Tradewinds Oct-Nov 2018

Tradewinds

COMPLIMENTARY

October/November 2018

WWW. NCFISH.ORG

A Publication of North Carolina Fisheries Association, Inc.

Hurricane Florence ... the Aftermath

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: Glenn Skinner Executive Director Jerry Schill Director of Government Relations Aundrea O’Neal Administration & Accounting Tradewinds Editor Nikki Raynor Membership/Receptionist Tradewinds- Co-Editor 101 N. 5th Street Morehead City, NC 28557 Office: 252-726-(NCFA)6232 | Fax:252-726-6200 www.ncfish.org

Tradewinds is proud to announce that our publication will now be archived at: North Carolina Collection at Wilson Library University of Chapel Hill, NC

Brent Fulcher-252-514-7003 Chairman Glenn Skinner-252-646-7742 Executive Director Dewey Hemilright-252-473-0135 Treasurer Area 1Vacant Area 2Dewey Hemilright-252-473-0135 Area 3Mark Vrablic-252-305-2718 Area 4Vacant Area 5Wesley Potter-252-229-1881 Area 6Brent Fulcher- 252-514-7003 Area 7- Doug Todd-910-279-2959 At LargeSonny Davis-252-725-0784 At Large- Chrissy Fulcher Cahoon-252-670-7223 At LargeRoss Butler-757-435-5317 At LargeJeff Styron-252-675-8354 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 Plyler-252-928-5601 Pamlico County Fisherman’s Association Wayne Dunbar-252-670-7467 Brunswick County Fishermen’s Association Randy Robinson-910-209-3463 NC CatchKaren Amspacher-252-732-0982 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. ©2018

October/November 2018

From the Chairman.................. 4

contents 19

From Glenn Skinner................. 5 Nikki Raynor............................. 6 From the Editor........................ 6 A Word From Jerry................... 7 NCDMF Appreciation............... 9 Brown’s Island.........................11 AFLAC for Members.............. 13 NC Seafood Festival.............. 13 Game Fish......................... 14-15 Bill Hitchcock.......................... 16 Core Sound Waterfowl Museum........... 19-20 Marketplace............................ 23 FEATURE STORY

Water Quality is NOW....... 24-25 Captain’s Spotlight................. 27 Maritime Angels......................29 The Graying of the Fleet........ 33

Affiliate News........................................ 35 AMSEA.................................................. 37 Council & Commission Meetings.....................38-39 Bluewater Fisherman Assoc................. 41

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Red...Right............................................ 41 Talk on the Docks.............................42-43 Tred Barta..............................................47

On the Cover:

Marine Patrol Officer Steve Evanko on N.C. 53 at Croomsbridge Road Crossing during the height of flooding from Hurricane Florence.

Photo curtesy of NCDMF

TW Disclaimer: Articles and letters appearing in Tradewinds are the opinions of the authors and unless specifically noted may or may not reflect the opinions or official positions of the North Carolina Fisheries Association.

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A word from the chairman ...

MFC APPOINTMENTS

O

n August 1st, Governor Roy Cooper announced the following appointments to the Marine Fisheries Commission: Rob Bizzell of Kinston as a Recreational Sports Fisherman and Chairman. He replaced Rick Smith in the recreational seat and replaced Sammy Corbett as Chairman of the MFC. Rob is the founder of Realo Drug Stores and co-founder of Carolina Home Medical. He served previously as Chairman of the MFC under Governor Perdue.

Mike Blanton of Elizabeth City as a Commercial Fisherman. He is a full-time fisherman in the Albemarle Sound area and a member of the North Carolina Fisheries Association. He also serves as a proxy for Representative Bob Steinburg on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. He replaced Janet Rose on the Commission.

Tom Hendrickson of Zebulon and Harkers Island a member atlarge. He is an attorney and businessman who works in real estate development and commercial real estate investment. He also serves on the Global Transpark Authority and was the Founding Chairman of North State Bank. He replaced Mark Gorges on the Commission.

We are especially pleased with the appointment of Mike Blanton as he has much experience on the water as a commercial fisherman and has been very involved in the fisheries management process and knows it well, in particular with his experience sitting around the table with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Tom Hendrickson brings a business perspective along with the ability to seek solutions based on facts rather than perception and has indicated a sincere interest in learning more about commercial fishing. While he is not well known to most people involved with commercial fishing, one can readily get an idea of his character by his recent actions to help those affected Down East by Hurricane Florence. (See photograph.)

Rob Bizzell knows fisheries management well and we are confident that he will be fair in his chairmanship responsibilities and offer our help in making his job easier while assuring fairness in the process.

Sammy Corbett would have remained on the Commission as a member, but resigned on August 13th, prior to the meeting in Raleigh. Alison Willis also resigned on that date from the Commercial Fisherman seat, so there are currently two vacancies on the MFC. We thank the Governor for these appointments and are confident he will again assure fairness in appointing replacements for Sammy Corbett and Alison Willis.

Brent Fulcher 4

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Tom Hendrickson cooked & chopped 400# of Boston Butts and fixins and gave out over 625 plates of hot lunch for Harkers Island and Downeast friends who were out of power during Hurricane Florence.

North Carolina Fisheries Association and Carteret County Fisherman’s Association would like to extend a huge thank you to Mr. Hendrickson for his dedication of time and compassion to these Carteret County communities.

A thought from Glenn ...

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HOW HAS THIS STORM AFFECTED NORTH CAROLINA’S COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN

n the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, everyone from reporters to concerned friends and neighbors seem to be asking me the same question: How has this storm affected North Carolina’s commercial fishermen? Without exception, they all appear dumbfounded when I tell them that I really don’t know how this hurricane has impacted NC’s fishermen. Most don’t realize that the devastation of days of lost-work and damage to homes, boats, and gear caused by the initial impacts of Hurricane Florence will probably pale in comparison to the longterm effects this storm will have on our fishermen.

If past storms are any indication of what’s to come, the upcoming fall and winter fisheries will be greatly impacted by this hurricane. Late-season storms like this one cause the crabs, shrimp, and fish our fishermen depend on to prematurely leave North Carolina’s rivers and sounds; weeks or even months earlier than they normally would. The species that remain in our estuaries will often fall victim to low salinities and depleted oxygen levels as inland flood waters make their way downstream. Shellfish like oysters are probably most vulnerable to the effects of the storm because they lack the ability to move themselves out of harm’s way.

In previous storms, entire oyster beds have been buried in silt, smothering the live oysters and covering the shellbottom necessary for new growth; thus leaving many areas unproductive for years. While wild oysters may be devastated due to their inability to move, the cultivated oysters grown in North Carolina mariculture operations suffer a very different

fate. North Carolina’s oyster farmers often grow oysters in submerged metal cages or in mesh bags floating close to the surface, which are vulnerable to the effects of severe storms.

