Tradewinds Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 by NCCOAST

Tradewinds free publication

December 2016/January 2017

WWW. NCFISH.ORG

Bridging the

Celebrating the Rich Heritage North Carolina’s Fishing Families

gapShrimp by-catch

Also inside:

Featured Chef Captain’s Spotlight Dock Talk

Board of Directors The North Carolina Board of Directors is comprised of members representing all of the State’s coastal regions as well as the many facets of the industry gear type, targeted species, and commodity groups. The association elects its board members and officers annually.

Tradewinds A publication of the North Carolina Fisheries Association Tradewinds have been used by captains of sailing ships to cross the world’s oceans for centuries. The captain of a sailing ship would seek a course along which the winds could be expected to blow in the direction of travel. Tradewinds were important in the development of trade and provided a means of transportation and communications to isolated coast communities We are still isolated in a sense even with our modern ships, aircraft, telecommunications and the internet. We need a connection from island.to island, person to person…and to the rest of the world. We hope that this Tradewinds will become as important to you.as the Tradewinds were to our ancestors, not only to in-landers wanting to know more about the coast, but coastal people learning about other coastal people.

NCFA Staff: Jerry Schill President Peggy Page Administration & Accounting David Bush Fisheries Biologist Aundrea O’Neal Tradewinds Editor 2807 Neuse Blvd, Suite 11 New Bern, NC 28562 Office: 252-633-6232 • Fax:252-633-6233 www.ncfish.org

Brent FulcherChairman Leslie DanielsTreasurer Area 1Benny O’Neal-252-305-4535 Area 2Dewey Hemilright-252-473-0135 Area 3Mark Vrablic-252-305-2718 Area 4Henry Daniels-252-943-1602 Area 5Wesley Potter-252-229-1881 Area 6Glenn Skinner-252-646-7742 Area 7- Steve Parrish-910-540-0743 At LargeSonny Davis-252-725-0784 At LargeBrent Fulcher-252-513-7003 At LargeRoss Butler-757-435-5317 At LargeMike “Jimbo” Ireland-252-671-3621 Charter BoatRalphie Craddock-252-473-0953 Albemarle Fisherman’s Association Terry Pratt-252-339-7431 Carteret County Fisherman’s Association Bradley Styron-252-342-8821 Ocracoke Working Waterman’s Association Hardy Plyer-252-928-5601 Pamlico County Fisherman’s Association Wayne Dunbar-252-670-7467 NC Catch Karen Amspacher The Tradewinds is a free publication published bi-monthly by the NC Fisheries Association. All parties advertised herein and the claims represented are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. Though every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of all advertising and copy contained herein, the publisher may not be held responsible for typographical errors. The NC Fisheries Association reserves the right to refuse any advertising or editorial deemed inappropriate. The agency, its employees, agents or representatives may not be held responsible for any actions or consequences derived as a result of following advice or instructions contained herein. ©2016

contents

December 2016/January 2017

rmen NC Fisheou a Wish Y

mas & Merry Christ Year! Happy New A Word from Jerry.................... 4 Tis the Season......................... 6 From the Editor........................ 6 From Peggy Page.................... 6

10 13

Get Involved............................. 8 Carteret Catch – Featured Chef..................... 10 Council & Commission Meetings.............................. 12

The Storm of 1899........................20

Core Sound Waterfowl Museum 25th Anniversary.................... 14

Business As Usual........................24

A Down East Christmas................22

Shrimp Bycatch, Bridging the Gap................................ 16

The Small Fisherman....................27

Captain’s Spotlight................. 18

Talk on the Dock................................... 30

Working Waterfront 101........................28

On the Cover:

Photo by: Cathy Rose, (Salty Rose Photography) Harker’s Island, NC Photo taken November 11, 2016 at the Marshallberg Harbor

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advertisers: Ace Marine.............................................5 Atlantic Seafood...................................20 B&J Seafood........................................29 Barbour’s Marine Supply Co..................7 Beaufort Inlet Seafood.........................29 Blue Ocean Market..............................10 Capt. Stacy Fishing Center....................9 Carteret Catch......................................11 Carteret County Fisherman’s Association.......................................21

Chadwick Tire .....................................15 Dr. Westbrook......................................15 The Clement Companies.....................18 Hardison Tire ........................................7 Henry Daniels F/V Joyce D................20 Homer Smith Seafood...........................4 Hurricane Boatyard..............................20 J.M. Davis Industries, Inc. ..................15 Locals Seafood....................................11 Murray L. Nixon Fishery, Inc. ..............23

NC Catch..............................................11 N.C. Dept. of Agriculture.......Back Cover O’Neal’s Sea Harvest...........................25 Outer Banks Seafood............................5 Powell Brothers Maintenance..............23 R.E. Mayo Seafood..............................26 Ted & Todd’s Marine Services.............15 Wheatly Boys.........................................5 Wheatley, Wheatley, Weeks, Lupton & Massie............................................5

north carolina fisheries association

NCFA President, Jerry Schill

words from ...

Santa & Mrs Claus,

guest columnists

facts, YES, Saint Nicholas, who we now refer to as Santa Claus, was a REAL person, and his tradition lives on. Not in receiving, but in giving. The guy at the mall may not be the real Santa Claus, but he represents charity and he represents giving. “Mommy, are you and Daddy Santa Claus”? Well, we would caution you to do a little soul searching before you answer that one. If Mommy and Daddy are more into charity and giving, then yes, you represent Santa Claus. But if Christmas is just a time to get more “stuff”, then perhaps not. Let’s just take this a step further. It is CHRISTmas, is it not? The big guy with the tummy and the beard and the jolly Ho-Ho-Ho!, represents the birth of Jesus Christ. We like the picture of the jolly old fella kneeling with the baby Jesus in the manger and Mary & Joseph nearby. Yep, we believe you can’t have Christmas without Christ and you can’t believe in Santa Claus without believing in true charity and taking care of those less fortunate. Mommy & Daddy are truly Santa Claus if they show their children true charity. Simply showering the young’uns with a new i-phone, video game or American girl doll doesn’t cut it. It is in giving that we receive! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

he Editor asked Jerry to keep this column “light” and nonpolitical. He can’t do anything that’s non-political, so he has asked us to help. Rather than some sobering or political message, Mrs. Claus & I would like to offer some thoughts about the Christmas season for you to ponder. Since December 6th is Saint Nicholas’ Day, it’s appropriate to consider the question: “Is Santa real”? We’ve read some very good explanations about what to tell children when they ask, but they miss the mark when it comes to the history of Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas. St. “Nick” was a real person who eventually became known as “Santa Claus”. What is lost in some of the explanations, is that you cannot escape the fact that Nicholas lived about 300 years after Christ, he lived in what is now known as Turkey, and he had a reputation for secret giftgiving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus. He was not a figment of someone’s imagination. He was real! Traditionally, gift-giving associated with St. Nicholas was celebrated on what is believed to be the anniversary of his death, December 6th. Instead of giving gifts on December 6th, he became a part of the Christmas holiday. In the 1820 poem “An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore, he is described as a jolly, heavy man who comes down the chimney to leave presents for deserving children and drives a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer. So, whatever way you choose to slice it when it comes to the

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north carolina fisheries association

