Tag Archives: North Carolina.
South Atlantic: NMFS accepting input on “ropeless” black sea bass pots
The National Marine Fisheries Service is accepting comments on an application for an exempted fishing permit from Sustainable Seas Technology Inc. The applicant proposes deploying modified black sea bass pots with acoustic subsea buoy retrieval systems in federal waters off North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and northeastern Florida. Adaptation of “ropeless” systems for this style of pot fishing could reduce risk to these whales and other marine animals that suffer entanglements, according to the applicant. >click to read< 09:56 fixed gear
The story of the Maine fishing boat sunk by a torpedo off North Carolina
F/V Snoopy was a wooden scallop dragger whose home port was Portland, Maine. In May of 1965, while dragging for scallops off the coast of North Carolina, she was sunk by a German torpedo. One night, just after 9 PM, the crew of the Snoopy, one of about 40 scallop vessels in the area that night, pulled in their nets. Looking at the catch, they noticed something that did not belong: a German G7e torpedo! The weapon was massive. That particular type of torpedo was over 20 feet long and it weighed in at over 3,500 pounds. Despite the potential danger of bringing an unexploded torpedo aboard, the crew made the decision not to just cut it loose. >click to read<, and >click here< 12:53
Commercial Fisherman Dusten William Abbott of Manteo, N.C, has passed away
Dusten William Abbott, 40, of Manteo, N,C, passed away suddenly Thursday, January 27, 2022. Dusten was born September 30, 1981 in Edenton, NC. He was the son of Ray Abbott, Sr. and Michelle Congleton. Dusten had great love for being on the water. He grew up beach fishing with the whole family. Dusten’s love of fishing led him to become a commercial fisherman. He did everything from long lining to working on trawl boats. But most of all, he was always ready to go shrimping, which he enjoyed tremendously. Dusten had a heart of gold. >click to read< 17:14
North Carolina fishermen pull up lost crab pots in effort to clean up the coast
On a cold and blustery morning, Keith Bruno, a commercial fisherman from Pamlico County, loads up his boat and heads out. Today, he’s not looking for his typical catch. That’s because he’s searching for lost crab pots. “By daybreak, maybe a little before, we get the boat ready,” Bruno said. “We’ll put the boat in the water and immediately start searching.” This year is Bruno’s seventh year being a part of the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s (NCCF) lost fishing gear recovery program. video, >click to read< 15:45
Commercial fishing boat catches fire in Wanchese Harbor
No injuries were reported following a fire early Sunday morning aboard an (unidentified) commercial fishing vessel docked in Wanchese. Crews from Roanoke Island Volunteer Fire Department were called to a dock across the harbor from Wanchese Marine Industrial Park in the 4300 block of N.C. 345/Mill Landing Road just after midnight. When crews first arrived from Roanoke Island Volunteer Fire Department, heavy smoke was showing from the boat. photos, >click to read< 19:37
North Carolina: Southern flounder amendment going to advisory committees, DMF seeks comment
State fisheries managers are proposing more changes to southern flounder regulations to reduce flounder removals by 72%. The proposals include phasing out anchored, large mesh gill nets from the fishery. However, N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries staff want public and advisory committee input before they make any recommendations to the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission. To continue reducing removals, the draft Amendment 3 contains a suite of additional proposed management options. Michael Loeffler said while phasing out the gill nets may reduce landings, the effect on both the economy and the fishery are uncertain. (I think we already know), >click to read< 15:00
Safeguarding the Outer Banks’ commercial fishing heritage by supporting the livelihoods of local fishermen
Dare County has released a video titled, “Dare County’s Commercial Fishing Industry: Safeguarding the Community’s Longstanding Heritage by Supporting the Livelihoods of Local Fishermen,” as part of the county’s ongoing effort to inform members of the public as well as state and national legislators about the impact that increased regulation is having on the those who work within the commercial fishing industry. >Video, click to read< 10:11
What’s on the line? Atlantic bluefin tuna
The Atlantic bluefin tuna season ranks high enough up on the fishing world calendar that the fish even has two of its own television shows. This species is one of the largest open ocean migratory species of finfish found in the northwest Atlantic. Many fish are caught weighing well over 1,000 pounds and measuring 8 feet or more in length. In North Carolina, the Atlantic bluefin tuna can be found year-round at varying degrees of availability, but are usually the most plentiful from January through March and into April off the Outer Banks, and November through December, with fish numbers increasing in October. >click to read< 11:57
F/V Bald Eagle II: Shrimp trawler hauled off the beach, now under tow
After sitting on the edge of the surf off Southern Shores for the last eight days, F/V Bald Eagle II returned to the sea thanks to a salvage tug from Charleston. The bow of the Bald Eagle II has been turned back into the waves as the tug John Joseph pulls a braided tow rope, while an excavator digs sand out from under the stern to help refloat the vessel. Photos, Video, >click to read< 16:31
F/V Bald Eagle II: Coast Guard oversees fishing vessel salvage near Duck, N.C.