The winds and waves from Hurricane Florence have moved much of this gear (and the product it contained) great distances from where it was originally secured, often out of the water into wooded or marshy areas where the oysters will certainly be lost. The initial damage estimates show some growers losing well over a million dollars’ worth of gear and product, and those losses may climb much higher if the oysters that are left die from the effects of receding flood waters.

While most people are aware that many types of seafood are usually abundant in the fall, I doubt many know how economically important the next few months are to most fishermen. The fall has always been a “make it or break” season for North Carolina’s commercial fishermen, but it has become increasingly important in recent years as strict regulations have limited commercial fishermen’s access to many of the species traditionally harvested in the winter months. Because of this, fishermen now depend on a good fall to provide the necessary income to get them through the lean winter months more than ever.

While it is almost certain that Hurricane Florence will decrease commercial landings and income this fall, it is much harder to determine what the long-term effects of pollution and habitat-loss on our fisheries will be. It is impossible for me to predict the overall impact this storm has had on our fishermen at this time, but there is one prediction I will make with a very degree of certainty: There is a very vocal minority in NC who will attribute any negative impacts this storm has had on our fisheries to commercial fishing, and there will be no mention of the three so-called one-hundred-year floods we have had in less than twenty years. They will once again go to the Marine Fisheries Commission and the NC General Assembly to demand that commercial fishing gears be removed from NC waters. If this is allowed to happen, the impacts of this storm will certainly be devastating to North Carolina’s commercial fishing industry.

Glenn Skinner

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JOIN JOIN JOIN JOIN

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Membership Matters:

For only $25 a year, your membership can help our efforts to save a very important industry and heritage to our great state of North Carolina.

The North Carolina Fisheries Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the commercial fishing industry that means so much to so many of us. Non-government operated special interest groups are constantly attacking our industry with false “science”, trying to pass senseless laws and place unnecessary rules and regulations on an industry that is already highly regulated. We are the ones who stand up and preside on behalf of the fishermen.

If you want to preserve the heritage of this industry that has been passed down through countless generations, as well as have access to fresh, local seafood, join us on our quest to save these things.

Stay “in the know”. With your annual membership, you will receive updates about what’s going on in the commercial fishing industry on a weekly basis, as well as receiving a year-long subscription to our bi-monthly Tradewinds publication.

You do not have to be a North Carolina resident to become a member of the North Carolina Fisheries Association. Many

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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commercial fishermen move to North Carolina on both temporary and permanent bases to fish, because they have been put out of business in other states. Let’s keep commercial fishing alive and strong in North Carolina.

Become a member of the North Carolina Fisheries Association today! Share this publication with your family and friends and encourage them to become a member of the NCFA too!

Join by visiting our website: www.ncfish.org/join-ncfa/ Or by filling out the application on page – and sending it in with your payment.

Thank you to all of our new and long-standing members. Your support is everything!

Thank you so much!

- Nikki

NCFA Legislative Affairs, Jerry Schill

A word from Jerry ...

NC MOUNTAIN STATE FAIR

T

hese past couple of weeks has been a time to remember for most of us in the Carolinas. (Understatement of the year!)

The day after Labor Day, my wife and I drove to a campground south of Asheville. We were joined the next day when Aundrea O’Neal and Steve Weeks arrived. Our purpose was to tend a booth at the Mountain State Fair in Fletcher.

The main goal was to educate the fair attendees about commercial fishing by giving out an array of printed materials including Tradewinds. In my case, I wanted to attend the opening ceremony and speak to as many legislators as possible.

We may have been in the mountains, but when it came to heat and humidity it felt like we were back on the coast, at least for the Thursday set up and the fair’s first day on Friday.

The booth was set put up by a crew from Brent Fulcher’s Beaufort Inlet Seafood as they left early Thursday morning and returned back to Beaufort immediately after setting it up.

Pam & I did arrive early on Friday for the noon opening ceremony and spoke to Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler and a few legislators.

After that we ate a very nutritious lunch of funnel cake and lemonade, and as we walked back to where NCFA’s booth was set up, we took a look at the Mooternity ward where there were several cows due to give birth at various times during the fair.

We arrived 15 minutes after a Jersey calf was born. (And no, that does not mean the cow was from New Jersey!)

Here’s an observation about the fair booth: It’s much easier to gather a crowd around your booth if you’re giving away food.

Shocking, isn’t it? On Friday, Aundrea, Steve, Pam and I were at the booth most of the time, but on Saturday Aundrea and Steve took the first shift and then Pam and I relieved. At that point much of the talk started about Florence.

We had much more success when we actually held a fish to attract attention, so I held a sweet potato fish, (see attached photo), and would get the younger folks to come over and guess what kind of fish I was holding. When they gave the correct answer, which was just about anything, they got a prize of a floating key fob or a tape measure with NCFA’s web address on it. We then engaged in conversation about the video about shrimping that was showing and told them a brief

description about the cover story in the current issue about Kenny Rustic.

We left the fair earlier than planned due to Hurricane Florence. I know some wondered why we were heading east when many were heading west away from the storm, but we had some preparations to make just like everyone else.

We were very fortunate that we got through it at our house in New Bern ok. Just a lot of limbs and debris and 6 inches of water from all the rain in our backyard garage. We lost power for 5 days but have a generator that can power the refrigerator, freezer, fans and the camper parked beside the house.

Since the storm we’ve been busy assessing damages to commercial fishing families and getting the word out via Constant Contact and Facebook about how to get ice or how to save seafood inventory and even where to go to get a shower on a boat.

Our thoughts and prayers to commercial fishing families and others who have had damage and/or losses from the storm. It’s not our first rodeo and won’t be our last.

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NCFA applauds NC Division of Marine Fisheries for their heroism and dedication during this disaster and a special thank you to Steve Murphey, Director, NC Division of Marine Fisheries.

Marine Patrol Officer Garland Yopp leads the way, followed by Officers Brian Gillis and Scott Blythe.

N.C. Marine Patrol: A lifesaving force

You know their names. You see them, sometimes daily, on the water and at fish houses. They help your gear meet state regulations, they check your ice boxes – and they help with search and rescues. When Hurricane Florence made landfall, the North Carolina Marine Patrol became a life-saving force.

Because of their training and knowledge of the area, and their shallow-water boats, during Hurricane Florence the Marine Patrol rescued over 65 people from rising floodwaters and conducted wellness checks throughout several of the hardesthit communities.

“We pulled up to people’s eaves to get some people,” said Marine Patrol Col. Dean Nelson, about finding men and women standing desperately on the roofs of their homes to escape the rising water. “Others just had trouble getting out of their neighborhoods because they were elderly or because they had four feet of water on their road.”