NCFA Fisheries Biologist, David Bush

Tis the Season…

ver the past few years especially, controversy has been at the heart of fisheries management for both recreational and commercial fishermen. Advocacy and trade organizations have been making every effort to fight for their beliefs as they relate to how our public resources are looked after, rarely concentrating, and on occasion, avoiding common ground. As a fisheries biologist, fisherman, seafood lover, and well, just a human in general, I find it exhausting to constantly fight just for people to go to work to make an honest living. I am sure there are plenty of folks on each side of these issues that feel the same way. I most certainly do not have the magic answer, but I do know that there a few things that should be a priority for everyone. First and foremost, habitat and water quality. There have been sporadic efforts to monitor and address water quality in the state, but nothing comprehensive and consistent. It was even a point of concern at the recent South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council’s Habitat and Environmental Protection Advisory Panel meeting. When other North Carolina panel members and I teamed up to discuss research priorities, the lack of information on mapping our bottom habitat and quality of the environment (water) stood out as a major concern. We have very little information on either, but what we do know, is that after years of reducing fishing effort, many are still unhappy with the results of fisheries management efforts. I agree that there are times when fishing pressure must be reduced, but keep in mind that we adjust fishing pressure based on the results of everything else fish stocks must endure as well. In addition to natural cycles, storms, and temperature fluctuations, the stocks are limited by their environment and water quality. If we can get some of those items addressed, and possibly put some teeth into regulations that support positive change for everyone who cares about our fisheries, then maybe we can then move on to the more controversial items. Better yet, we could support the efforts being made to fish more sustainably, rather than try to undermine every attempt to do so. By that, I don’t mean we should always compromise. There is no one who deals with fisheries management that could provide a valid argument that all fishermen have not given up a lot of ground. The initial bulk of that

From your Editor Thank you to each and every one of you for your support in this new venture! I hope that you are satisfied with the story qualities that are provided in this publication. My main focus and purpose for taking on this task is to keep our fishermen informed, educate the public and to show that you (whether you are a fisherman or a consumer) are an ESSENTIAL part of our industry! If there is a question, subject or interest that you may have and would like to see in this magazine, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I will try my best to get the question answered, story written or interest directed to the proper people that will supply that information for you. With your continued support, we can show that we are using conservative, sustainable practices to keep our industry going for the years to come. Thank you Again!!!

Aundrea O’Neal 252-503-8302, Aundrea@ncfish.org, Tradewinds@ncfish.org

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ground lost could be for legitimate reasons, but the concern arises when the loss never seems to equate to a better fishery. Furthermore, when the fishery is found to be better the regulations never seem to ease up. This jades everyone who “gave a little” for the sake of the fishery. After years of losing ground like this, it is not surprising that folks have become hardened to their neighbors who may have different experiences and beliefs. As I mentioned earlier, there are folks that fight for what they believe is right, but there are of course those who selfishly go way overboard. Just remember that a little etiquette on and off the water goes a long way toward depolarizing what should be a common struggle. No one expects this to be easy or lighten anyone’s load, but it would go a long way towards realizing some of the goals that can be agreed upon by everyone. A friend recently mentioned to me that it seems like an unwritten rule that we constantly fight over an ever-shrinking pie just to keep the research dollars flowing, when we should be concentrating on growing the pie for everyone. Even that concept is difficult due to differing opinions on how to accomplish it, but if you think about it, we will never see the forest past the trees if we stay on this path. We continue the divisiveness thinking that if can we win just one unwinnable battle, everything will be perfect, when in reality, we should all be on one side fighting a war that we can win. I’m sure that after reading my little article, people are not going to go out of their way to change their entire way of looking these issues. Hopefully though, folks could try to be respectful to others on the water, and possibly take a second to see the other point of view. Even better, they could try to find that common ground instead of letting some of the extreme folks lead them off to the never-ending battle. This is a public trust resource and we all have a right to it, whether that be directly, or through others that harvest it for us. There is value in and room for the growing recreational fishery, just as there is for one of the oldest and noblest of professions of fishing to provide for your neighbor. I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving, and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

From the desk of Peggy Page, Accounting and Administration NCFA and staff are very excited about the new format for Tradewinds. We are also pleased about all our advertisers and the important part you play in the publishing of the Tradewinds. If you did not sign up for our discounted annual program and would like to do so, please feel free to contact me via email, peggy@ncfish.org, phone, 252-633-6232, ext. 103 or cell phone, 252-474-1059. I am in the New Bern office on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. However I may be reached on my cell between the hours of 8-4 Monday through Friday. Should you have any questions regarding your billing or changes to your advertising schedule please do not hesitate to get in touch with me. If you are not receiving Tradewinds and you are a member of NCFA please contact me so that we can update our records and ensure you will receive the magazine. Also if you are not a member of NCFA but would like to be contact me at your convenience. I am looking forward to attending your needs as an advertiser, member and friend of North Carolina Fisheries Association, Inc.

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Get involved Become a member in your community

CONTACT : Albemarle Fisherman’s Association Terry Pratt 252-339-7431 Pamlico County Fisherman’s Association Wayne Dunbar Hwd0123@gmail.com 252-670-7467 Oz Hudgins Home: 252-745-7424 Mobile: 252-571-2002 Carteret County Fisherman’s Association Bradley Styron qualityseafood@clis.com Office: 252-225-0073 Mobile: 252-342-8821 Brunswick County Fishermen’s Association Randy Robinson fishmancsx@gmail.com 910-209-3463 Steve Parrish Office: 910-842-9197 Mobile: 910-540-0743 sandstrawl@atmc.net

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Around the Coast Affiliate News Carteret County Fisherman’s Association ~Bradley Styron

ocean boats are catching good shrimp right now. The weather is good down here, come on down and go fishing with us!”

On November 12, 2016, Vice President Glenn Skinner, on behalf of the Carteret County Fisherman’s Association presented Shellie Moseley with a Volunteer Recognition Plaque for her endless hours of volunteering for the commercial fishing industry.

Albemarle Fishermen’s Association ~Terry Pratt

Brunswick County Fishermen’s Association ~Randy Robinson

“Fishing is good, fall gillnet flounder fishing has lasted about a good two months. Even with the hurricane, poundnet fishing has been good. We were very relieved to see the poundnet quota removed with the flounder law suit injunction.”

“The speckled trout fishing is phenomenal, flounder fishing is good, everyone is excited about oyster season opening and the

“Western End-not much going on, Middle-up in the Alligator not much going on, East End the crabbing is good, the money not so much. Between the hurricane, weather and Regulations, it’s getting harder to make a living.”

Pamlico County Fishermen’s Association ~Wayne Dunbar Oz Hudgins reports that speckled trout fishing is good, “Some of the boys have been out oystering, but that didn’t look so good.”

Ocracoke Working Waterman’s Association ~Hardy Plyler

north carolina fisheries association

featured Darrell Justin Smith (D.J.) Amos Mosquitos

703 East Fort Macon Road, Atlantic Beach, NC

ere at Amos Mosquitos our cuisine is comfort food with a

combination of Creole and Asian influence. The exotic flavors keep our customers returning time and time again. Amos Mosquitos is proud to be a member of Carteret Catch because we believe in serving our guests only the freshest seafood. We enjoy educating our visitors by telling them what is in season. We serve fresh from boat to the table and explain where the seafood was caught. We judge the quality of the seafood we serve by examining the texture of the flesh and noting that smells just like it was pulled fresh from the ocean. When we purchase our seafood, we always inquire as to when it was caught. We purchase most of our seafood from Blue Ocean Fish Market and Inland Seafood because of its freshness and to support our local fisherman. I was motivated to become a chef by my love of food and creating something from natural materials and creating happiness one plate at a time. I was inspired by the love of cooking by my two grandmothers Venita Smith and Ruth Moseley who worked for Morehead City seafood restaurants back in the 80’s. Unlike many Chefs, I was not fortunate enough to finish culinary school. However, I was fortunate enough to have worked with some of the finest Chef’s in the area including; Hallock Howard, Luke Maguire, Mike Barnes, Charles Park, Andy Hopper who have shared their knowledge of preparing world class cuisine with me. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the love and support from my family and friends, especially my mother Shellie Moseley and my daughter Brianna Smith.

