Saving Seafood

NORTH CAROLINA: “Samuel” sculpture unveiled in Beaufort to honor Menhaden fishing history

August 24, 2026 — A new addition at John Newton Park is honoring Beaufort’s long connection to the menhaden fishing industry.

The Town of Beaufort held a ribbon cutting Friday to unveil “Samuel,” part of the Menhaden Tales project created and donated by Arts In Beaufort NC.

Town officials say the project recognizes the lasting legacy of the menhaden industry in Beaufort. Menhaden fishing has played a major role in the town’s history and coastal economy.

Community members gathered at the park for the unveiling of the new artwork, which is designed to help share that history with visitors and residents.

Read the full article at ABC News 12

Judge finds decades of failures in coastal fisheries management

August 21, 2026 — A North Carolina judge has ruled that the state violated its constitutional and public-trust obligations to protect coastal fisheries, setting the stage for additional court proceedings that could ultimately affect how the state manages commercial and recreational fishing.

Wake County Superior Court Judge G. Bryan Collins Jr. entered judgment Monday in favor of Coastal Conservation Association North Carolina and 86 individual plaintiffs, concluding that evidence presented during the case “overwhelmingly established” decades of systemic failures in the state’s management of coastal fish stocks, according to Island Free Press.

The ruling does not immediately ban shrimp trawling or restrict gillnets, nor does it close fishing areas or change seasons, quotas or recreational bag limits. Those issues could be addressed during a separate remedy phase. Collins ordered attorneys for both sides to meet within 30 days and submit a joint report within 45 days regarding further proceedings.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

NORTH CAROLINA: North Carolina weighs habitat protections, fishing licenses

August 19, 2026 — North Carolina fisheries managers will consider advancing new coastal habitat protections and setting the number of commercial fishing licenses available for the coming year at the Marine Fisheries Commission meeting on August 19-20 in Raleigh.

Commissioners are scheduled to vote on whether to release a proposed 2026 amendment to the state’s Coastal Habitat Protection Plan for public and advisory committee review. The action would not adopt the plan or create new fishing restrictions but could set the stage for a broader habitat rulemaking process beginning in 2027, according to the Island Free Press.

The draft amendment calls for further consideration of how fishing gear and other activities affect submerged aquatic vegetation, or underwater grass beds, as well as deep-water oyster recovery areas. Any regulations developed through that process would require additional commission approval and public review.

North Carolina’s coastal waters have historically supported nearly 200,000 acres of submerged aquatic vegetation, which provides spawning, nursery, and feeding habitat for commercial and recreationally important species. The draft says those grass beds are declining by more than 1 percent annually as water clarity, warming temperatures, and sea-level rise affect coastal waters.

The proposed habitat work would also overlap with upcoming reviews of the state’s shrimp and bay scallop fishery management plans. Marine Fisheries staff are recommending delaying the bay scallop review until 2027 so it can move forward alongside the shrimp review and habitat rule development.

If the amendment is released for review, the commission would consider comments from the public and advisory committees before the plan returns for possible final action in November.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Judge rules North Carolina breached duty to protect coastal fisheries

August 19, 2026 — North Carolina violated its constitutional and public-trust obligations to protect coastal fisheries, a Wake County judge has ruled in a major victory for a recreational fishing organization and 86 residents who sued the state nearly six years ago.

Superior Court Judge G. Bryan Collins Jr. entered judgment for the plaintiffs on Monday after concluding that the evidence “overwhelmingly established” decades of systemic failures in the state’s management of coastal fish stocks.

The decision does not immediately ban shrimp trawling, restrict gillnets, close fishing waters or change seasons, quotas or recreational bag limits.

Those questions could be addressed during a separate remedy phase, and Collins ordered attorneys for both sides to meet within 30 days and submit a joint report within 45 days about scheduling further proceedings.

The plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that the state violated its duties and a prospective injunction requiring the state to protect and rebuild coastal fisheries, rather than monetary damages.

The 190-page order followed a trial that ran from Jan. 20 through Feb. 25 and included testimony from fisheries scientists, current and former state employees, commercial and recreational fishermen, fishing guides and other coastal residents.

Collins found the state breached the public-trust doctrine, which requires it to manage resources belonging to the public for the benefit of current and future residents.

He also found violations of two provisions of the North Carolina Constitution: Article I, Section 38, which says the right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife must be preserved for the public good, and Article XIV, Section 5, which establishes a state policy of conserving and protecting lands and waters.

The lawsuit was filed in November 2020 by Coastal Conservation Association North Carolina and 86 individual plaintiffs, including five former members of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission.

A 2022 N.C. Court of Appeals ruling allowed the case to proceed and held that the state has an affirmative duty to preserve the public’s right to fish, protect fisheries from destruction and manage them for the public’s benefit.

Collins said that appellate decision established the law he was required to apply during the trial.

Read the full article at Island Free Press

North Carolina State University researchers discover “fluffy net” can capture underwater microplastics

August 19, 2026 — A study recently published in Science Advances, funded by the National Science Foundation, found using a biopolymer mesh in a web-like formation – similar to that of seaweed – can capture oceanic microplastics in both freshwater and seawater environments as a powerful anti-pollution tool.