In Hyde County the Marine Patrol rescued four people around Slocum Creek, in Pamlico County they rescued a diabetic man, assisting in his evacuation by air, while in Beaufort County the Marine Patrol rescued a family of five and their two dogs.

In Carteret County, 20 were rescued, in Pender and Onslow another 30 to 40, and in Brunswick Patrol Officers rescued a man from a sailboat which had been disabled for two days near Oak Island. Patrol Officers also, over a week’s time, delivered

8,750 hot meals prepared by volunteer groups to the towns of Boiling Springs Lakes and Ash. The first meal deliveries were conducted by boat until the waters receded.

Marine Patrol officers were also called upon to assist local law enforcement agencies with security and to provide flights over hurricane-damaged areas for state officials. Their service during Florence was a reminder that in-addition to their day-to-day activities, the Marine Patrol is often one of North Carolina’s first responders during times of natural disaster.

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Brown’s Island 5Buck Gillikin, Cook OCTOBER 16, 2017 / DAVID CECELSKI

Buck Gillikin from Otway, N.C. Courtesy, State Archives of North Carolina

B

uck Gillikin, cook. Young Gillikin is making biscuits in a one-room cabin that served both as a kitchen and one of half-a-dozen bunkhouses at Brown’s Island.

He has nearly filled a galvanized steel pan with biscuits and will soon place them in the oven.

A tin of baking powder sits next to his mixing bowl, in front of containers of other cooking ingredients, including what looks like a jar of pickles or peppers.

“When a boat doesn’t come from the mainland,” Charles

Farrell wrote on the back of the print, “Buck may have nothing to serve but flour biscuits and black strap molasses.”

This is the 5th in a series of Charles A. Farrell’s photographs from Brown’s Island, in Onslow County, N.C., in 1938. An earlier version of this story appeared in Southern Cultures, a quarterly journal published by the UNC Center for the Study of the American South.

On this day, Buck is frying corned spots for the mullet fishermen, which he will serve with the biscuits and molasses. He is wearing cook’s whites, always reassuring to a fishing crew when kept as immaculate as Buck’s.

While cooking was his main job, he also had duties that took him out of the kitchen, much as cooks on sailing ships did at sea. Other photographs in Farrell’s collection show him helping to launch a mullet boat into the surf.

In this photograph, his coat hanging on the shelf has a worn place on the left sleeve that probably betrays wear from either the wooden beams used to carry the mullet boat or from the warps, the two heavy ropes that the fishermen used to haul the seine and fish ashore.

At such times, the crew captain needed every hand on the beach.

A mullet camp was a man’s world, at least at Brown’s Island, and making biscuits was hardly the fishermen’s only domestic duty that would have been women’s work back in Otway. Again much like sailors at sea, the fishermen scrubbed floors, washed laundry, mended clothes and did whatever else necessary to keep the camp tolerably livable.

Reprinted with permissions

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D E L E C CAN

On behalf of the North Carolina Seafood Festival Board of Directors, we have decided to postpone the festival in efforts to give our community and surrounding areas time to heal from Hurricane Florence. We are currently reaching out to our vendors, partners, area accommodations and other contractors that are a part of the festival for information on producing a festival the first weekend in November. We will reconvene as a board and notify every one of our final decision the week of 10/1. We appreciate all of the love and support that our festival fans and family have shown us and we hope that you’ll support our efforts once we make a final decision. Thank you for your patience and let’s stay #carolinastrong!

Stephanie McIntyre Executive Director

For additional questions please refer to our website and social media platforms. https://www.ncseafoodfestival.org/ north carolina fisheries association 13

GAME FISH:

A PRIMER

T

he recreational fishing industry’s latest push to win gamefish status for three of North Carolina’s saltwater fish prompts the question: “What’s it all about?”

In sporting terms, fish are considered to be “game” if they readily slam lures or baits and, once hooked, valiantly resist capture. Whether or not a species is a “game” fish is a subjective determination but there’s nothing hazy about the legal designation that sportsmen seek: Once a fish has been officially declared a “gamefish” it is permanently off limits to commercial fishermen and seafood consumers and may be taken only by recreational fishermen.

HOW MUCH IS THAT LITTLE SPECIES IN THE WINDOW?

For management purposes, wild fish are considered to be public property, so their re-allocation from the public-at-large to an elite subset of the population must be accomplished via the state legislature or some other governing body. Yet when politicians reach into the diverse marine environment and select a species for special treatment, what are the consequences?

IT’S OUR FOOD, STUPID!

In addition to their fighting ability, most gamefish candidates have other desirable attributes, namely good looks and good flavor.

Some folks might argue that all fish are beautiful but it takes a mother to love an oyster toadfish. And whiskers are a definite turn-off—no great battles have been fought over catfish.

Consider North Carolina’s three contested species, the striped bass, red drum, and spotted seatrout: Already gamefish in some

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states, they’re all pleasing to the eye.

But it’s a fish’s performance on the plate that ultimately does it for many anglers. And sportsmen must be aroused to engage in the surprisingly fierce political battles that are fought over “gamefish.”

Of course, for naturally competitive sportsmen those battles themselves can serve as sport, but they’re not games to commercial fishermen.

That’s because the fishermen’s livelihoods hinge on the sale of these wild-caught fish to consumers. So when sportsmen “win,” and working fishermen lose, so do people who like to eat fish.

Such monopolization, or “royalization,” of the public’s wild resources harkens back to Merry Olde England, when Robin Hood and his rural associates were driven to “poach” what had become the king’s own deer. Its revival today seems anachronistic, given the public’s growing appreciation for the healthful benefits of wild fish, and the “food security” derived from locally sourced protein.

ECONOMICS

Sequestering species as “gamefish” not only shrinks and homogenizes our food supply, it also hits us in the pocket by shrinking and homogenizing another public domain, the economy.

Recreational fishing is a great pastime, and the money people spend on the sport supports an amazing array of businesses in manufacturing, retail and services. But if everyone quit their jobs and went sport fishing, could we really pave our streets in gold?

To justify allocating the resource to themselves, private anglers, sport-fishing guides and “higher-ups” in the recreational industry minimize the economic value of the seafood-producing industry relative to that of the recreational. Their “economic

impact” studies invariably contrast the money that a multitude of recreational fishermen spend on their hobby, with the money that relatively few commercial fishermen earn by selling their catch to consumers. The results?

“Two billion dollars versus 49 cents.”

This apples-to-oranges argument gains credibility, like all propaganda, through repetition. But if you had to invest your life savings in a business that boasted of maximizing its expenditures, or one that quietly and steadily took in money, which would it be?

Actually, you’d want to diversify by investing in both!

Since spending on recreation is discretionary, participation in sport fishing requires a certain level of affluence, and the expenditures track the ups and downs in the economy. For a real-life example, check out http://www.wral.com/news/state/ nccapitol/video/10679599/#/vid10679599.