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chef

ahi raneanSeM 10 s Meditrer e v r edients:

Ing rice o i r bo 1 box Ar onion 1 large d ter cube t ck u b b l ½ able sto t e g e es v ts e crumbl s s e e 2 ½ quar h c a t e to round F n i f o t u 1 ½ cup grapes c k c a l b f 2 cups o gne f champa edded 3 cups o nach shr i es p s d e k c a d tomato p e i t r q d n 1 u s d e c i f d bles 2 cups o ese crum Feta Che diced s t o l l 1 ½ cup a h bunch, s e g r r a a g l e 1 vin alsamic 2 cups B r a g u ½ cup s aragus s of asp 2 bundle ahi M h fres 5 lbs of ion: tender Preparat er till

butt ock th ¼ lb. stock. When st stirring , e onion wi Risotto:ndeau pan cook s. of vegetablof Arborio rice pan. When In a ro sweet add 2 qt il add 1 box t stick to the ta cheese. bo and ce doesn’add ¾ cup of Fe a light ock. When comes to ly to insure ri ed away of vegetable stbutter. Add ok nt co ue is of qt freq id ½ lb qu d ¼ li ad d the d ¾ of theeese is melted en reduced ad ed butter. Ad ce is When ch e liquid has be se to the melte, cook till ri ¾ of th the Feta cheeps of Champagn ¾ cup of apes and 3 cu black gr tender. rm. d keep wa tender an cups of s: Asparaguthen sauté till allot, 2id till sh d ce di qu li . lg Blanch reduce liquid add 1 Sauce: dium sauce pot ½ cup of sugar, syrup. Strain In a me amic vinegar, e spoon like a garnish. t th 1 bals r a swee icks to redded, sauce stthe shallots fo inach sh ried packed spof diced sund . saving qt 1 add 2 cups Topping:dium mixing bowlse crumbles, In a me ps of Feta Chee till blended. at on ll medium he ½ cu , mix we hi over th salt and Ma e th tomatoes grill ason wi rtions, g surface. Se flaky. r Mahi 6 oz. po d in and laye Cut intoll-greased cook translucent an grilled Mahi nkled with l e ri ti th sp a we un d e sauc Cook en ad pepper. Risotto and ths then add the e gu Spread thsautéed aspara with ing. the topp

6th Annual

NC Catch Summit March 13-14, 2017 @ Jennette’s Pier, Nags Head Three Pre-Summit Field Trips to Choose From New & Improved Networking Opportunities

Save the Date Tradewinds Ad.indd 1

You’ll Leave With:

New Skills Written Action Plans New Contacts

Sessions Include: A Fish By Any Other Name: Putting Spiny Dogfish to the Test Sea to Table to the Bank: Seafood Economics Every Fish Has a Tale: The Value of Storytelling Strength Through Numbers: The True Economic Contribution of Commercial Fishermen Putting the Coast Back in the ACC

north carolina fisheries association 10/13/2016 8:33:48 PM11

Council & Commission Meetings

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council October Meeting Highlights Approved measures to extend Atlantic cobia season; end overfishing for hogfish Approved measures for hogfish in federal waters, establishing two separate management units, and implementing new regulations through Snapper Grouper Amendment 37. Decided not to add river herring and shad (RH/S) to the fishery management plan for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish. The Council concluded that an FMP would not substantially improve the condition of RH/S stocks. Continued to develop management options to allow for limited harvest of red snapper. The fishery remains closed to harvest in federal waters in the South Atlantic. Removed an action that would have established annual catch limits by gear type for dolphin for the commercial sector and continued to modify options for sector allocations. The Council will review the revised document during its December meeting. Continued discussions regarding limited entry for federally permitted for-hire vessels. A scoping document will be developed for review at the Council’s December meeting. Reviewed spiny dogfish specifications for 2017, which will be year 2 of 2016-2018 multi-year specifications and made no changes to the previously-recommended specifications. Also, increased the Federal trip limit (3-200 miles from shore) from 5,000 lb. to 6,000 lb., effective immediately.

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission October Meeting Highlights Approved a commercial quota of 39,099,717 pounds for the 2017 fishing season (May 1, 2017 – April 30, 2018), maintain a 6,000-pound commercial trip limit in state waters (0-3 miles) in the northern region (Maine through Connecticut). Southern region (New York to North Carolina) can set state‐specific trip limits based on the needs of their fisheries. Voted to approve the 2017 coastal shark specifications via an email vote after NOAA Fisheries publishes the final rule for the 2017 Atlantic Shark Commercial Fishing season. Reviewed the modifications to the eel aquaculture plan from the state of North Carolina concerning removing warrantless search provisions that were part of the 2016 plan. Discussed summer flounder safe harbor provisions and landings flexibility that is being considered in the development of a summer flounder ‘Comprehensive’ amendment. Voted to consider adaptive management, including regional approaches, for the 2017 summer flounder recreational fishery. Approved Cobia Public Information Document (PID) for Public Comment. The PID is available on the Commission website under Public Input (http://www.asmfc.org/about-us/public-input) Approved the request to transfer quota (1,250 horseshoe crabs) from GA to NC. Approved a 6.45% increase to the total allowable catch (TAC) of Atlantic menhaden for the 2017 fishing season at 200,000 mt. NC’s new TAC would be 975.68 mt., or 2,150,995 lbs. Approved Draft Amendment 3 PID for public Comment, which would address ecological reference points and possibly alter allocation methods for Atlantic menhaden.

NC Division of Marine Fisheries Commission November Meeting Brief (A more detailed update will be provided once all actions taken have been confirmed) Discussed a petition from the North Carolina Wildlife Federation to substantially limit shrimp fishing in internal waters. Voted to forward Dewey Hemilright, Chris Hickman, Jeff Oden and Brent Fulcher as nominees for the Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Voted to send a letter from the full commission endorsing changes in the criteria for receiving a Standard Commercial Fishing License in North Carolina, including limiting this license to full-time commercial fishermen, and creating part-time and heritage commercial fishing licenses. Addressed the Martin’s Point Conflict by providing direction to the NCDMF to issue proclamations at his discretion to prevent conflicts. The Collaborative Shrimp Trawl Gear Study Update was presented by Kevin Brown. After testing in year two, the team achieved over a 50% reduction in bycatch, substantially exceeding federal and state standards. Formal report is expected in January the NC Fisheries Association Annual Meeting.