The Coast Guard is overseeing the salvage and removal of a fishing vessel, Friday, that became grounded near Duck, N.C. On December 7, 2021, the Coast Guard rescued four fisherman from the disabled fishing vessel F/V Bald Eagle II off the North Carolina coast. The Coast Guard is working with the vessel owner and in coordination with state and local partners to mitigate impacts to the environment after the vessel ran aground near Southern Shores. The owner is continuing efforts to salvage the vessel and is working with an Oil Spill Removal Organization to safely remove the 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board. The cause of the grounding is currently under investigation by Coast Guard Sector North Carolina. -USCG- 21:30
Coast Guard aircrew hoist 4 fishermen from disabled commercial fishing vessel
A Coast Guard aircrew hoisted four fishermen from a disabled fishing vessel off the coast of Duck, N.C., Tuesday. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received a call at approximately 7:30 a.m. from the captain of the fishing vessel Bald Eagle II stating that his vessel was disabled and drifting towards shore. photos, >click to read< 15:48
Fishing trawler aground in rough seas in OBX Tuesday morning – Four fishermen rescued
A fishing trawler grounded in rough seas in the Outer Banks Tuesday morning. Four crew members from the F/V Bald Eagle II was airlifted a Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter from Station Elizabeth City. The F/V Bald Eagle II is a 78-foot-long steel-hulled trawler. >Video, click to read< – Coast Guard rescues four from disabled vessel off Southern Shores – According to USCG Petty Officer Stephen Lehmann, the call came in after the Bald Eagle II had become disabled and was drifting closer to shore. >click to read< 12:21
North Carolina: Marine Fisheries Commission selects options for shrimp management plan
The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission selected preferred management options for the draft Shrimp Fishery Management Plan Amendment 2,,,The commission selected options to permanently close all trawling in crab sanctuaries; to prohibit trawling in Bogue Sound and its tributaries except for the Intracoastal Waterway; and prohibit trawling in the Carolina Yacht Basin, except for the Intracoastal Waterway. However, the commission did not go forward with proposed regional area closures that would have prohibited trawling in most estuarine waters except for Pamlico Sound. >click to read< 13:45
Grounded fishing vessel stranded at Cape Hatteras National Seashore is now free
A fishing vessel previously grounded at Cape Hatteras National Seashore is now free. Officials posted about the stranded fishing vessel on Monday, although it is unclear how long the vessel has been grounded in the Seashore. The vessel named F/V Jonathan Ryan was found near off-road vehicle ramp 48 which is approximately 1.25 miles southeast of the Frisco Campground. >click to read< 08: 46
UPDATED: Fishing trawler aground near Frisco
A fishing trawler has run aground on the Outer Banks. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore says the F/V Jonathan Ryan is stuck in the surf about a mile south of the Frisco Campground. The trawler is 65 feet long and weighs some 113 tons. >click to read< and Fishing Vessel Grounds At Cape Hatteras National Seashore – National Park Service staff are monitoring a commercial fishing vessel that grounded at Cape Hatteras National 
Seashore (Seashore). The F/V JONATHAN RYAN is located near off-road vehicle ramp 48, approximately 1.25 miles southeast of the Frisco Campground. >click to read<, 11:55 Fishing trawler runs aground along southern Hatteras Island – The Jonathon Ryan fishing boat ran aground near Frisco NC. I have no information n what happened but there are still people on the ship and I’m sure it will get pulled back out. Authorities are on the scene. Video, >click to read< 13:29
Shrimp industry vital to Eastern North Carolina economy
A recent proposal from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries is shining new light on the impact the shrimping industry has on eastern North Carolina.,, That original proposition was voted down by state commissioners Thursday,,, Yet many shrimpers, and other county residents, are still reeling from the close call. One of those is 5th generation Shrimper, Cayton Daniels, who makes his entire living off of shrimping. He says he wouldn’t have survived the proposal’s closures. photos, >click to read< 08:41
A “shot across the bow”: Shrimp trawl decision was a close call for consumers