This video, produced by WRAL-TV, captured the February 2, 2012, gamefish hearing of the North Carolina Legislative Research Commission’s Committee on Marine Fisheries. In it, commercial advocates first argue against giving sportsmen all of the state’s redfish, trout and striped bass; then a couple sport-fishing guides argue why they should have all the fish, and then the owner of a sport-fishing tackle shop complains that his business has gone down “amazingly” in the past couple years. Carried away with the prospect of winning all of the fish, he suggests that his recent hardship stems from the fact that tourists are bypassing North Carolina in favor of states that have already allocated their choice fish to sportsmen.

A more objective observer might have noted that the purported drop in tourism happened to coincide with the nation’s worst recession since the Great Depression.

Meanwhile, coastal food producers did just fine, thank you.

People can do without vacations but not food. And, completing the circle, some of the wealth that North Carolina’s seafood industry brought into the state derived from those very same states that prohibited their own fishermen from supplying local markets!

Commercial fishermen generate wealth by creating something of value and selling it. Their earnings in turn ripple through the economy as they’re spent on groceries and the full gamut of living expenses, as well as the outlays that fishermen incur in running their businesses. And as the fishermen’s harvest ascends the market ladder from dockside buyer to urban distributor and ultimately to markets, restaurants and exporters, these enterprises in turn add value to it; from revenues thus generated they meet their business expenditures such as wages, taxes, insurance, utilities, transportation, packaging and other supplies.

When sportsmen take all of the fish for their own use, this seafood-related economic activity is disrupted.

Fishery economics can get complicated, but when it comes to allocation, it’s amazingly simple: According to common sense— and unbiased natural resource economists—the best way to maximize the economic value of a publicly owned fishery is to share it with the public. Imagine that.

SUSTAINABILITY

“Sustainability” is one of the most overworked words today, but what does it mean and how does it relate to the gamefish controversy?

An activity is considered to be sustainable if it leaves future

generations with at least the same opportunities that present generations have. In short, sustainability is forever.

Commercial fishing is often referred to as America’s oldest industry; the Basques pioneered the Northwest Atlantic cod fishery 500 years ago, and the Plymouth colonists supported themselves in the early 1600s by netting striped bass. In 1670, an act of the Plymouth Colony provided that income from Cape Cod’s striped bass, mackerel and herring fisheries be used to establish a free school, the first public school in the New World.

That these same species continue to support substantial commercial fisheries in the 21st century is clear evidence that this venerable industry is inherently sustainable.

Seafood products are living renewable resources that are managed by harvesting a safe number of individuals from the system while leaving enough behind to reproduce and replace those removed. It sounds easy but it’s not. Not only are fish underwater, out of sight and therefore difficult to quantify, but their populations fluctuate wildly from season to season in response to natural variations in the environment.

Yet most seafood species are quite prolific and able to rapidly compensate for downturns associated with overharvest or cataclysmic events like freezes or floods, if the quality of their waters and habitats is maintained.

Pollution and the degradation of habitat by human society— i.e. all of us—are the most serious threats to abundant fisheries.

Indeed, the single greatest threat to all of our wildlife is the displacement of natural habitats with those more suitable for ourselves. At the same time that real-estate development directly displaces wetlands and other vegetated areas that absorb rainfall, it creates a profusion of impervious surfaces like lawns, rooftops, parking lots and highways which amplify the runoff of impure waters into the marine environment.

How does this relate to gamefish?

Commercial fishermen export renewable resources from their coastal communities and bring in only money while the sport-fishing industry brings in people. In the clip from North Carolina, several of the gamefish advocates tout the increased development that would be generated by gamefish designations. Does that sound sustainable?

TWO PARTIES = HIGHEST ROAD

Conventional wisdom suggests that exclusive access to a species encourages stewardship of that species. But experience hasn’t shown that to be the case. Instead, such virtual ownership only renders sportsmen more emotionally vulnerable to claims that some of “their” fish are inadvertently being taken in the nets of fishermen in pursuit of other species.

“Ban the Nets!” becomes the battle cry and the sport fishermen are promised even more thrilling victories. By the time they win those campaigns, the anglers are so convinced that they’ve “saved” the fish from their enemies—commercial fishermen—that they see little reward in long-term stewardship.

Meanwhile, the public derives even less nutritional and economic benefits from its resources.

Alternatively, we could take the highest road, forget about “gamefish” and continue to share all of our publicly owned resources with the public.

Game Fish-a primer is reprinted with permissions from Robert Fritchey north carolina fisheries association 15

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The Waters Are Come In Unto My Soul “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.” (Psalm 69:1-2).

It is one thing for the waters to come in unto your home and property, like Hurricane Florence did with so many folks in North and South Carolina. But it is quite another thing to have the waters come in unto your soul.

“The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?” (Proverbs 18:14) The spirit and soul are the driving force of the body. The body can suffer loss, but with a sustained soul and spirit, we can overcome all! But, if the soul and spirit fail, then even the fittest body can no longer function. Crush the man and his spirit continues on. Crush his spirit and the man is no more.

Our focus should always be on Jesus Christ and the spirit, especially during times of great physical turmoil, such as what we just experienced with Hurricane Florence. The devil’s “in” is via the physical. Be it pain or pleasure, the devil works through the physical to get to us spiritually. The devil comes, “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10) our spirit and soul. The body is his ticket in.

The body is tactile, temporal and temporary. The spirit is perpetual. Protect and save what is eternal.

Jesus warned us, “fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28). This is a spiritual battle. We are to fear that which destroys our spirit and soul. If we lose the spiritual battle, the physical battle is over.

Here’s a great example how the spiritual can affect the physical. Peter overcame the physical adversities of a storm and walked on water when he was in the right place spiritually. But once he took his eyes off of Jesus and focused on the storm around him was when he sank into the waters. Peter shifted his faith and belief from the power of Christ to the power of the storm around him. He shifted focus from the spiritual to the physical and immediately lost. The spirit of a man will sustain him even in the vilest of storms as long as he stays focused on Christ.

Hurricane Florence was devastating. Inland flooding from hurricanes are responsible for more deaths than any other aspect associated with a hurricane. But although our homes may have been underwater, we can’t allow these waters to flood our spirit and soul. That’s when the devil wins.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27).

Notice how Jesus places emphasis on His peace and man’s heart? Both of which are spirit. We must take to heart the very words of Christ. We must: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5).

Do not let the flood waters into your spirit, because that’s when we lose.

“As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:16, 22) Don’t let the flood waters come into your soul. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Bill Hitchcock

north carolina fisheries association 17

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FLORENCE – TWO WEEKS LATER At the End of the Road,” Harkers Island

Dear Family and Friends, Has it only been two weeks? It seems like a lifetime.