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South Atlantic Fishery Management Council October Meeting Highlights Approved measures to extend Atlantic cobia season. New management measures expected to be in place from GA to NY in federal waters by the 2017 fishing season. Measures approved for Framework Amendment 4 (federal waters from GA to NY): Reduce the recreational bag limit and implement a vessel limit, Increase the recreational minimum size limit, Modify the current accountability measures (AMs), Establish a commercial trip limit Discussed management alternatives to allow for temporary or permanent reallocation between commercial and recreational sectors in the dolphin (mahi mahi) and yellowtail snapper fisheries. Discussion continue concerning options for allowing harvest of red snapper; limited entry for the for-hire sector.

north carolina fisheries association 13

cswf

Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center

2017 marks the

25th Anniversary

of the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center Today, the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center “at the end of the road” operates year round as a museum, educational facility, regional archive, meeting place for the community and a destination for heritage tourism travelers. The work continues and the challenges are many, but the history of this organization tells the story of men and women who are dedicated to the vision this institution has set forth to serve this community as a “keeper” of the past, a “gathering place” for our communities today and a “visionary” that will make sure that future generations will never forget the truest meaning of Core Sound heritage. As the 25-year mark approaches, the need for preserving Down East

25 years... Some 9,000 days have passed since a group of decoy carvers decided it was time to build a museum in Down East Carteret County dedicated to the waterfowling traditions of this region. history, honoring traditions and sharing our stories is more important than ever. Core Sound’s commitment to the region continues to grow and strengthen through the daily celebration of our living traditions and the safekeeping of our community treasures and stories, interpreted by the local community in the context of place-based science education for learners of all ages. Our vision for community sustainability and economic opportunities throughout the Core Sound region continues to expand through partnerships and collaborations statewide. This institution’s history and its role in the community today is an amazing example of what hard work, local investment and community vision can accomplish. The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center is the tangible outcome of thousands of talented, generous people giving, working, believing in the value of Core Sound’s heritage ~ this place, our people, and our way of life.

Core Sound’s 25th Anniversary Year-Long Celebration

The 25-year mark for the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center is more than a timeline of events, dollars and buildings, numbers of people and miles traveled. This anniversary is the recognition of a “revival” of heritage, traditions

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and community, accomplishments that must be … felt …. experienced … celebrated! Come be part of this year-long series of programs, events and projects to document, share and record our story. Community Nights: Core Sound’s Story, “Community by Community” Main Gallery Exhibition: “Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center: Building a Place for the People” (Opening June 2017) Video Documentary: Core Sound’s Story, “They Said We Couldn’t Do It” (Release August 2017) Anniversary Weekend – June 23 & 24, 2017 Luncheon ~ “Leaders, Partners, Friends” Community Day Celebration ~ “Bringing Everyone Home Again Together”

Save these Core Sound Anniversary Dates

Dec 2-4 January --- February 24 April 1 April 6-7-8 June 17 June 23 June 24 July 8 August 25 Dec 1-3

2016 Waterfowl Weekend Anniversary Kick-Off Core Sound Volunteer Dinner Taste of Core Sound: “In the Beginning …” Core Sound Run King Mackerel and the Blues are Running Core Sound Rig of Six & Decoy History Day Anniversary Luncheon / Dedication of Gallery Core Sound Community Day: Celebrating All Our Traditions Rig of Six, Kent Hood Decoy Craftsman Competition, IWCA Style Decoy Championship , Core Sound decoy history programs and Community Celebration ~ music, food, arts & crafts, children’s activities All-American Fish Fry Taste of Core Sound: “What Have We Done?” Waterfowl Weekend 2017

Community Nights - Covered Dish & Program (4th Monday Nights of each month @ 6 pm) • Jan: Davis Shore • Feb: Salter Path • Mar: Williston/Smyrna/Marshallberg • Apr: Portsmouth • May: Stacy/Sea Level • June Otway/Bettie

• July: Gloucester/Straits • Aug: Diamond City (Diamond City video release) • Sept: Atlantic/Cedar Island • Oct: Promise Land • Nov: Harker’s Island

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James M Davis III President

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north carolina fisheries association 15

Shrimp g n i by-catch dg th in North Carolina to minimize bycatch in the shrimp trawl industry?

hrimp is one of the two most valuable marine species harvested in North Carolina, and the United States as a whole. North Carolina is one of the few states in the USA that has three species of shrimp that are harvested commercially, pink (spotted), brown (summer) and white (green tails) shrimp. The shrimp trawl fishery has been in existence in the estuarine waters of North Carolina since 1917, and approximately 95% of all shrimp harvested in NC waters are harvested by otter trawls and skimmer trawls. The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF) management strategy for the shrimp fisheries in NC is to continue to optimize the resource over the long term and minimize waste. The first strategy is accomplished by protection of critical habitats, and gear and area restrictions to protect the fish and shrimp stocks. Minimization of waste is accompanied by gear modifications, bycatch reduction devices, area closures and harvest restrictions. (North Carolina Shrimp Fishery Management Plan Draft Amendment 1) North Carolina is the only state that has formally designated primary and secondary nursery areas for juvenile shrimp, fish, and crabs. Almost 124,000 acres of estuarine areas are classified as primary or secondary nursery areas, and another 47,000 acres are classified as special secondary nursery areas, all of which are closed to trawling, but may be opened when the majority of juvenile fish have migrated from the area. In addition to nursery areas, trawling has not been allowed in the Albemarle Sound in over 25 years. Further, extensive areas of submerged aquatic vegetation located on the eastern shore of Pamlico Sound from Oregon Inlet to the mouth of Core Sound have been closed to shrimp trawling 16

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gap

br i

what is being done

What is bycatch and

By: Stevenson L. Weeks, Sr.

since 1994. Over 39,000 acres of military target areas are also closed to trawling for safety reasons. Nearly one million acres of internal coastal waters are closed to trawling in North Carolina which represents approximately 48% of the total coastal waters. It is estimated that only 10-15 % of coastal waters are actually trawled. Shrimp trawls do harvest juvenile finfish as bycatch. “Bycatch” is defined in the fishing industry as any fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while catching a certain target species. Bycatch can be divided into two components: Incidental catch and discarded catch. Incidental catch refers to retained catch of non-targeted species. Discarded catch is that portion of the catch that is returned to the sea. Studies in North Carolina have found that survival rates of fish captured in shrimp trawls and discarded to range from 22-48%. In general, fishermen do not want to harvest bycatch, unless it can be legally retained, sold, or eaten. Bycatch of undesired (such as juvenile finfish) or prohibited species (sublegal fish) causes economic loss to commercial fishermen by increasing fuel cost, increasing labor cost and decreasing the economic quality of the shrimp caught. Shrimp trawl fishermen try to fish in areas that maximize shrimp catch and minimize finfish bycatch. The NCDMF has lead the research in the South Atlantic to develop devices to exclude juvenile finfish in shrimp trawls beginning in the early 1990’s. As a result of research from NCDMF independent gear testing in 1990 and 1991, and dependent testing aboard a commercial shrimp trawl vessel in 1992, the NCDMF required all shrimp trawlers working in state waters to equip their nets with functional fish excluders in October 1992. At the time, NC was the only state that required finfish excluders (FED’s) or bycatch reduction devices (BRD’s). In October of 1994, the Federal Government as a part of the weakfish (grey trout) Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) required all South Atlantic States (NC-FL) to implement management measures to achieve a 40% reduction in bycatch of grey trout in the shrimp trawl fisheries by 1996. The FED’s or BRD’s developed in NC met that goal.