After two days of public hearings during which few participants voiced any support for the proposed closures, the commission voted 5-4 to include an additional 10,000 acres to the existing 1 million acres already closed to shrimp trawling. Ostensibly the proposed closure, had it been approved, would have shut down approximately 119 small independent commercial shrimpers whose vessels, ranging 35-50 feet in length, are too small to trawl in the open ocean. But, as the large number of speakers noted during the Marine Fisheries Commission meeting noted, the closure would have far greater impact. >click to read< 09:19
Mullet fishermen: A journey from Carteret County to Florida
The salt mullet trade to Cuba began to fade at the end of the 19th century, however. In the 1880s and 1890s, the first railroads reached Tampa. The railroads then began to inch further into southwest Florida, opening up the fresh fish trade to other parts of the United States for the first time. Like so many in Carteret County, Miss Lela’s husband wasn’t going to miss out on the opportunity. “So in July of 1911 we come on the sharpie to Morehead (City), me and him and our first two children, and then we got on the train to New Bern and stayed the night,” Miss Lela told Ben Green. They took the train to Tampa, boarded a steamer down the coast to Bradenton and then took a taxi to Cortez. “Once we got settled I liked it,” Miss Lela remembered. “But that first year I was still so homesick for North Carolina that I cried all Christmas Day.” photos, >click to read< 13:15
NCFC votes down controversial shrimp FMP recommendations, hand-pick preferred measures
The amendment, particularly recommended closures, has faced considerable opposition, including from commercial shrimpers, consumers and government officials. The DMF recommended to the MFC a suite of management measures that included closing 315,206 acres of coastal waters to shrimp trawling to reduce bycatch. Combined with existing areas closed to trawling, the division recommendations would have closed 62.1% of the state’s estuarine waters to such activity. After lengthy deliberation, about 55 speakers during two public comment periods and a motion on the DMF recommendations failing 4-5, the commission selected it’s preferred management measures,,, >click to read< 21:49
Shrimpers, citizens voice concerns at meeting with N.C. Marine Fisheries officials
People from across Eastern North Carolina who want shrimp trawling to remain open showed up in Emerald Isle Wednesday night for a public hearing. Shrimpers, fishermen, business owners and customers were out in full force to plead with the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission. “I feel like this is not a shrimp fishery management plan, neither is it a bycatch management plan. I feel like this is a commercial fisherman elimination plan,” said Ted Smith. “If you proceed with what you’re doing, you will not only affect the fisheries, you will affect the schools, you will affect the hospitals, you will affect the crime rate,” said one New Bern woman. >Video, click to read< 12:58
Closing inland shrimping will cost the consuming public more
More than just the livelihood of approximately 119 small, independent commercial fishing businesses stand to be hurt by a proposed N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries recommendation closing large swaths of inland waters to shrimping. This decision will have a negative impact on the primary stakeholders of this fishery, hundreds of thousands of consumers who enjoy fresh, local wild caught seafood. The DMF proposal, entitled Amendment 2 to the state’s Shrimp Fisheries Management Plan, notes that the shrimp fishery is “consistently one of the top two commercial fisheries by value” in the state. In 2019 this fishery had a “dockside value of over $22 million,,, Not noted in this report is the consumer benefit of the fishery which is difficult to quantify. >click to read< 07:53
North Carolina: With possible shrimp trawl closures, concern over ‘detrimental’ proposal
State fisheries managers are scheduled to choose preferred management options for shrimp at their next meeting, and the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries recommends closing more coastal waters to shrimp trawls. According to one local shrimper, these closures could put a lot of local fishermen out of business. “It puts the little man out of business, the people with boats in the 40- to 50-foot range,” Mr. Davis said. >click to read< 08:19
In a bayman’s death is a lesson
On a summer day in August, a memorial was held at Green River Cemetery in Springs for a man named Dan King, who had died in North Carolina in April 2020. Dan grew up in the Springs section of East Hampton, where his family had roots going back three centuries to the first European settlers. Dan was a fisherman, specifically a member of the haul-seining community. That’s a method of fishing in which dories are launched from the beach into the surf and nets are spread out to encircle schools of striped bass that are then winched onto the shore. The Kings had done it for generations, as had members of the Lester family. >click to read< 13:09