Down East Carteret County remains a weary land. Recovery is not easy or quick, it takes a long time and it tests our spirits, but we are still thankful for the support that has come to our communities from near and far. Work crews from churches, organizations, neighborhoods and many just individual people have come with tools and time to share. It has been an amazing experience.

Schools reopened on Tuesday and that was another step in bringing back some order to this chaos. Since the power came back on the weekend before last, restoration crews worked day and night to get the schools ready for teachers and students.

Many teachers are displaced as well as the children, and the CSWM&HC and the Carteret County Public School Foundation are helping get students back in their homes. Everyone in this community has suffered from this storm, but none more so than the children, their parents and the older folks. Many thanks to all of you who have given to our communities in all kinds of ways.

The Museum-Schools partnership will continue to work with classroom teachers to identify and help where it is most needed.

Thank you for trusting your contributions with us. We pledge to direct those dollars to families who need help the most.

The museum looks like a war zone right now, and we feel battle-weary as we work day and night to remove 20 years of work, box by box. Thank you to Brent Fulcher for donating 500 fish boxes (what else would we use?) to pack exhibits, books, displays, kitchen equipment, gift shop inventory, quilters supplies, educational materials, and offices to move to four

different locations. The Collection is covered by a fine arts insurance policy and that adjuster is here now with a professional packing crew to handle our carvings, decoys, art and most treasured artifacts in the museum’s possession. Pam is going with these trucks early next week to their new undisclosed location - a state facility, approved by our insurance and out-of-the-mold/ soon-to-come reconstruction. Pam’s heart is breaking, as is mine, but we will see this through more determined than ever to be stronger than we’ve ever been before.

Many community members who have loaned up objects for display have taken them home for safe-keeping until we reopen.

Many thanks to the volunteers who have helped, in this moldy mess, to help us move our community stories to safe locations.

A special thanks to the NC Department of Cultural Resources, Duke Marine Lab, NC Maritime Museum, LDS work crews, and Cape Lookout National Seashore, who have come to our aid in the hardest week this museum has ever faced. ServPro’s crews are on site and helping us transport all these materials to new locations and we are very thankful for their eagerness to help.

We have worked since last Monday, and as of Friday morning we are about a third of our way through the building. Demolition has already started in the education hall, and it hurts. Sheetrock (Continued on page 20)

The auditorium of the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center on Harkers Island is gutted down to the studs as major clean-up efforts continues in the wake of Hurricane Florence. (Dylan Ray photo) north carolina fisheries association 19

(Continued from page 19)

has to come out everywhere. The mold is visible throughout the building, so even the rooms that did not get wet now have mold creeping through the ceiling. It is a museum nightmare, but we continue to be thankful that we have a building to return to. We are hearing of museums to the south and west with collapsed roofs and feet of water in them. We are lucky. The water coming into our building was clean rain instead of murky mud, so all of our possessions will be safe once they are cleaned and stored.

We are already talking about our grand homecoming when we return to the building early next spring. This WILL be our finest hour!

Our plan going forward includes opening our Museum Store at 806 Arendell Street in Morehead City in a few weeks. Everything is there. Work is underway to setup our retail and online operation there until we’re back in the museum. We will be open there several days a week and we hope this challenge (now an opportunity), will cause new folks to stop and visit. A special thanks to John Gainey for welcoming us to the location, the museum gift shop staff, as well as volunteers who have carefully packed and carried our inventory to this new location. We cannot wait to decorate for our Core Sound Christmas here in downtown Morehead!

At the end of this week, we are doing all we can, just like everyone else in our communities, and all of the people around us. Eastern North Carolina has suffered a disaster for sure.

Core Sound and Down East are just part of a much larger, tragic situation, but like generations before us, we will adapt, work and

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persevere. This was “our time” … I felt that from the beginning of this storm; I think we all did. We have experienced storms all along but nothing of this scope. We have watched our neighbors to the north, west and south rise above major storms like Hugo, Matthew and Sandy. We know just like they did, that we will move on; better prepared for the next ones that will surely come.

Again, thank you for all you have given so far, and for all you will give in the future. The needs are many, and each person will have to determine where they can help best. We are all committed to repairing homes and returning displaced families to their houses, and that will remain our top priority. In the meantime, please be prepared to help us once we know what our insurance will cover, and what the operational needs will be during this (estimated) six months period.

Many have asked what we will do about Waterfowl Weekend, know this: It will happen, and on that site. We will work with whatever stage the building is in at the time and return to the way we used to celebrate that weekend “back in the beginning”, with tents and whatever we can use of the building, with lots of hard work! Plans were already in place to revamp that weekend with a stronger Christmas theme, and that will see us through.

We will need Christmas more this year than ever, and we will celebrate it together “at the end of the road.”

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Marketplace

Whalebone Seafood Market Tom Daniels, owner of Whalebone Seafood Market in Nags Head, opens his market each morning offering a unique experience for his customers. A colorful pallet of fresh, local, wildcaught North Carolina seafood straight from the boat greets you as you enter Whalebone Seafood Market – up front and in your face, leaving you in awe. Unlike what you expect from today’s seafood counters, Tom’s offerings are displayed in a manner that takes you back to a time of the fish-peddlers of days gone by.

Every morning, you can find Tom at his cleaning sink where he cuts and processes his craft products. He is hands on with every item that passes through his counter – an almost forgotten practice that his father, Tom Bill Daniels, taught him.

In 1985, Tom’s dad and Cheryl (his mother) opened the retail seafood market with a vision of bringing the best quality seafood from the boats docked in Wanchese, to the visitors who came to the beaches each year. In 2000, Tom took the helm and the seafood market has continued to grow. A daily visit to Whalebone Seafood has become a tradition for many families today.

The fabric of the business relies on maintaining strong rela-

tionships between its customer base and the local fishermen, while providing great customer service. It all co-exists as one big family. The same familiar faces frequent the seafood market year after year for the freshest local seafood on the Outer Banks, served up by the friendly faces behind the counter, who are the same year in and year out as well. The business does very little advertising, choosing instead to rely on visitors’ experiences and word of mouth.

Fishing and dealing in the seafood business have been in Tom’s family for decades. In 1936, W.R. Etheridge (Tom’s great grandfather) began a fish processing plant in the small fishing village of Wanchese, on Roanoke Island. Through the hard work of W.R. and Malcom Daniels, along with Malcolm’s 15 uncles and aunts, the company grew from buying seafood from local fishermen to sorting, packing and shipping the seafood to the Fulton Fish Market in New York City. They were harvesting and distributing seafood on a global level. After 79 years, the company was sold and continues to be a world-leading innovator in the seafood industry.

In a time of changing fishing-regulations and quotas driving the cost of fresh seafood up, the sustainability of this small seafood market is unknown, especially since imported farmed and gassed seafood products stock so many grocery store shelves these days. For now, Tom ensures his family tradition continues by teaching the next generation the trade, and he continues to support the local fishermen, procuring their precious catch and offering it up in his seafood market – ocean to table. north carolina fisheries association 23

Water Quality...