North Carolina has continued to be at the forefront of reducing finfish bycatch in the shrimp trawl industry. In 2013, the Marine Fisheries Commission directed a stakeholder group be convened to initiate a three-year study to test methods of reducing unwanted finfish bycatch to achieve an additional minimum of a 40% reduction of finfish by weight. This reduction was to be measured against a control net with a Florida Fish Eye bycatch reduction device, a federally approved Turtle Excluder Device (TED) and 1 ½ inch mesh tail bag. This reduction is the equivalent of a 58% reduction in finfish bycatch over a net with no fish excluder devices. In addition to the initiation of testing of various bycatch reduction devices the Marine Fisheries Commission in 2015 required all shrimp trawls have two finfish excluder devices while shrimping in state waters. Currently North Carolina is the only state to require two finfish excluder devices in shrimp trawls. As directed by the Marine Fisheries Commission, the NCDMF in conjunction with the North Carolina Fisheries Association convened its first work group meeting in March of 2015 with shrimp fishermen and scientists to discuss and implement testing of various methods Turtle Excluder Device (TED’s) to Photo by: Aundrea O’Neal 2016 reduce bycatch. Several NC commercial fishermen and net makers constructed various bycatch reduction devices to be tested. In 2015, the Division of Marine Fisheries with cooperative effort from several privately owned shrimp trawlers began testing various bycatch reduction devices. The industry provided, without cost to the state, vessels, fuel, nets, culling tables, and crew to conduct the testing. The Division of Marine Fisheries provided personnel to conduct the testing and quantify the results. The state received funding for its portion of the Collaborative Shrimp Trawl Gear Study from Conservation Fund, Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program, Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act. The testing in the Summer of 2015 showed positive results at reducing finfish bycatch with bycatch reductions up to 38%. A workgroup meeting was held January 2016 that reviewed the results of the 2015 testing and discussed ways to improve the performance of the bycatch reduction devices. In the 2016 shrimp season, bycatch reduction testing resumed with three shrimp trawlers conducting testing. Each vessel, in addition to its crew carried two scientific observers from the NCDMF. The observers oversaw the calibration of the control nets and test nets, verified that the catch from Fish Excluder Device (FED’s) in a shrimp trawl net the control nets and catch nets were kept separate and conducted whole haul Photo by: Aundrea O’Neal 2016 samples (sorting and weighing everything from control and test nets). NCDMF also videoed the process and assisted and verified that the gear was switched from one side of the vessel to the other. Several bycatch reduction devices were tested, data were collected, and results quantified to determine the average shrimp and finfish loss or gain. The results varied, but up to a 50% reduction in finfish bycatch was observed with test gears. The Collaborative Shrimp Trawl Gear Study will continue through the 2017 shrimp season provided that funding and vessels are available. Trawler owners and operators are encouraged to become involved in this testing as the future of the industry may depend on it and even if you don’t want to conduct formal testing, we encourage you to try and seek methods and gears that reduce finfish bycatch. With your help, we can we CAN Bridge the Gap!

NCDMF Researcher Kevin Brown with the Crew from the F/V Colton Scott Photo credit: Kevin Brown, (NCDMF) 2016

—Stevenson Weeks is an attorney in Beaufort NC, and who has a history as a commercial fisherman.

north carolina fisheries association 17

Crab Pot Regulations Effective beginning 12:01 am., Sunday, January 15, 2017 For more information contact DMF Biologist Jason Rock 252-946-6481 (Jason.Rock@ncdenr.gov)

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north carolina fisheries association 19

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elly Maxwell is a native of Bear Creek, a small community located in Hubert, NC. “My family has commercially fished for at least 300 years”, when asked what generation of fishermen are you? Kelly has been fishing since the young age of 12, back when he would fish with his Uncle. At the ripe age of 14, Kelly got his own skiff. Kelly is a gillnet fisherman and targets whichever fish that may be in season. Whether it be spots, mullets, shark, or flounder… and when he is not fishing he can be found on an oyster bed harvesting oysters or on a clam bed harvesting

Carteret County Fisherman’s Association Proud Affiliate of the North Carolina Fisheries Association

Captain Kelly Maxwell, Swansboro, NC.

Homeport: Swansboro, NC Engine: 453 Detroit Owner/Captain: Kelly Maxwell Gear: 2:1 Velvet Drive Builder: Will Guthrie, Top Speed: 8 knots Harker’s Island, NC Propeller Size: 22/18 - 4 Blade Year: 1975 Fuel Capacity: 100 Gallons Length: 33’ Ice/Fish Capacity: 9 Tons Hull Material: Wood Electronics: Si-tex Color Scope, Beam: 12’ Garman GPS, Sea Clear, Copeland Draft: 2 ½’ Color GPS, Pathfinder Radar

clams. As he says, “I’ve never made a killin’ at it, but I have enjoyed myself”. For some of you that may not understand that quote, he means that he has never made a lot of money at fishing, but he has enjoyed himself doing it. Normally Kelly fishes alone but when he does take a mate, you will find his daughter, Debra Maxwell (aka Possum) age 24 or his son Patrick (aka Tator) age 19 right beside him. Kelly and his wife Stephanie have worked hard to put daughter “Possum” through Veterinary School at NC State University School of Veterinary Medicine where she will graduate in just two more years. It takes a lot of fish and a lot of hard work to pay for that kind of schooling. “Patrick graduated high school on a Friday and went to work on the F/V Capt Phillip’s on the following Sunday as a deck hand and ain’t come off since.” stated Kelly when asked what “Tator” was up to now. Kelly purchased the F/V Steffy Lynn in February of 2015 and says that he sure has enjoyed owning this old round stern beauty.

north carolina fisheries association 21

cswf

Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center

The Storm of 1899 According to reports from the observer at the Hatteras Weather Bureau, the 1899 storm was one of the worst in the memory of anyone living at Hatteras at that time. The observer, S.L. Doshoz, also wrote that Ocracoke was hit as badly as Hatteras. Effects of the hurricane began on August 16 with easterly gale force winds, which eventually reached hurricane strength during the early morning hours of August 17. By one o’clock that afternoon, the winds had gradually changed to the northeast and reached 93 miles per hour, with occasional gusts up to 120 to 140 miles per hour. After a brief lull in the hurricane that night, the wind shifted to the east-southeast and increased once again to 60 to 70 miles per hour. Gale force winds from the south and eventually the southwest blew throughout the day on August 18, and squally weather continued even on the following day. The observer also included in his report that the tide had reached one to four feet in most houses (over land the tide was supposed to have been from three to ten feet), and that not only homes but also boats and fishing equipment suffered extensive damage. Though no lives were lost at Hatteras, the observer wrote that a pleasure boat at Ocracoke was destroyed, and several people from the boat, who were from Washington, North Carolina, were drowned. Countless chickens, hogs, sheep and cattle were also lost. Before their deaths, I talked with “Miss” Sara Ellen Gaskill, then about 100 years, and Miss Lillian Jackson, almost 90 years old, about the 1899 hurricane. To them the “old August storm” was one of the worst to hit Ocracoke. “It seemed like to me,” recalled Miss Sara Ellen, “that the ole August storm was the worst one we ever had, The day before it hit that night was a pretty time. The sky was clear and the sun was out pretty. We didn’t have too much of a way to be informed that a storm was about to hit in those days. There was a Coast Guard Station down toward Hatteras Inlet. This was before they built the one here in the village, and sometimes some of the men from that station would keep us informed”. “When it hit that night, we had to leave home because the tide started to come in our house. I lived with my mother and father at the time in a house not far from the water tower. Anyway, when it hit, we left and went over to this old woman’s house called Miss Arcade. Her house set on high ground and I reckon a lot of people knew this because the house was packed. I believe Lillian was there. “oh yes,” said Miss Lillian, “I was there. I’ll never forget it. That’s where we spent the night, too, and me and Mommie. Poppie and Buddy were below fishing at the fishing camps when it hit, and we were here by ourselves. About the time the tide started to come in our house, Uncle Howard, Sara Ellen’s daddy, came and got us and took us over there with him and Aunt Lot. I believe Sara Ellen was with ‘em too.” “Well, weren’t long ‘fore the tide started to come in their house too, and we finally had to clear out and go to Uncle Kit’s and Aunt Nancy’s. Uncle Kit weren’t there but Aunt Nancy was. Not long after night, the tide even come in their house and we had to get out of there and go to Miss Arcade’s. “Ole Jones had just started to build his house near there, and the lumber was strewed everywhere. When we started to wade over 22

