Saving Seafood

Reducing Bycatch in Shrimp Trawls Through Education

June 19, 2026 — NOAA’s Gear Monitoring Team has made significant progress improving and maintaining turtle excluder device compliance in the Gulf of America shrimp fishery. TEDs allow shrimp to pass through the bars to the end of the net. This allows fishers to maintain catch levels, while larger marine animals like sea turtles get “excluded” from the net.

Our gear experts cover the entire Gulf—from Key West, Florida to Brownsville, Texas. Through their efforts conducting outreach, education, and enforcement training within fishing communities, TED compliance rates in the Gulf shrimp fishery now exceed 90 percent

Refresher for Law Enforcement

The team provides training to state and federal enforcement agencies to improve understanding of TED requirements and promote consistency in enforcement. This year we provided refresher training to:

  • Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers and the U.S. Coast Guard near Marco Island, Florida
  • Texas Parks and Wildlife and U.S. Coast Guard in South Texas
  • Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries officers

NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement coordinated and participated in these training sessions with our team and state law enforcement partners. This allowed officers to gain proficiency in TED requirements and gain on the water experience measuring the devices.

“We conducted a classroom portion of the training to review regulations and provide hands-on practice,” said Jason Letort, gear specialist and Gear Monitoring Team lead. “This was followed by a day of offshore patrols several miles west of Marco Island and Naples, Florida, where we boarded seven vessels and checked TED compliance on all of them. This allowed the officers to gain real experience checking TEDs on the back deck of a shrimp boat, which they can’t get in a classroom.”

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

NORTH CAROLINA: Is the NC Legislature about to take another shot at a shrimp trawling ban?

March 5, 2026 — The fishing community and many on the Outer Banks breathed a major sigh of relief in June 2025 when a NC Senate measure that would have imposed a shrimp trawling ban died in the NC House.

The hard-fought victory came after protestors opposed to the measure—which would have banned trawling in all of the state’s inland waters and within a half-mile of the Atlantic shoreline—showed up in force in Raleigh to pressure legislators. The Outer Banks Voice – Shrimp trawling ban dies in NC House this session

Read the full article at the Outer Banks Voice

NORTH CAROLINA: North Carolina Coastal Coalition forms with fishing industry in mind

August 13, 2025 — The North Carolina Coastal Counties Fisheries Coalition has officially been formed, following a successful effort to stop a shrimp trawling ban from becoming law.

The alliance held their first meeting a week ago, with the future of the fishing and seafood industry in mind.

“I think everybody’s finally figured out that we don’t need individual voices. We need a coalition speaking on behalf of all of these coastal counties,” said Bob Woodard, the Dare County Board of Commissioners chairman who proposed the idea for the coalition and will serve as its chair.

In late June, a bill originally meant to expand flounder and red snapper seasons had an amendment introduced to ban shrimp trawling in many coastal waters on the North Carolina coast. Supporters of the amendment felt it aligned North Carolina with Virginia and South Carolina’s standards and would protect fish and environmental habitats.

Many coastal communities did not agree, traveling to Raleigh to tell legislators this. They felt it would be detrimental to the livelihoods of thousands of fishermen and that there was no due process before the amendment was introduced.

Read the full article at WTKR

NORTH CAROLINA: Carteret County to honor Sanderson and Cairns for supporting NC shrimp industry

August 13, 2025 — Carteret County will honor Sen. Norman Sanderson and Rep. Celeste Cairns for their  leadership in opposing a proposed amendment to House Bill 442 that would have banned shrimp trawling in North Carolina sounds.

Working with fishermen, county officials and coastal advocates, they helped defeat the  measure in the state house, preserving jobs, local seafood businesses and a way of life  central to the county’s coastal identity.

What: Public recognition ceremony for Sen. Norman Sanderson and Rep. Celeste  Cairns

Read the full article at Carteret County News-Times

NORTH CAROLINA: Shrimp trawling argument highlights conflict between recreational, commercial fishing on NC coast

August 12, 2025 — The tourists come from Pennsylvania and Maryland, from South Dakota and Texas, from just about everywhere, to North Carolina’s Outer Banks for a week of sun, water and relaxation.

And when they need something to do, Marc Mtchum is there to give them a glimpse of “the real Outer Banks.” Mitchum, 62 and the owner of OBX Crabbing, runs three shrimping charters each weekday from mid-June into October on the Jodie Kae to supplement his commercial crabbing business.

“That’s why people come on my trip,” he said. “They want to get real fresh seafood, [to] take back to their cottage and eat, or [if] they’re fortunate enough, take some home to eat.”

Mitchum continued: “My group here was from Wisconsin and they don’t get good seafood in Wisconsin, so they come here, they go on my boat, and they’ve got plenty to eat. We take people from all over the United States to come here to experience how a commercial fisherman makes a living and then take home that seafood.”

Mitchum, originally from Chatham County, moved to the Outer Banks in 1984 for a career in fishing. The sound provided for his family. He and his wife, a Dare County educator, sent their four children to college.

“It’s been a good life,” Mitchum said. “My concern is not so much for me, it’s for these younger guys that are trying to fish. I’m glad my sons don’t want to fish because I think it’s going to be harder and harder – mainly because of government regulation, not because of a lack of a resource. The sound is so plentiful of fish, shrimp and crabs.”