NOW is the time!

Photo credit: https://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Hurricane Florence packed a one-two punch for North Carolina. As the hurricane moved ashore it brought a record-breaking storm surge of 9 to 13 feet in some areas and record rainfall to coastal North Carolina. The highest rainfall totals were along the coast from Cedar Island to Wilmington. Preliminary reports from the National Weather Service indicates 34 inches of rainfall in Swansboro, 26.58 inches in Wilmington and similar amounts along the mid to southern coast.

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by S. L. Weeks, Sr

I

t is estimated that 8.04 trillion gallons of rain fell on the State. A meteorologist at North Carolina State University has opined that Florence was the nation’s second wettest storm, second only to last year’s Hurricane Harvey. The receding of the storm surge and the draining of the flooded land carried and continues to carry high levels of bacteria and other pollutants into coastal waters, threatening public health and adversely impacting shellfish growing waters.

In anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Florence, the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries temporarily closed to shellfishing all coastal North Carolina waters on September 13, 2018.

Shellfish are filter feeders, straining particles out of the water to feed. Since shellfish may be eaten raw, waters will be closed to shellfish harvest when state standards aren’t met to prevent disease and sickness from being spread due to shellfish collecting bacteria and other harmful pollutants. In North Carolina an area may be closed to shellfish harvest but still open for swimming because there are higher standards for shellfish harvesting than swim-

ming. After the rainfall event has ended and sufficient time has elapsed to allow the area to return to normal, the temporarily closed area will be sampled. If the results indicate levels to be acceptable, a proclamation is issued to reopen the area.

Hurricane Florence has exacerbated the pre-existing problem of water quality in North Carolina’s coastal waters. In 2017 the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries Shellfish Sanitation and Water Quality Section reported a total of 760,209 acres, or 34 percent of all shellfish growing areas, closed to harvest due to poor water quality or lack of funding for monitoring. Each year the number of acres closed to shellfishing due to poor quality is increasing. There are many sources of pollution that require closures. Waste water treatment plan discharges and marinas are two sources of pollution that require permanent closures. The primary cause of water quality impairment on the coast of North Carolina is stormwater runoff.

Intense urbanization has hardened the natural landscape. Instead of soaking into the ground and being taken up by vegetation,

a much larger amount of rain now quickly runs over the urban landscape and into the creeks. Our streets and highways, with their efficient drainage systems are major polluters. Urbanization is a growing trend in the United States, with more than 80% of the total population living in urban areas, a 12% increase over the past decade. Urbanization puts increasing pressure on the environment, especially on water quality due to an increase in impervious cover.

Urban runoff has been found to contain pollutants including suspended solids, heavy metals, nutrients, and pathogens. Pathogens has been reported as one of the leading causes for impaired surface waters placed on the United States Environmental Protection Agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (USEPA) 303(d) list. Elevated bacteria levels can lead to economic losses in shellfish waters, recreation waters, increased drinking water treatment costs, and potential health concerns.

In order to preserve our creeks, rivers and waterways for future generations we must reverse the trend of using them as sewers to carry off surface waters that historically have soaked into the ground and taken up by vegetation. There are many things that can be done to reduce stormwater runoff and let the runoff soak into the ground where it is filtered by nature.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation Highway Stormwater program in conjunction with North Carolina State University, Bio and Ag Engineering, conducted a research project whereby they constructed a bioswale on NC 211 in Brunswick County. The bioswale successfully reduced the amount of stormwater runoff and mitigated pollutants. The North Carolina Department of Transportation should utilize more bioswales to control stormwater runoff into our creeks and rivers.

The North Carolina Coastal Federation has collaborated with the City of Wilmington and the Town of Wrightsville beach and developed a watershed restoration plan that has focused on implementing the design and installation of stormwater retrofit projects to reduce the volume of stormwater runoff flowing into various creeks.

These projects have proven successful in mitigating stormwater runoff.

In order to protect and preserve our creeks, rivers, sounds and near coastal waters, we must act now. The discharging of effluent from waste treatment plants into our waters must be stopped. The NC Department of Transportation and our cities and towns must immediately implement the design and installation of stormwater retrofit projects to reduce the volume of stormwater runoff flowing into our creeks and rivers. NOW IS THE TIME!

Photo credit for graph comparison of gallons of water: Spectrum News North Carolina

north carolina fisheries association 25

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F/V Joyce D

Captain Bryan Daniels

CAPT’S

SPOTLIGHT CAPTAIN TAYLOR BAREFOOT F/V NEMO

WILMINGTON, NC

C

aptain Taylor Barefoot is a first-generation commercial fisherman from Wilmington, North Carolina. He started fishing from a young age. When Captain Barefoot was sixteen, he got his first commercial fishing license and started crabbing. His primary catch is crabs; but when he’s fishing, he targets sea mullet, spots, croakers, Spanish mackerel, and more. The Captain bought his 24’ Carolina Skiff brand new in 2012 and uses it for crabbing. He has had his 1982 Privateer for around two and a half years and uses that boat for gillnetting. He works with a deckhand.

When asked if he had any recommendations for someone who wants to enter the commercial fishing industry, his advice was: “Be ready to work - If you want to make anything… Don’t be lazy. If you work hard, it’ll pay off. It ain’t all about the glory.”

Boat Name(s): N/A Homeport: Carolina Beach Owner: Taylor Barefoot Captain: Taylor Barefoot Builder: 24’ Carolina Skiff and 24’ Privateer Year: 2012 Carolina Skiff and 1982 Privateer Length: 24’ for both boats Hull material: Fiberglass for both boats Beam: N/A Draft: Privateer-1 ½ ft Engine: 150 Suzuki on Carolina Skiff and 225 Suzuki on Privateer Gear: Crab pots and Gill nets Top Speed: 40mph for both boats Propeller size: 15 ¼” x 19” for both boats Ice/Fish Capacity: 1,700lb on Privateer in 2 fish boxes Electronics: Garmin on both boats

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North Carolina Fisheries Association 2nd Annual Maritime Angels Fundraiser Kicks Off October 1, 2018

North Carolina Fisheries Association founded Maritime Angels in 2017 as a way of assisting children of commercial fishing families that fall on hard times at Christmas. .

If you would like to donate, please visit www.ncfish.org and We will also be collecting new, unopened toys at our office, located at 101 N. 5th Street in Morehead City, NC. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated.

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NCFA WOULD LIKE TO SEND OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHIES OUT TO OUR FELLOW FISHERMEN/ PACKING HOUSES THAT HAVE LOST MOST, IF NOT ALL OF THEIR LIVLIHOODS DUE TO HURRICANE FLORENCE.