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there, Uncle Kit put me down and I got straddled on a piece of that board. The tide was a-swirling around and they had to grab me, for I reckon if they hadn’t, the tide would have swept me out.” “Miss Arcade’s house was on high land, you see, and when we got there, youngers, the house was packed. Let’s see, there was Miss Mid and all them, Miss Missouri and all them, and I don’t know how many more. There was so many there that the boys and men had to get down on the floor and under the beds to give the womenfolk a place to sit down.” “And during the hardest of it – youngerns I’ll never forget it – Miss Annie Gaskins started praying. Weren’t no time after she had prayed that somebody went out and said that weren’t a drop of water to the step. It had gone out that quick.” “It was a mess when we got back to the house. The tide had gone clear past the weatherboarding on the house and the inside was the biggest mess anybody’d ever seen. Youngerns, that was a bad storm.” “Next day, Poppie and them had to tie their boats to the trees and travel up. They had to wade up to their waists in most places along the ole tracks they used to go back and forth on. In some places Poppie would have to carry Buddy back on his back it was so deep.” “My grandfather Elisha Ballance, was with Miss Lillian’s father and brother when they were trapped at the fishing camps located ten miles north of the village. When the full strength of the hurricane hit, my grandfather and seven other fishermen had to take shelter in small valleys of a nearby sand dune. After being stranded without food and drink for several days, they were finally able to walk back to the village on Friday, August 18. As they waded through water sometimes four feet deep, they counted approximately one hundred cattle and horses that had drowned.” An article that appeared in the August 21 edition of the Washington Gazette reported that the “whole island of Ocracoke is a complete wreck as a result of the fierce storm which swept the entire coast of North Carolina.” The article also stated that waves twenty and thirty feet high pounded the beach, and the tide was four to five feet all over the island. Thirty-three homes were also damaged, many boats were sunk or destroyed, and there was “much suffering” due to lack of food and drinking water. There are many stories associated with the 1899 hurricane. My grandfather told me that two porpoises swam out of the ocean and onto the flooded island. After getting lodged in the fork of an oak tree, they finally broke loose and swam into Pamlico Sound. Another man, Isaac “Big Ike” O’Neal, reported that when it appeared their house was going to wash off the foundation, his father told him to chop a hole in the floor to relieve the pressure of the rising water. After the hole was chopped through, the water rushed up toward the ceiling, carrying with it a duck that had been trapped under the house by the rising tide… Alton Balance is a native “Ocracoker” and a teacher at Ocracoke school. He also serves on the Board of Commissioners for Hyde County.

From “Ocracoker”s by Alton Balance Reprinted from “Mailboat” Spring 1990, Vol.1, No.1”

M U R R AY

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BUSINESS AS USUAL: Shannon Dunn enjoys being a commercial fishing captain. Photo by Daniel Pullen

ew women in North Carolina set their sights on fishing for a living. Current statistics show only 5.5 percent of the 5,449 commercial fishing license holders in the state are women. That rate varied little over the past decade, according to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. Anecdotal evidence also indicates that female deck hands, much less captains, are rare. Women working in commercial fishing, however, see few obstacles unique to their gender. They say they face the same challenges as their male counterparts — long hours, hard work, rough seas, mechanical problems and fluctuating catches. “Commercial fishing is punishing and dangerous work, and many ‘greenhorns’ — men or women — quit after the first trip,” notes Sara Mirabilio, a North Carolina Sea Grant fisheries specialist. “But if a woman proves herself not weak of spirit and a quick learner, she will be accepted. I don’t think there’s gender inequality.” Yet women’s varied roles may not be as visible. Along the North Carolina coast and beyond, women have a tradition of working in the commercial fishing industry — hanging nets, picking crabs, shucking scallops, building pots, selling fish, attending fishery management meetings, and working nets and lines. “Fishing is often seen as a male activity, but the paid and unpaid labor of women that goes toward sustaining fisheries and fishing communities often is not recognized,” Mirabilio adds. Some women working in the industry come from generations of fishing families, while others are newcomers. Take some time to meet a few who work the waters for a living. • CAPTAIN’S CHALLENGES Shannon Dunn skippers her family’s 32-foot fishing boat from a creek-side berth in Hatteras Village to offshore fishing grounds in search of Spanish mackerel, king mackerel and other fish. Occasionally a first mate accompanies her. More often than not, she fishes alone. The 25-year-old is unfazed by her

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Fishing for a Living By SUSAN WEST Reprinted from Coastwatch, a publication of North Carolina Sea Grant.

status as the only female captain in the fleet. “I don’t think about it much,” Dunn says, noting that other captains treat her fairly. They even let her off easy when it comes to the insistent joking and ribbing that is part and parcel of radio chatter among the fleet. “If I run into a problem I can’t figure out, I’m comfortable asking what to do on the radio and they are always helpful,” the Buxton resident explains. Dunn says she is confident that she can handle most situations on the water, relying on what she has learned by trial and error, and by listening to advice from more experienced captains. Her voice rises in intensity when Occasionally a mate accompanies Dunn when she heads to offshore fishing she talks about confronting new areas. Photo by Daniel Pullen challenges at sea. There was the first time she jumped overboard to pull a rope out of the boat’s wheel. Or the first time she steamed around Diamond Shoals, running into rough seas on the way back to port. “A freak, random swell came in. I was following another boat through a little cut and there were chesthigh waves in front of me, behind me and on both sides. I tried to stay on the back of one wave and could barely see the boat in front of me,” she recalls. Dunn was 5 years old when she started going with her father to his pound net in Pamlico Sound. The summer after her sophomore year in high school, she gillnetted Spanish mackerel with him on the Shannon D., the boat she now runs, and earned a share of the profit. “My dad taught me how to fish,” she says. Her father got his start in commercial fishing shortly after he and her mother sailed into Buxton Harbor from Florida in the 1970s. They had come to surf Cape Hatteras swells. Looking for work to support his surfing habit, he became the first fisherman in his family when he landed a spot on a pound net crew. A 2007 graduate of Cape Hatteras Secondary School of Coastal Studies, Shannon Dunn earned degrees from Cape Fear Community College and University of North Carolina Wilmington, Dunn anticipates buying her namesake boat studying Spanish with her eye on a teaching career. from her father. Photo by Daniel Pullen But a turning point came in 2013. While finishing an internship in Costa Rica, she learned that her father had health problems. She went home to run the family’s boat. She admits that she had harbored concern that a teaching career might not suit her disposition. “I feel too confined indoors. I’m happier when I’m on the water.” An avid surfer, Dunn travels to Central America in search of winter waves. Last year she visited El Salvador and Nicaragua on a surf trip with her mother, winner of the United States Surfing Championships women’s division award in 1982. With confidence in her ability — and in the future — Dunn plans to purchase the Shannon D. from her father. She wants to rebuild the cabin and add bunks to reduce runs back to the island and to lower fuel expenses. “Buying the boat will probably mean no more surfing vacations,” she says with a smile. “But I’m ready for that commitment.” • HIPPIE CHICK/FISH HUNTER Until Theresa Ray landed a job working pound nets and gill nets with Hardy Plyler on Ocracoke seven years ago, her only fishing experience was with a cane pole in a river while visiting family in Missouri.

