Shrimp Trawling to Remain in Pamlico Sound

Saltwater Nation: North Carolina

Earlier today the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission voted down a proposal to list the Pamlico Sound under a secondary nursery and make it off limits to trawling.

North Carolinians have argued over fishing rights in the Sound for decades. Shrimp trawling in North Carolina is the second largest commercial fishing interest in the state. Nearly 200 watermen worked the Sound last year harvesting about 6.1 million pounds of shrimp.

According to Tim Hergenrader, who proposed the anti-trawling policy, “4.5 pounds of by-catch is produced for every pound of shrimp. And the shrimp produced in North Carolina only accounts for about 25 percent of what is consumed in the state.” The state estimates that trawling kills about a half billion juvenile finfish as by catch each year, including roughly 236 million juvenile gray trout/weakfish (Cynoscion regalis), spot (Leiostomus xanthurus), and croaker (Larimichthys crocea) per year combined.

Of course, the Saltwater Nation should be alert to such measures, particularity when the commercial fishing lobby is obviously throwing its weight around. Unfortunately, as of this posting, the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission had not yet posted a news release about the vote. However, two days ago Virginian Pilot outdoor writer Lee Tolliver published a great overview article about the situation in anticipation of today’s meeting and vote that you can link to here. We will post more about this situation as we learn more. In the mean time, it appears as though the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission surrendered to economic arguments and missed a great opportunity to protect an important fishery. We anticipate that efforts to protect the Sound will continue and that further proposals will be brought forward soon.