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The Graying of the Fleet – East Carolina University Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) Debra A. Kosko DNP, MN, FNP-BC

Post-Hurricane Behavioral Health Hurricane Florence devastated eastern North Carolina and the damage continues long after the winds have calmed and the waters have started to recede. During Florence, fish migrated away, shrimp scattered to deeper waters and oysters were contaminated. Boats were severely damaged or destroyed.

These are difficult times, indeed, but especially for fisherman.

It is natural to focus on the safety of your loved ones during this time and how you are going to put the pieces of your life together, especially your livelihood. But it is also important to consider your emotional health and the emotional health of those around you because natural disasters, such as Hurricane Florence, can cause post-traumatic stress disorder. The older fisher can be especially vulnerable as they contend with underlying medical conditions and may feel they will never be able to rebuild after a lifetime of work was washed away. Post-traumatic stress can occur weeks, months and even years after a disaster.

Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder can include flashbacks by re-experiencing the event in which you are reliving the trauma over and over, physical symptoms like heart palpitations and sweating, and bad dreams. You might find yourself avoiding things like objects and places that remind you of the traumatic event.

If you are feeling stressed or experience any of these symptoms, North Carolina has provided a behavioral health “Disaster Distress” hotline – call them at 1-800-985-5990.

Research has found that people and communities recover faster when people know their loved ones are safe and have social support. Fishing communities are especially close so this bodes well for the recovery of our important fishing communities and the fishers of North Carolina.

GWEP is a collaboration of the ECU College of Nursing, Brody School of Medicine, and the PA Program to provide health screening for mature fishers and their families in eastern North Carolina. We extend our best wishes during recovery and can be reached by phone or email: koskod@ecu.edu; 252-744-6421.

Reference: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorderptsd/index.shtml https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2018/09/24/pay-attentionmental-health-after-disaster-florence/ https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/research-bio/research/index.asp

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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 Ocracoke Working Waterman’s Association Hardy Plyler hplyler@gmail.com 252-588-0512 34

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Around the Coast Affiliate News

I want to hear from YOU!!

Albemarle Fisherman’s Association

Send your letter to the Editor and get in a future issue of TRADEWINDS!!!

Terry Pratt~“No damage up this way like there is down south. The whole state is affected by flood waters being pushed out and it’s taking a long time for that water to get pushed out. It’s still high on the western end of the Albemarle. There were a lot of crabs but the guys pulled their crabpots up for the storm and most of them are setting back out now.”

Brunswick County Fisherman’s Association Randy Robinson~ “Hurricane damage is minimal

compared to the beach. Fish houses had a lot of damage. There are few shrimp in the ocean, and what shrimpers that are shrimping are having to replace a lot of gear, rope, etc. Crabbing has been good since the storm.

The hurricane has kept the water flowing in the inlet.”

Tradewinds@ncfish.org Or

Aundrea@ncfish.org

www.ncfish.org

Carteret County Fisherman’s Association

Bradley Styron~ “We like to thank everyone that stretched out a hand to help with during this disaster.

Everyone worked hard to get each other help, especially the power companies, we can’t thank them enough for getting our power restored so quickly. Everybody locally survived the storm, some had extensive damage. A hurricane never comes at a good time, but this one came at a make or break time of year. We were counting on spots, green tail shrimp, oysters and flounder, now we will have to play the hand that nature deals us.”

Pamlico County Fisherman’s Association

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

Wayne Dunbar~ “Endurance Seafood basically got

wiped out. There’s not much going on on the fishing side of things. We have a few setting crab pots and floundering. Other than that, we are just trying to help out our community. There have been a few fish show up that we don’t normally catch like catfish, and carp.”

Ocracoke Working Waterman’s Association Ocracoke Fish House~ Hardy Plyler

“We are blessed that we got through the storm without significant damage. The gillnet Flounder fishing has opened for our area, folks are getting their pound nets dipped and set out and the tourist are able to trickle back on the island.”

north carolina fisheries association 35

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Time to Repack My Life Raft, Again?!?!

Under federal regulation (46 CFR 28.140), any commercial fishing vessel that is required to have a survival craft, must have its inflatable life raft serviced within two years of the date of manufacture and annually, thereafter. Nothing riles some fishermen so much as the requirement for an annual repack of their vessel’s life raft. It’s not hard to understand why. It’s an expensive procedure.

There’s the cost for the inspection and the repack. Then, there’s the cost to replace any expired equipment in the raft’s survival kit. These are things like smoke and handheld signal flares, parachute rockets, and flashlight and life raft light batteries.

Are you fishing more than 50 miles offshore? You will need to replace expired food and water, as well. Add to the list, the cost of shipping your raft to the nearest repacking service, if there is not one located in your homeport. All in, the cost for repacking a life raft can run well into the hundreds of dollars.

No wonder some fishermen consider life raft repacking a to be a racket. So, what’s the deal? Why must you have your vessel’s life raft repacked so often?

Let’s start with the fact that life rafts live in a tough environment.

The canisters are exposed to hot tropical sun with destructive UV rays or freezing arctic temperatures. Add to that, rain, freezing spray, hail, salt water, and vibration. Occasionally, people will abuse a canister by storing gear on top of it, which is always a bad idea.

As a result, canisters can crack and weathered rubber gaskets can leak, allowing water to seep inside. Water can even wick up the fibers of the painter line and find an entrance into the canister. The result is a wet and moldy canister which damages the life raft material and the glue that holds the raft sections together. In addition, water intrusion will damage the contents of the survival kit, such as flares, lights, food, etc. Annual servicing catches these problems before your raft and its contents become unserviceable.

Real life experience has shown us that life rafts that have not been repacked on schedule are frequently subject to damage from water intruding into the canister. At AMSEA, we use donated, expired life rafts for training. We seldom see a dry life raft come out of a canister that has gone several years without being repacked. Many of these rafts have damage to the raft or survival equipment due to moisture, corrosion, and mold.

A factory-authorized repacking service station will ensure that your raft is in serviceable condition, should you ever need it in an emergency.

The service station will inspect the raft’s seams, fabric, valves, gaskets and other components. Should, a manufacturer find that a supplier has shipped them parts that do not perform properly, they will send a safety alert to its authorized service stations, who will replace the defective parts when the raft comes in for its annual inspection. This is an important reason for why you want your raft repacked by a service station that is authorized and certified by the manufacturer. An unauthorized service station will not receive service bulletins and alerts.

Commercial fishermen looking for an alternative to annual repacks may want to consider a rigid survival craft, like the Ovatek ™. Rigid

Rescue Crew of the F/V Last Stand, Near Cape May, New Jersey, Photo Credit: U.S. Coast Guard

survival craft are common on ships and oil platforms. However, many smaller vessels may not have the room onboard to place a rigid survival craft where it can float free, should the vessel sink and many vessel owners may find the purchase cost prohibitive.