“Hardy needed some help, so I asked if he’d give me a chance. I told him I expected him to treat me the same as anyone else he’d hire,” says the 36-year-old who goes by Tree. It is a fitting nickname for a woman who once worked as a timber cruiser in the Allegheny National Forest. A Winterville native, Ray moved to Ocracoke in 1996, combining work in massage therapy and retail sales. That is, until the urge struck to test her mettle in an outdoor career flush with physical and mental challenges. She helped hang nets, cleaned fish destined for local restaurants, and kept account ledgers for Plyler before becoming first mate on his fishing boat. “Everything was so new to me. I didn’t even know how to start a motor,” Ray says. It wasn’t until her third year fishing that she began to appreciate the natural nuances that often foretell success on the water. Ray and Plyler begin their fishing year in the spring, setting gill nets to catch bluefish in Pamlico Sound, and end the year working flounder pound nets Commercial fisherman Tree Ray dons a into late fall. Winter months are “doormat” sized flounder on the docks of reserved for duck hunting and the Ocracoke Seafood Co. on Silver Lake working on fishing gear. in the barrier-island village of Hyde County. Ray admits that stepping dylanrayphotography.com into a male-dominated field was intimidating. Another woman on the island harvests clams for the commercial market, but Ray is the only woman fishing nets full time. “I think the other fishermen had their doubts at first when they saw a ‘hippie chick’ with earrings and bracelets at the fish house,” she says. “But now they know more about me.” She plans to continue her work, but does worry about the impact future fishing regulations might have on a small fishing village such as Ocracoke. “Ocracoke Seafood Company is the future of fishing on this island. This is my home,” Ray says, pointing to the fish house’s work floor, where her catch is sorted, processed and packed. “I’m going to do what I can to see that this place continues to thrive.” • HERITAGE ON THE DOCKS Micah Daniels was a middle-school student when she started heading shrimp and shoveling ice at her family’s fish house in Wanchese to earn spending money. “My parents believed in instilling a strong work ethic in their children,” Daniels, 31, says. “If you got into trouble, you also went to the fish house to work but you did not get paid.” On the Outer Banks, the Daniels name is synonymous with seafood. Daniels’ grandfather, Malcolm, bought a small fish-processing plant built by his father-in-law in 1936. That set into play a course of innovation and adaptation that transformed Wanchese Fish Company into one of the largest seafood suppliers in the country. “My grandfather was a visionary. He had the first dry dock in Wanchese, bought a fish house in Hampton, started running trucks to New York — all to give the business more options,” she explains. The company includes operations in Micah Daniels continues a family tradition Virginia’s Tidewater region. at the Wanchese Fish Company in Daniels earned her elementary Dare County, a company that spans education degree at the University generations. Photo by Daniel Pullen of North Carolina at Greensboro and her master of reading education degree from East Carolina University.

Managing the fish house floor includes making sure seafood is at proper temperatures. Photo by Daniel Pullen

She taught school in Rockingham and Guilford counties for six years, returning to Wanchese in the summer to help at her family’s seafood restaurant before moving home to manage it. When the restaurant closed for the winter months, she worked with an uncle on expanding the company’s value-added product lines for groceries and restaurants. In 2014, Daniels started working full time for Wanchese Fish Company. She manages a marina, helps develop retail sales promotions, and works at the fish house. Last summer she ran the floor at the fish house where shrimp are headed and weighed, overseeing as many as 17 workers on some days and checking that quality and food safety compliance standards were met. “At first, the fishermen probably thought I wasn’t going to last at the fish house, but over time we developed a mutual respect,” she says. Daniels cites her familiarity with communications technology and with the value of visual literacy as important qualities she brings to her work. “I’m all about communication. The sooner we can tell a salesman what we have coming in to the fish house, the fresher that product will be when it reaches the consumer,” she says. Daniels also focuses on messages provided to consumers, such as having the U.S. flag on retail products. In keeping with Malcolm Daniels’ visionary spirit, the family business is working with an investment bank to look at myriad business options. And Micah Daniels also is open to new paths. Last year she obtained her commercial fishing license after documenting her history of working in the industry for the state license eligibility board. “I don’t have an immediate plan to use it, but it gives me another option. I’m passionate about seafood. This is more than a job. It’s also my heritage,” she says. Like Dunn and Ray, Daniels rejects the idea that they are charting new territory. Each also shares a steadfast confidence that they can overcome any barriers standing in the way of success. Ray notes that she often speaks with students visiting the Ocracoke fish house on field trips. Some of the youngster’s express surprise when they see her unloading the day’s catch. “I tell the young girls that they can do this, too,” she says. For contact information and reprint requests, visit ncgrant.ncsu.edu/ coastwatch/contact/

(Note: Wanchese Fish Co. was acquired by Cooke Aquaculture in June, 2015.)

north carolina fisheries association 25

FACTS NORTH CAROLINA

OYSTERS Oysters are edible year-round, despite the myth that they should not be eaten during months without â&#x20AC;&#x153;râ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in their names. However, because oysters go through a flavor change during spawning, when they are low in the glycogen, that can make them taste sweeter in the Fall and Winter. Oysters have dissimilar shells joined by a ligament. The upper shell is flat, the lower concave. After harvesting, oysters can remain alive for long periods of time, living on their own juices, as long as they are kept cool and are not exposed to fresh water.

Handling/Storing:

Oysters in the shell must be kept chilled, away from melting ice, as fresh water will suffocate them. To keep oysters alive, place them in an open container in a cooler (34 to 45 degrees F) and cover with a clean, wet towel to prevent them from drying out. Do not store in a bucket of water, plastic bag or airtight container. Live oysters should tightly close when tapped. Properly refrigerated oysters will stay alive 10 days after harvest. Shucked meats keep 2 weeks.

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Nutritional Facts:

Calories Fat Calories Total Fat Saturated Fat Cholesterol Sodium Potassium Protein Iron

91 21 2.3g 0.5g 106mg 168 9.5g 5.1mg

The Small Fisherman Praising the Simple Life

It is the small fisherman Who is the loser in this world. It is the small fisherman Who has fallen in all wars.

The small fisherman, wherever he lives in the world Whose nets they have stolen and Whose boats they have burned On the way to their wars. His sons they have taken, Dressing them in carnival attire, letting them die For ideas of which they knew nothing, Nor were at all concerned with, Nor even wished to know. It is the small fisherman who is forced to leave the water To labor in collectives and in factories. It was the small fishermenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coast they took, Along with his waterways, for yet another condominium. His it is now who sleepless lies night after night, With worries about repaying all he owes, So that banks can build their houses, Huge, like palaces. He it is who has been driven to the cities To fill great blocks of flats (he adjusts well enough) He it is who set his nets And labored on the water to gather empty shell Where now we reap and sow with ease. It was the small fisherman who knew how signs must be read And how crabs come to birth. He knows all about the clouds, the wind, the winter, and how hard it is. The schooling of fish he knew well, Now he knows the mechanical harvester, and lending rates, and when payment is due. Yet he leaves the door ajar, the small fisherman. Still he hears when mullet is jumping, and is aware He who has lost. Until now.

For soon perhaps we shall be asking him the way. The way back from whence we came. Thereâ&#x20AC;Śthere is growth.

Rolf Jacobs. Translated from the Norwegian by Maisie Steven and Adapted by Mary Dickens. Reprinted from the Mailboat Summer 1990/Vol.1/No.2

north carolina fisheries association 27

Working Waterfront 101

Barbara Garrity-Blake is adjunct professor at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort. She is author of The Fish Factory and Fish House Opera (with Susan West).