Texas to Suspend Flounder Season as stocks continue to decline throughout the Gulf and South Atlantic
One of the most sought after saltwater fish on the Texas Coast will be off limits to commercial and sport fishermen starting Nov. 1. Citing negative trends and large scale declines in flounder populations over the past several decades, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will suspend the year round flounder season during a six-week period ending on Dec. 15.,, The fish’s native range stretches from North Carolina southward into Mexico, and nearly all of the states in this coastal region are witnessing similar population declines. >click to read< 12:30
You gotta read this! Congress considers extensive appropriations for environment, fisheries
A congressional committee recently proposed billions of dollars in environment, and fisheries related appropriations, which may help protect and restore the North Carolina coast and its fisheries. Not everyone supports the proposed appropriations, however. N.C. Fisheries Association director of government relations Jerry Schill said in a strongly-worded email Oct. 9 to the News-Times he has no plans on reading, studying or lobbying for or against the proposed budget. Mr. Schill said he was in Washington, D.C., Sept. 28 to work on labor issues that relate to commercial fishing.,, “It was a frustrating day because, well D.C. just plain sucks,” Mr. Schill said. “ >click to read< 14:59 (Billions $$$ to NOAA!)
Video: Shop in Shallotte creates nets for fishermen from the Pamlico Sound to Keys West
It’s one of the last shops of its kind, a little place in Shallotte that makes and repairs big nets fishermen use to catch shrimp. They sew them by hand for shrimpers up and down the coast. >click to watch< 12:15
“We’re in pretty bad shape,” Commercial fishermen, fishing industry decline over the past 20 years
North Carolina commercial fishermen have complained for decades that government regulations and a variety of other factors threaten their livelihood and have them headed the way of endangered species. Glenn Skinner of Newport, executive director of the North Carolina Fisheries Association an advocacy group of commercial fishermen, said statistics back that up. “These declines are the result of many different factors. with regulations, the fear of future regulations or outright bans on commercial fishing gears being a significant factor,” Skinner said. He said public perception and political agendas drive the regulations. >click to read< 11:26
Potter’s Seafood carries on the “historic heritage” of Southport
The small yellow building tucked in the corner of Southport’s Yacht Basin represents what’s left of the once prominent and bustling seafood industry in the town. The building is home to Potter’s Seafood, an institution in Southport that’s been selling local seafood since 1899. Royce Potter is carrying on the family tradition as the fifth generation of Potters to catch and sell seafood along the waterfront of Southport. The town, located at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, once revolved around the fishing industry but now relies on tourism and Potter’s is the last of its kind. Video, photos, >click to read< 10:22
North Carolina commercial fishermen landed less seafood last year
In 2020, 42.9 million pounds of fish and shellfish were sold, a decrease of 19% from 2019 and about a 23% decrease from the previous five-year average, according to the Division of Marine Fisheries. The decrease in commercial harvest was linked to a 41.3% decrease in hard blue crab landings from 2019, which may be related to COVID-19 impacts. The Division of Marine Fisheries said several fishermen told officials that they found it difficult to move blue crabs at the beginning of the state’s stay-at-home order when many restaurants were closed. >click to read< 15:26
Political science drives net ban referendum – most people don’t even know what a gill net is
Cape Carteret town commissioners’ decision last week to endorse a statewide referendum on the use of gill nets in the state’s coastal waters indicates a willingness to relegate complex scientific issues to a political decision. This devalues the expertise of biologists and scientists in the state’s Division of Marine Fisheries who regularly make these decisions on behalf of all stakeholders, to help one special group – recreational fishermen. Commissioner Jeff Waters, in casting the only opposing vote, correctly noted that fewer gill nets are being used every year, But Mr. Waters offered a far more compelling reason not to support the bill and that is most people who would vote in the referendum, “don’t even know what a gill net is and wouldn’t know what they’re voting on and so would just vote against gill nets.” >click to read< 19:11