Four researchers from Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.A.-based North Carolina State University’s department of chemical and biomedical engineering published the study: “Artificial Neptune balls: Superadhesive biomimetic networks for broad-size microplastics capture and removal.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NORTH CAROLINA: Coastal habitat plan, commercial fishing licenses lead Marine Fisheries Commission meeting in Raleigh

August 14, 2026 — Possible new protections for submerged grass beds and other fish habitat in the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds will move closer to public debate if the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission sends a draft Coastal Habitat Protection Plan amendment out for review next week.

The commission meets Aug. 19-20 in Raleigh and is scheduled to vote on releasing the proposed 2026 amendment for public and advisory committee review. The vote would not adopt the plan or impose new fishing restrictions.

The draft recommends beginning a separate rulemaking process in 2027 to develop a broader framework for protecting habitats under the commission’s authority.

That process could consider how fishing gear and other activities affect submerged aquatic vegetation and deep-water oyster recovery areas, along with rules governing the harvest and transplanting of vegetation for restoration projects.

Any regulations developed through that process would require additional commission action and public review.

North Carolina’s coastal waters have historically supported nearly 200,000 acres of submerged aquatic vegetation, commonly called SAV.

Read the full article at the Island Free Press

American Icons: Reviving the River Herring

July 31, 2026 — As he watched the British bombarding Fort McHenry from a truce ship on the Patapsco River, inspiration struck Francis Scott Key. When the American flag was raised after 24 hours of explosive assault, Key wrote what would become “The Star Spangled Banner.” Our national anthem was born, along with our country’s obsession with fireworks.

But long before there were red rockets glaring in the sky, the Patapsco River had an equally impressive natural spectacle of its own. Every spring, it would turn silver with millions of river herring. The annual migration of these fish was a sight to behold in rivers up and down the East Coast of North America. In fact, here at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Maryland, Muddy Creek used to be called Herring Creek.

Emphasis on “used to.” In less than a century, river herring populations have dwindled by well over 90 percent. These fish have certainly seen better days, but recovery efforts are well underway. Scientists are fighting an upstream battle to protect what remains, using cutting-edge research and… bombs bursting in air?

Read the full article at the Smithsonian Magazine

New bill would block commercial red snapper sales whenever federal waters are closed to the public

July 30, 2026 — Anglers along the Crystal Coast and Outer Banks could soon see a major shift in federal fishing rules.

A new federal bill, the South Atlantic Red Snapper Fair Access Act, would fix what local fishermen call a broken system. Right now, North Carolina recreational anglers are locked into tiny, one- or two-day seasons, while commercial harvesting continues for months.

Read the full article at PRE

URI Studying Jonah Crabs to Learn about Offshore Wind Turbines’ Effect on Underwater Ecosystems

July 28, 2026 — Since the first offshore wind project was developed in Rhode Island in 2016, University of Rhode Island researchers have been attempting to understand their impacts on local marine ecosystems. That work is continuing with first-year URI Ph.D. student Emmanuel Oyewole’s study of the artificial reefs that are often found at the base of turbines.

It’s been established through research surrounding offshore wind that the base of turbines serves as a foundation for algae and coral, which acts as a base for a booming ecosystem

In an attempt to find the cause of this blossoming of aquatic activity, Oyewole is studying the movement and dietary habits of one special creature found at the base of offshore wind turbines: Jonah crabs. He’s working with his academic advisor, Kelton McMahon, an associate professor of oceanography.

“It’s really, really important for understanding the impact of these wind farms on biodiversity, on ecosystem structure and function, and on fisheries production,” McMahon said.

Jonah crabs were often overlooked by Rhode Island commercial fishermen and were thrown away when caught in lobster traps, according to Oyewole, but as the local lobster population has declined due to overfishing and warming waters, the Jonah crab population has become a viable source of income.

Oyewole said Jonah crabs have seen an increase in market value and about 70% to 85% of all Jonah crab stock is from the Rhode Island area. Jonah crab fishing doesn’t require new equipment or infrastructure; lobster boats can use the same lobster cages to catch the crabs. Although the market for Jonah crabs is new and growing, understanding the impacts of offshore wind is important in understanding the future of the market.

“If [the turbines] are aggregating different biomasses from different areas, that means that you’re having a lot of stock like Jonah crab stock coming from fishable areas to that particular area, which is less fishable,” Oyewole said.

Read the full article at ecoRI

NORTH CAROLINA: Beaufort sculpture will honor Black fishermen vital to menhaden fishing industry

July 28, 2026 — The importance of Beaufort’s menhaden fishing industry and the significant role African-Americans played in that history will be honored with a new life-sized work of art.

“Menhaden Tales” is a bronze sculpture that will be gifted to the town by Arts in Beaufort, a local non-profit. The sculpture of a fisherman and the accompanying bench he will sit on are meant to commemorate the contributions of African Americans to Beaufort’s historic menhaden fishing industry, while providing an artistic photo opportunity for the public.

The sculpture will be accompanied by a seven minute audio clip narrated by a former local fisherman, Wardell Johnson, which can be accessed through a QR code leading to the Arts in Beaufort website, https://www.artsinbeaufortnc.org/listen. Though there will be no speaker on site to listen to the audio through, the narrative can be accessed by way of a cell phone and enjoyed at the listener’s leisure.

At their June 17 meeting, the Beaufort’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board unanimously voted to recommend the acceptance of the sculpture and its placement in John Newton Park, in the mulched area where a picnic table currently sits

Beaufort was once nicknamed “Fishtown,” a moniker that originated during the years when the menhaden fishery dominated the local economy and the majority of the work was done by local Black residents.

Read the full article at NEWS-TIMES