group, which includes North Carolina.

In addition, late this February, the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries announced the Marine Fisheries Commission reduced the recreational creel limit for cobia from two per person, per day to one.

According to a Feb. 24 DMF press release, the reduction in the creel limit was to try to extend the recreational cobia season by a few days and avoid a closure next summer.

Read the full story at the Carteret County News-Times