By Barbara Garrity-Blake

Duke Marine Lab students pose for a picture with fisherman Tim Willis from Harker’s Island, NC. Photo by: Barbara-Blake (2016)

“Try not to get run over by a forklift, fisheries biologist David Bush warns as we begin a tour of Beaufort Inlet Seafood.” So began a blog entry from a student at the Duke Marine Lab.

For most, it is their first experience at a working fish house. Our tour of the working waterfront was led by David Bush, scientist with the North Carolina Fisheries Association. He explained the complexities of fisheries management and showed them a Turtle Excluder Device. “We use TEDs, which we call turtle shooters, because the turtles shoot right out while the shrimp get collected,” said Bush, as quoted by the student. She noted, “Once a certain number of turtle interactions are observed, all fishing activity is shut down. This can be detrimental to seafood businesses.” The students split up into five groups and interviewed various people at the fish house, from fisherman to office manager. “Lee Collins, floor manager at Beaufort Inlet, compares commercial fishing practices to terrestrial farming,” wrote the blogger. “Without the routine ‘turning’ from commercial fishermen to flush out contaminants, these areas become unproductive and dead.”

Professor Doug Nowacek and I were co-teaching Conservation Biology and Policy, a five-week long course offered at the lab each summer. My focus was on marine fisheries, with an emphasis on how management unfolds in the “real world.” “The bustle of workers heading shrimp, packing ice, and keeping track of the haul keeps even the innocent bystander on her toes,” the student continued. “The activity is a welcome sign that this local business is staying afloat.” Brent Fulcher agreed to host our eager group of fifteen students at Beaufort Inlet Seafood, within walking distance of the marine lab on Pivers Island. This was not the first group to visit. I make it a point to take students out of the classroom and into the world of fisheries. Lee Collins, floor manager at Beaufort Inlet Seafood with Duke students (2016) Photo by Barbara Garrity-Blake

Students interested in policy could very well be the next generation of fisheries managers. Outreach and education is critical to “open their eyes” to real-life consequences of policy decisions, and to show them ways the industry works to be proactive, such as participating in management and adapting to economic shifts. “The science behind sustainable fishing, like sustainable farming, paints an incomplete picture, and trying to satisfy environmental, economic, and individual concerns proves challenging at best,” the student concluded. “In the meantime, fishermen are using a diverse range of strategies to stay in the game, and only time will tell which ones prevail.” There’s nothing like first-hand observations and interviews to bring fisheries issues to life! --

NCFA Biologist, David Bush shows the Duke University Students an actual TED (Turtle Excluder Device). Photo by Barbara Garrity-Blake (2016)

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Barbara Garrity-Blake www.raisingthestory.com

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Talk on the Dock

Oral History, Raising the Story: Gigging Flounder-

Meet

Rex O’Neal

of Ocracoke (2011) Photo by Miggy O’Neal

Rex O’Neal of Ocracoke is the second to the youngest of eleven boys and was the first “hospital born baby” in his family. He’s spent most of his life commercial fishing and building houses on the island. He especially loves flounder gigging, a traditional fishery that involves poling a skiff along shallow shoals at night while shining a lantern or flashlight in search of the round, flat fish. Rex likes to joke that he has nine lives, having survived being stranded on an island for four days, a small plane crash, and the harrowing event he describes in this interview.

I built myself a boat, a 16-foot skiff that was nice and narrow, flat bottom that wouldn’t draw much water at all. She’d scat like a cat! She’d go 40 mile an hour, 35 mile an hour. Every time it got slick Ronnie O’Neal and I went flounder gigging. Ronnie had the Miss Kathleen. We’d go at night and just dip a light over. We’d stand on the bow of the boat and just pole. We’d see the flounders laying on the bottom and just gig ‘em and swish ‘em in the boat. Especially in the fall of the year they start schooling up and dropping out of the inlet. So Ronnie, me and others would partner up and go together in our separate boats. We’d wake up 2 o’clock in the morning because that’s when the water turned clear with the tide running out. We would always go off Portsmouth Island - those various shoals that we jumped – Shell Castle, Casey Island. We’d been floundering four or five nights in a row because it was one of those October spells when it gets ca’m, slick ca’m for days. This was the third night, the first two nights we gigged 1,100 pounds apiece each night. But that night we gigged a few, 150, 200 pound. It was just starting to breeze up and we were just poling around, 1:30 in the morning. I said, “I’ve had enough. I’m done for the night.” They said, “We’ll be behind you a half hour, we’re just poling down to the edge of this shoal.” Before I left I walked back to the stern of my boat to change the fuel so I wouldn’t have to do it en route. So she was all fully gassed, ready to go. I started heading on back, sat right down on my thwart which is the seat of the boat, skipping along about 30 mile an hour. I come across Blair’s Channel and saw something. It was a crab pot buoy. It had been sanded up. My motor hit it, and was going wide open, WAWAWAWAWA! The motor was cavitating in the air - the whole motor was tilted up. The throttle wouldn’t slow it down. It sheared the cable. I walked back there with a flashlight, and the weight of my body shifted to the back of the boat causing that motor to flop back down into the water. And when she flopped down she jumped like a rabbit, vvvvvvvvvv! And throwed me right over the stern of the boat. This was 1:30 in the morning, the tide was screaming out the inlet, and I went over. But I held that flashlight just as tight. When I popped back up, I saw that boat coming right at me. She was

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—Rex likes to joke that he has nine lives, having survived being stranded on an island for four days, a small plane crash, and the harrowing event he describes in this interview. still revved wide open, 35, 40 miles an hour – she was turning a hard right. So she was making tight little circles, whooong! See her coming – I dive. Had my boots and oilskins on, they were heavy, and I was swallowing water. Every time I popped back up here it came, whooong! Whoong! Whoong! Had to keep timing her, dodging that boat and prop, all the time trying to kick my boots off. It was pitch dark that night, too. But I held onto that flashlight. Finally got my boots kicked off. I took on so much water from dodging the boat. Finally, the 360-degree circle that the boat was making drifted – I swam away from the circle the best I could. This was ten, fifteen minutes in the water at least, and we were both drifting out the inlet at the same time. I swallowed so much water by then I was getting weak. But I was trying to get my ducks back in a row, figuring out, now what, big boy? I was right in the middle of nowhere, Blair’s channel, 20 feet deep, sucking out the inlet fast. I set there, I reckon I was in the water 25, 30 minutes before, finally I heard another boat coming, mmmmm. The first boat came up, and then I heard another one. I said, “Man, I hope it comes by here!” I figured it was Ronnie or Jimmy. So I took that flashlight and I started shaking and flashing the light. They come up and see that boat running in a circle. Then Jimmy and Larry saw me in the water flashing that flashlight. I was getting to the point, I was about to go down. I wasn’t giving up, but I swallowed a lot of water. I was wore out – exhausted from dodging the boat. So they come up, got a hold of me, and heaved me aboard. They were so scared, they were shaking. I didn’t have time to be scared! Then Ronnie came right behind them. I got in that boat with Ronnie because his boat was fast like mine. My boat was still going around like a wild thing, whoooong! Whoong, whooong, whoong! 35 miles an hour. We took the rope from Ronnie’s anchor and got in front of her and tried to lasso around the wheel so it would wrap around and cut her off. Well it caught the rope but never wrapped around the wheel. So we ended up having to lay there until about 4:30, quarter to five before she ever run out of gas! In all honesty that flashlight saved my life that night. Without it, Ronnie and them would have never seen me. So that was one of my nine lives – I’m down to about one or two left! Barbara Garrity-Blake www.raisingthestory.com • www.carolinacoastalvoices.com P.O. Box 91, Gloucester, NC 28528 (252)342-8028

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