The state, however, canceled the annual flounder season in 2024 due to concerns about over-fishing. This year’s season lasts just two weeks with a maximum of one fish of at least 15 inches.

Read the full article at WRAL News

NORTH CAROLINA: On the Outer Banks, a shrimp ban would rewrite menus — and livelihoods

August 8, 2025 — In a kitchen that runs on the tide, Vicki Basnight’s crew was cleaning 300 pounds of shrimp ahead of the dinner rush. Basnight, who calls herself the “jack of all trades” of the restaurant, has spent three decades serving North Carolina seafood at Basnight’s Lone Cedar Café and, each fall working the water herself.

“I also do commercial fishing during shrimping season,” she said. “We are a rare breed that still commercial fish as women. To me, it’s in my blood.”

As lawmakers in Raleigh debate whether to restrict shrimp trawling in inshore waters, Basnight says the fight is personal. The shrimp she buys is harvested in the same sounds she grew up on.

“I love it. I love every bit of being on the water. It’s not like work to me,” she said. “It’s always been in the Roanoke Sound and that’s just been a passion of mine. It’s heritage. Really, everything I learned, I learned from my granddad.”

That heritage, and the local supply chain it supports, was thrust into uncertainty this summer when a last-minute amendment in the General Assembly sought to ban shrimp trawling in North Carolina’s sounds and within a half-mile of the coast. The measure, which supporters said would protect fish habitat, passed the Senate but stalled in the House. Senate leader Phil Berger has said the push is not over.

Read the full article at WRAL

NORTH CAROLINA: NC shrimp trawling ban bill saga ends

July 11, 2025 — House Bill 442, introduced in April, aimed to extend the recreational flounder fishing season to six weeks and establish a year-round red snapper season with catch limits.

The bill passed the House in May with bipartisan support and was sent to the Senate. After that, the bill’s focus shifted dramatically when the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Energy, and Environment met June 17.

During that meeting, Sen. David Craven (R-Randolph) proposed a committee substitute with a ban on shrimp trawling in all inshore waters, including sounds, estuaries, rivers and within a half mile of the Atlantic shoreline. The change, which would go into effect Dec.1, proposed making it a Class A1 misdemeanor for violating the bill’s ban.

Environmental groups like the North Carolina Wildlife Federation and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission supported the change, citing rates of bycatch of juvenile fish and various marine habitat damage.

The shrimp industry, including the North Carolina Fisheries Association and Southern Shrimp Alliance, opposed the ban. They argued that 70-80% of shrimp come from inshore waters, and many small boats can’t operate offshore. Also cited were existing regulations addressing environmental concerns, like weekend trawling bans and nursery areas closed since 1978.

The Senate’s changes were added without prior notice to House sponsors or the shrimp industry. The Senate passed the amended bill June 19 with a 39-4 vote.

Coastal area Sens. Tom Lazzara (R-Onslow) and Norman Sanderson (R-Pamlico) voted against it in committee. Lazzara and Sen. Bobby Hanig (R-Currituck), who also opposed the change, were not present at the Senate vote sending the measure to the House.

Read the full article at North State Journal

NORTH CAROLINA: Proposed coalition to N.C. coastal counties seeks to protect fishing industry

July 11, 2025 — At the end of June, a bill that would have banned shrimp trawling on the North Carolina coast was killed in the North Carolina House of Representatives.

Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard is now proposing a coastal community coalition.

This proposal comes with future fights on the issue in mind and amplifying the voices of coastal communities under one umbrella.

“We’re trying to save an industry that’s been around since mankind began,” said Woodard.

Read the full article at WTKR

NORTH CAROLINA: Shrimp trawling ban defeated in House Republican caucus

June 26, 2025 — Shrimpers spoke, and the Republican caucus of the North Carolina House of Representatives listened.

Legislation potentially fatal to the coastal industry, its leaders said, will rest in the Rules Committee of the lower chamber. A Wednesday afternoon session was delayed more than 90 minutes awaiting the decision that rejected the Senate’s insertion of a shrimp trawling ban within a half mile of the shoreline.

The North Carolina Fishers Association, at 3:30 Wednesday afternoon, posted in all caps to its social media, “HB442 trawl ban is dead!”

Sen. Phil Berger, the Rockingham County Republican and president pro tempore, stood by his chamber’s move. Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, pushed for a deeper dive on the decision. Steve Troxler, sixth term Republican state agriculture commissioner, on Monday respectfully confirmed opposition to the trawling ban.

Read the full article at The Center Square

NORTH CAROLINA: Proposed NC shrimp trawl ban defeated

June 26, 2025 — The North Carolina state House declined to act Wednesday on legislation that would ban shrimp trawling in sounds and with 0.5 miles of shore, a victory for commercial fishermen who mounted a week of protects at the state capitol.

“The trawl ban has been defeated,” the North Carolina Fisheries Association announced in an email to supporters, shortly after Republican lawmakers emerged from a caucus meeting around 3 p.m.

“After a long two weeks of emails, calls, one on one conversations, and driving to Raleigh we have come together and defeated the trawl ban!” the announcement read. “Thank you all again for coming out and standing together to support each other! We could not have done this without your support in this tremendous David vs. Goliath battle!”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman