Tag Archives: North Carolina.
Capt. Charlie Griffin, ‘Wicked Tuna’ star, dies in boating accident on the Outer Banks; passenger missing
Capt. Charlie “Griff” Griffin of “Wicked Tuna” fame died on the Outer Banks after his boat went missing Sunday night near Oregon Inlet. A person with him remained missing Monday evening, Around 11:35 p.m. Sunday, the Coast Guard received a report of two overdue boaters transiting in a recreational vessel from Virginia Beach to Wanchese, where the boat was going for repairs, a Coast Guard spokesperson said by phone. The last communication with those on the boat had been about 6:15 p.m. Sunday. The Coast Guard and local first responders were searching the oceanfront between Nags Head and Rodanthe by water and ATV on the beach when the boat was found south of Oregon Inlet about 70 yards off shore in the break, the spokesperson said. more, >>click to read<< 17:32
State fisheries advisory committees to review issue paper on trawling closures to protect submerged aquatic vegetation
A controversial proposal that could lead to shrimp trawling area closures to protect submerged aquatic vegetation took a step toward future consideration by the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission last week. The commission, policy-making arm of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, voted during its quarterly business meeting in New Bern to refer an issue paper pertaining to the concept to its northern, southern and shellfish/crustacean advisory committees to get input from the public. Glenn Skinner, executive director of the N.C. Fisheries Association, a Morehead City-based trade and lobbying group for commercial watermen, said he and his members are concerned, in part because the state has already permanently or seasonally closed more than 1.2 million acres of estuarine waters to shrimp trawling. more, >>click to read<< 10:18
An era ends: Wanchese seafood operation to close in March
Started as a small business 88 years ago by a native Outer Banks fisherman, the Wanchese Fish Co., now a global behemoth, is closing the doors of its production fish offloading and packing operations here. The fish operation on Mill Landing Road in this historic fishing village on the south end of Roanoke Island will be shuttered March 29,,, Wanchese Fish Co., located along the wharf in Wanchese Marine Industrial Park, was purchased by Cooke Seafood USA in 2015, part of the Cooke family’s international aquaculture and seafood company. The Wanchese company had maintained its family-owned operation after the sale. Wanchese Trawl & Supply Co., a marine and fishing equipment retail store that Wanchese Fish Co. started in 1976, will remain open, Richardson said. Also, Shoreland Transport USA, an associated cargo and freight company based in Suffolk, will continue to operate its Outer Banks route. more, >>click to read<< 10:57
50 commercial watermen and women help with 10th annual Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project
The North Carolina Coastal Federation has announced that the 10th year of its Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project is wrapping up, and usable, tagged lost gear is ready to be reclaimed. The Coastal Federation said that along the state’s coast, 50 commercial watermen and women collectively spent nearly 150 working days on the water throughout January retrieving lost crab pots from the sounds. An additional part of the project will take place in Marine Patrol District 1 in the northeast region, the nonprofit said. Whole pots, in good condition, recovered from the Albemarle and Pamlico Sound region will be available for the rightful property owners to claim. This includes crab pots retrieved from the Virginia state line and Manteo to Swan Quarter and from the Outer Banks to Ocracoke. more, >>click to read<< 09:25
Harkers Island residents demand removal of neglected shrimp boat disrupting local harbor
The bottom line is the community wants this eyesore gone. Miss Becky has drifted around Brooks Creek Harbor for 2 years. It’s labeled as a derelict vessel by the Wildlife Resource Commission, which means it’s a vessel that is neglected with an identifiable owner. The owner is Douglas Oneil Junior who was just released from prison after being convicted of felony littering charges with his vessels. He faces those same charges with this shrimp boat. Video, more, >>click to read<< 09:11
A Voice for Commercial Fishermen – Sharon Lee Peele Kennedy of Buxton, North Carolina has passed away
Born February 9, 1956, Sharon Lee Peele Kennedy, a lady known for her beautiful smile and her passion for life, passed peacefully at her home in Buxton on January 26, 2024, with her beloved sons by her side and surrounded by her loving family. Sharon was the force that started NC Catch and became a voice for the commercial fishing industry. Sharon’s name will forever be part of NC Catch, Outer Banks Catch, and the Outer Banks Seafood Festival. Being the daughter of a commercial fisherman, her passion ran deep for the industry. Just as passionate about cooking, Sharon wrote multiple cookbooks and hosted a radio show for the past ten years that carried the name of her cookbooks, “What’s for Supper.” more, >>click to read<< 08:55
Fisheries division schedules day-long symposium on troubled summer flounder fishery
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF) has scheduled a day-long symposium on the southern flounder fishery, which is in such bad shape that the spring season was canceled in 2023 and the fall season was only a couple of weeks long. The event will be Wednesday, March 20 at the Riverfront Convention Center in New Bern and will begin at 9 a.m. The symposium will provide an opportunity for stakeholders, researchers and division staff to discuss various topics related to southern flounder, which up until the last few years has been one of the most valuable finfish species harvested by commercial and recreational fishermen in the state. more, >>click to read<< 07:41
Commercial Fisherman Thomas Woodrow “Tommy Derr” Johnson of North Carolina has passed away
Thomas Woodrow “Tommy Derr” Johnson, 80, crossed the sandbar on January 5th, 2023 at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, NC after a short illness. Fishing was Tommy’s life. For nearly 70 years, he spent the majority of his time beach “seine” fishing with a truck & dory and whatever hands he could get. Of those hands, he spent many years teaching & passing along his knowledge and experience of his craft to many cousins, nieces, nephews and scallywags along the way. He also loved gillnet fishing in the Sound and crabbed & shrimped for fun with family recreationally. When not fishing for a living, he spent many a day hanging and mending nets, working on boats, gear or docks. Even well into his seventies , Tommy had dreams to go on one last fishing trip. more, >>click to read<< 08:15
Why You Should Eat Wild Caught Fish From the Great Lakes
We have been following the plight of commercial fishing on the Great Lakes for several years. As a result, we have been contacted by folks around the country to let us know that the assault on commercial fishing for wild caught fish is happening not only in Michigan but also in every fishing area in North America. If things don’t change soon, Michigan’s remaining dozen commercial fish operations will cease. This means we must import fish like Walleye and Perch from Canada. This means restaurants, the American Legion, and other pubs offering fresh Great Lakes fish today may be unable to offer it tomorrow. Everheart gives some of the best descriptions of the asinine rules that commercial fishers operate in the Outer Banks as they do here in Michigan. She also outlines some chilling facts about farm-raised seafood that Americans import and consume from Asia and Canada. Photos, Video, >>click to read<< 13:25
Fisheries Association still contends tough new rules for mullet fishery are unnecessary
With three N.C. Marine Fisheries advisory committees set this week to make recommendations for changes in the striped mullet management plan, a trade and lobbying group for commercial fishermen is still saying tougher restrictions on the fishery are not needed. In an email Monday, Glenn Skinner, executive director of the Morehead City-based N.C. Fisheries Association said, “The most current DMF data and anecdotal reports from stakeholders seeing more mullet than have been seen in decades suggest that the striped mullet stock is rapidly expanding. “Yet,” Skinner added, “DMF has disregarded these obvious and undeniable signs of improvement and, once again, recommended draconian reductions that seem totally unnecessary when all relevant data is considered. more, >>click to read<< 13:35
Michael Burden Clarkin “Captain Mike”, of North Carolina, has passed away
Michael Burden Clarkin, born in Corpus Christi, Texas on October 21, 1950, died on the Outer Banks of North Carolina on January 5, 2024, after a long illness. On the Outer Banks, Mike found his happy place and spent the rest of his life there. This is where “Captain Mike” was born. He spent years at the helm of multiple charter and commercial fishing boats, even gaining the honor of Captain of the Year in 1994. If you were to look through the annals of captains on the Outer Banks, you would find many who started under the guidance of Captain Mike. more, >>click to read<< 11:30
Hook, line and sinking: What’s the future of NC’s commercial fishing industry?
With a well-trained hook of the line by one of the founders and co-owners of Wilmington’s Seaview Crab Company, a few loops around the puller and a flick of a switch, the crab pot soon emerged. Inside the pot, a dozen or so blue crabs scampered around, some using their impressive claws to attach themselves to the mesh-sides of the cage. “It’s not always easy, but this never gets old,” Romano, 44, said as he emptied the crabs into a holding bin before checking to make sure they were all of legal size, the lucky ones getting tossed back into the waterway. The others were divided by size into containers to be sold individually − “These are the ones everyone wants,” Romano joked as he held up a good-sized crab − or to be sent to a crab house to be picked apart for their meat. photos, more, >>click to read<< 07:12
Lifelong Commercial Fisherman Carlton Maxwell Muse, Sr. of Pamlico, North Carolina has passed away
Carlton Maxwell Muse Sr. passed peacefully at 92 years old in his home on Sunday, November 12, 2023, while watching the sunrise over Broad Creek. According to his birth certificate, Carlton was debatably born on July 31, 1931, but his mother told him otherwise. Carlton “Mack,” or “Son” as he was referred to by his parents, was as salty as they come. He was a proud U.S. Coast Guard Veteran, serving in both active duty and USCG reserves. He was also a lifelong commercial fisherman, who was once air lifted off the F/V Miss Pamlico when she hit the bottom in Oregon Inlet. Year after year he would trawl the waters from the Mid- Atlantic all the way to Key West, Fla. He loved fishing so much that he would move his family to the Keys once a year, just for shrimp season. Carlton and his family would always find their way back home, to Little Pamlico. When he finally grew tired of the wind in his face, the salt in his hair, and missing Shirley May way too often, he opened C.M. Muse Seafood. >>click to read<< 07:40
Fish house keeps fresh fish on the table
Every day, the Ocracoke Seafood Company sends about 4,500 pounds of locally caught fish off to places beyond. Sometimes Shane Mason gets up at 3 a.m. to drive the refrigerated truck on a four-plus-hour run to drop off the previous day’s catch to Jeffrey’s in Hatteras. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are big market days, he said while icing down fish brought in by one of several local commercial fishermen, packing them into boxes and loading them onto pallets. From Jeffrey’s, the Ocracoke catch goes all over, especially to New York and overseas. Locally, restaurants and individuals can partake in that bounty by purchasing fish and shellfish in the retail area of Ocracoke’s “fish house,” as it is known. This operation is helping to keep the island’s few commercial fishermen working and there’s been a renewed interest by the fishermen and the community to revitalize the business, said Stevie Wilson, vice-president of the board of directors. Photos, >>click to read<< 19:04
Bluefin Tuna Get It On off North Carolina
In November 1981, a fleet of briefcase-toting lobbyists, scientists, and political negotiators gathered in sunny Tenerife, Spain, to decide the fate of Atlantic bluefin tuna. Representing more than a dozen countries, including Canada, the United States, Spain, and Italy, the besuited men knew crisis loomed. Since the early 1970s, rising global demand for bluefin flesh had spurred fishing fleets—hailing from ports on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean—to kill untold thousands of the wide-ranging predator every year. Under this heavy fishing pressure, primarily driven by the Japanese appetite for sushi-grade tuna, the species careened toward collapse. During the meeting in Tenerife, the American delegation to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas proposed a disarmingly simple solution: they would draw a line down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and split the bluefin into two separate stocks. >>click to read<< 08:19
Community rallies for NC shrimper after boat fire
A local shrimper in Beaufort lost everything in a boat fire last weekend. Now, the community is rallying behind him to help get him back on the water. The F/V Lady Logan was owned by Jerry Kellum for the last eight years. “When I started shrimping, I played in the creek when I was about 6 years old and I loved it,” said Jerry. He’s carried on the shrimping tradition of his family for over 50 years. Then, last Friday, his most prized possession and way of income was destroyed. “I got in about 10:30 from shrimping on the straits, and I left and the boat was fine. They call me about three o’clock, it was on fire and that was it from there,” said Kellum. >>click to read<< 11:47
Will small boats soon have to slow down off NC to protect North Atlantic Right Whales?
Vessel speed limits to help avoid fatal collisions between ships and one of the most endangered animals in the world that has fallen to around 350 individuals have gone back into effect off the U.S. Southeastern coast, including parts of North Carolina. The seasonal-management areas, or SMAs, limit the speed of most vessels 65 feet or longer to 10 knots, about 11.5 mph, in areas known to have heavy ship traffic that are also migratory routes or known calving grounds for the North Atlantic right whale. The go-slow zones, which run from November through April and have been in effect for more than a decade, extend about 20 nautical miles, or 23 miles, offshore and include areas around Morehead City and Beaufort and within 23 miles from shore between Wilmington and Brunswick, Ga. >>click to read<< 15:46
‘Catastrophic crisis’: Imported shrimp flood US market
Foreign shrimp imports are overwhelming the country’s inventories of shrimp and driving market prices for locally sourced shrimp to record lows, prompting widespread calls from elected officials and organizations throughout southern Atlantic and Gulf Coast states for the federal government to declare a fishery resource disaster. Governors of coastal states from North Carolina to Florida to Texas are being pressed to ask U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to determine a fishery resource disaster for the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery. In what one North Carolina coastal county’s board of commissioners refer to as an “unprecedented catastrophic crisis,” shrimpers are struggling to maintain operations because they’re making substantially less for their catch while paying historically high fuel prices and other inflation-driven costs. Shrimpers are also being forced to dock their freezer boats, or vessels with onboard freezers, because they can’t move their product in a market flooded with frozen shrimp from overseas. >>click to read<< 09:40
County lawmakers request fishery resource disaster determination amidst nationwide shrimp disaster
On Sept. 18 the Pamlico County Commissioners adopted a resolution urging North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper to consider submitting a request for a fishery resource disaster determination to the NC Secretary of Commerce. Craven County followed suit and adopted a similar resolution on October 2. According to these resolutions, the global supply of farm-raised shrimp imports into the United States has reached record highs. This imported shrimp now dominates cold storages, distribution hubs, and the American market at a level that is devastating to US operators. This influx of imported shrimp into the American market has caused significant revenue loss, and loss of access to the shrimp fisheries themselves, for small family-owned supporting businesses, and other supporting businesses. >>click to read<< 09:47
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update: October 23, 2023: The ASMFC
Last week I had a reader who was interested in understanding more about what the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is and how they fit in with North Carolina fisheries management. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) held their 81st Annual Meeting in Beaufort, NC last week. Although no hot button issues were on the agenda last week, a lot of other necessary fisheries management issues were discussed and voted on. In fact, many of the rules and regulations on how North Carolina manages our inshore species comes directly from ASMFC decisions. The ASMFC began in 1942 when the Atlantic Coast States realized that their shared migratory fish stocks would be more sustainable and better managed as coast-wide stocks rather than being managed solely at the state level. This is expressed in the ASMFC vision statement, “Sustainable and Cooperative Management of Atlantic Coastal Fisheries”. >>click to read<<,10: 50
Commercial fleet owner Julius Leroy Whorton of North Crolina has passed away
Julius Leroy Whorton, 84, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family and friends on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. Leroy, as he was known, was born in South Creek, North Carolina. on March 31, 1939, to the late Clara Myrtice Mayo Whorton and the late Julius Timothy Whorton. He was also preceded in death by his brother, Daniel Atwood Whorton. Leroy graduated from New Bern High School in New Bern, North Carolina, Georgia Military College and received scholarships to play football for Wake Forest and University of Georgia. After college, Leroy built his career in the seafood industry with a fleet of commercial fishing boats, working the oceans from Alaska to Texas, Key West to Virginia, and North Carolina to Nova Scotia. >>click to read<< 10:54
Marine Constructor/ Commercial Shrimper Arnold Roland Melton of Wilmington, N.C. has passed away
Arnold Roland Melton, 67 of Wilmington, NC affectionately known as Bimbo, quietly sailed away on Monday October 9, 2023, leaving behind a wake of laughter and cherished memories. Born in Wilmington, North Carolina on August 9, 1956, Bimbo was a true saltwater soul, forever tied to the shores and seas that he loved. Bimbo’s career spanned various marine adventures, from his days in Marine Construction to his time as a Commercial Shrimper. He rode the waves with a spirit of determination and grit, always ready to conquer whatever obstacles lay before him. When Bimbo wasn’t busy conquering the high seas, you could find him cheering on his favorite NASCAR drivers with a cold brew in hand. His passion for speed and competition was unmatched, and he took great pride in sharing his love for the sport with his family and friends. >>click to read<< 14:50
U.S. offshore wind plans are utterly collapsing
Offshore wind developer Ørsted has delayed its New Jersey Ocean Wind 1 project to 2026. Previously, the company had announced construction of the project would begin in October 2023. The delay was attributed to supply chain issues, higher interest rates, and a failure so far to garner enough tax credits from the federal government. For now, they are not walking away from all their U.S. projects but will reconsider long-term plans by the end of this year. Ørsted’s stock price has fallen 30% in 5 days. This is just the latest bad news for offshore win. >>click to read<<10:57
Commercial Fisherman James Alan Ruhle, Sr. of Wanchese, N.C. has passed away
The commercial fishing industry has lost one of its biggest advocates, James Alan Ruhle, Sr., at the age of 75. Twenty-one weeks to the hour after his bride, he set out for the last time on the morning of September 28, 2023. Born in Oceanside, NY on January 4, 1948, to the late Phil and Gloria Ruhle, James later moved to Wanchese at the age of 15, where he made his home for over 60 years. In 1966, he married the love of his wife, Kathy Daniels, and followed his dream of working on the water as a commercial fisherman. Although Jimmy did not finish high school, the education he received in the ocean surpassed anything taught from a textbook. If there was anyone who had fishing in his veins, it was Jimmy. He recognized early on the importance of sustainability in the fishing industry. He served nine years faithfully on the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council and positively affected the industry through legislation. Although he loved his family dearly, his most prized possession is the F/V Darana R, which he had proudly and successfully captained for almost 50 years! So many times, he’d say with a big smile and heart full of pride; “That ol boat has been good to us,” and he was right!>>click to read<< 11:55
Beaufort’s shrimping industry on the brink. Local boats sit while imported catch floods market
Thursday at Village Creek on St. Helena Island was another picture postcard-worthy morning with an American flag lilting in a slight southeast breeze near the shrimper Gracie Bell — idly tied to the dock. At Sea Eagle Market, a catch of shrimp swept up in the nets of trawlers in recent days are being processed by small group of dockside workers. They clean the valuable seafood crop harvested from waters as far away as North Carolina to the northeast coast of Florida before being sold locally and up and down the Palmetto State’s coast. After this recent harvest was completed, the boats returned, as they always do — to Village Creek, home base for shrimping on Fripp and Hunting Islands in Beaufort County and beyond. Against this serene backdrop, a storm is brewing that threatens destruction. It is not the threat of foul weather, these shrimpers have seen generations of bad weather days. The storm brewing is economic for the community of shrimpers and related businesses. >click to read< 10:10
North Carolina: State’s shrimping industry needs Cooper’s support
As the state’s shrimping industry faces a perfect storm of challenges that may result in the demise of hundreds of family owned fishing businesses, it is time for Governor Cooper to show that he is as committed to the small entrepreneur as he is the large industrial investors that he continually promotes whenever a ribbon cutting opportunity arises. John Williams, executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance has sent a letter to eight coastal governors, including North Carolina’s, asking their support both financially and politically as the domestic shrimping industry faces unprecedented challenges to its existence. So far the alliance has not received a positive response. Describing the situation as “an unprecedented catastrophic crisis that threatens its (the domestic shrimping industry’s) very existence,” William’s letter notes that foreign imports along with high fuel prices are devastating “the many family-owned businesses that are the core of the economies of coastal communities.” >>click to read<< 08:36
Shrimp Alliance request fisheries disaster declaration
There’s no other way to put it if you ask Aaron Wallace. Despite a decent catch by the eight shrimp boats that supply Anchored Shrimp Co. in Brunswick, the prices fishermen are getting for their hauls aren’t what they should be. “It’s been one of our toughest years,” Wallace said. He and his father, John Wallace, own Anchored Shrimp and operate the Gale Force, one of the boats that serve the company’s retail and wholesale business. The Southern Shrimp Alliance, for which John Wallace serves as a member of the board of directors, is calling the flood of imported shrimp a crisis. The alliance asked the governors of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas in a letter on Aug. 25 to collectively request a fisheries disaster determination by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce for the U.S. shrimp fishery. >>click to read<< 11:06
Commercial Fisherman Carl Blackman, Jr., of New Bern, North Carolina has passed away
Carl O’Brian Blackman, Jr., 65, passed away August 26, 2023, surrounded by his family. Carl was known for his sense of humor, loyalty, kindness, and love for his family and friends. He was a jack of all trades, a highly skilled, self-taught mechanic, specializing in diesel marine motors, and a lifetime commercial fisherman. In addition to his love for crabbing, Carl was very passionate about his work. He worked at Bryan Wholesale, for the City of New Bern as the Heavy Equipment Manager, and at B&J Seafood for the past 20+ years as a mechanic and commercial fisherman. >>click to read<< 15:00
Murray Bridges, NC soft-crab industry pioneer, has passed away
Murray Bridges, the visionary Outer Banks fisherman who remade tiny Colington Island into a behemoth of the soft-shell crab industry in North Carolina, died Tuesday morning after being infected by the Vibrio bacteria two days earlier while tending his crab shedders. Bridges, who owned and operated Endurance Seafood Co. off Colington Road since 1976, was 89. “One week ago, he was setting peeler pots and fishing them,” Willy Phillips, a close friend and a fellow crabber, told Coastal Review Wednesday. “So, he fished to the end. That was Murray — his work ethic was incredible.” A native of Wanchese, Bridges was instrumental in establishing soft-shell crab as a profitable shellfish product in North Carolina, while also insisting on the highest standards. >click to read< 08:40
Commercial fishing industry deserves greater appreciation
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