While annual the inspection and repacking of your vessel’s life raft is expensive, it’s the best way to ensure that your survival craft is ready to go. You will likely consider the several hundred dollars per year spent on maintaining your life raft to be money well spent, should you ever call on it in an emergency. Your life raft is survival equipment that was designed to be used in extreme environmental conditions. On a dark and stormy night with the vessel sinking, you and your crew will want to feel assured that your life raft will perform as it was designed and be failure free.

Potter Net and Twine Marine and Net Supplies Virgil Potter, Owner

Hwy 304

Bus (252) 745-5709

Bayboro, NC 28515

Res (252-745-4341

north carolina fisheries association 37

Council & Commission Meetings

August 2018 Council Meeting Summary August 13-16, 2018 Virginia Beach, VA The following summary highlights actions taken and issues considered at the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s August 2018 meeting in Virginia Beach, VA. Presentations, briefing materials, and webinar recordings are available on the Council website at www.mafmc.org/briefing/august-2018.

Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, and Bluefish Specifications The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) reviewed previously approved specifications for scup and established specifications for black sea bass, bluefish, and summer flounder fisheries.

Catch and landings limits for the summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish fisheries were established for 2019 only. The Commission’s actions are final and apply to state waters (0-3 miles from shore). The Council will forward its recommendations for federal waters (3 – 200 miles from shore) to the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Administrator for final approval. The table below summarizes commercial quotas and recreational harvest limits (RHL) for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish (2018 values are provided for comparison purposes).

Species

Year

Commercial Quota (millions of pounds)

Summer Flounder

2018

6.63

14”

5.5"

4.42

2019

7.72

14”

5.5"

5.15

2018

23.98

9”

5"

7.37

2019

23.98

9”

5"

7.37

2018

3.52

11"

4.5"

3.66

2019

3.14

11"

4.5"

3.27

2018

7.24

Varies by state

11.58

2019

7.71

Varies by state

11.62

Scup Black Sea Bass Bluefish

Commercial Minimum Fish Size (TL)

Commercial Diamond Mesh Size

Recreational Harvest Limit (millions of pounds)

Scup 2019 Specifications For scup, the Council and Commission received a data update, including catch, landings, and survey indices through 2017. The update indicates biomass continues to be high, and the 2015 year class appears to be above average. In response, the Council and Commission maintained the previously implemented multi-year specifications set in August 2017. For 2018 and 2019, the commercial quota is 23.98 million pounds and the RHL is 7.37 million pounds. The Council and Commission also adjusted the incidental possession limit for the commercial fishery to 2,000 pounds during April 15 – June 15 (see table below). The adjustment was considered based on a proposal submitted by Massachusetts and Rhode Island to address discards of scup in the inshore spring longfin squid fishery. The incidental possession limit applies to vessels with commercial scup permits fishing with nets with diamond mesh smaller than 5 inches in diameter (there is no separate incidental permit for scup).

2018 and 2019 Scup Incidental Possession Limits for Permitted Vessels Fishing with Diamond Mesh Nets <5” Winter I

38

www.ncfish.org Jan Feb

Summer Mar

Apr

May

Winter II June

July

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

For scup, the Council and Commission received a data update, including catch, landings, and survey indices through 2017. The update indicates biomass continues to be high, and the 2015 year class appears to be above average. In response, the Council and Commission maintained the previously implemented multi-year specifications set in August 2017. For 2018 and 2019, the commercial quota is 23.98 million pounds and the RHL is 7.37 million pounds. The Council and Commission also adjusted the incidental possession limit for the commercial fishery to 2,000 pounds during April 15 – June 15 (see table below). The adjustment was considered based on a proposal submitted by Massachusetts and Rhode Island to address discards of scup in the inshore spring longfin squid fishery. The incidental possession limit applies to vessels with commercial scup permits fishing with nets with diamond mesh smaller than 5 inches in diameter (there is no separate incidental permit for scup).

2018 and 2019 Scup Incidental Possession Limits for Permitted Vessels Fishing with Diamond Mesh Nets <5” Winter I Jan

Summer Feb

2018

1,000 pounds

2019

1,000 pounds

Mar

Apr

May

Winter II June

July

Aug

Sept

200 pounds 2,000 pounds

Oct

Nov

Dec

1,000 pounds 200 pounds

1,000 pounds

Illex Squid Control Date and 2018-2019 Quotas Taking into consideration the high volume and fast pace of 2017 and 2018 Illex squid landings, as well as relatively high Illex Squid Control Date and 2018-2019 recent trawl survey indices, the Council Quotas requested NMFS consider an in-season adjustment in 2018 of up to 2,000 MT of Taking into consideration the and fast pace 2017 and landings,and as well as relatively high additional Illex catch. Based onhigh thevolume same information, theofCouncil has2018 also Illex askedsquid its Scientific Statistical Committee recenttotrawl survey Council NMFS in-season in 2018 of up to MT of (SSC) consider an indices, increasethe to the Illex requested ABC for 2019 andconsider 2020. Inan addition, theadjustment Council voted to reaffirm an 2,000 Illex control additional Illex2,catch. on the same information, the Councilofhas also asked its Scientific Statistical Committee date of August 2013 Based and requested that staff begin development an action to reconsider the and permitting system for the (SSC)fishery. to consider an increase to the Illex ABC for 2019 and 2020. In addition, the Council voted to reaffirm an Illex control Illex date of August 2, 2013 and requested that staff begin development of an action to reconsider the permitting system for the Illex fishery.

Other Business MRIP Presentation on New Estimates Other Business Dave Van Voorhees and Kelly Denit (NMFS) gave a presentation on the new Marine Recreational Information Program MRIP Presentation New Estimates (MRIP) Fishing Efforton Survey (FES). The Council had an opportunity to review historical estimates from the old survey Dave Van Voorhees Kelly Denit (NMFS)Survey) gave a compared presentation the new from Marine Program method (the Coastal and Household Telephone withonestimates theRecreational new Fishing Information Effort Survey.

There (MRIP) Fishing Effort Survey The Council implications had an opportunity to review historical estimates from the about old survey was some discussion about (FES). the management of the new estimates.

Additional information the method (the Coastal Telephone Survey) compared with estimates from the new Fishing Effort Survey. There transition to the FES isHousehold available at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/recreational-fishing-data/effort-survey-improvements. was some discussion about the management implications of the new estimates. Additional information about the transition to the FES is available at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/recreational-fishing-data/effort-survey-improvements.

Draft Amendment 11 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic HMS FMP for Management of Shortfin Mako Sharks Draft Amendment to the 2006on Consolidated Atlantic HMS Management of Shortfin The Council received11 a presentation Draft Amendment 11 to theFMP 2006for Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Mako Sharks Species (HMS) FMP, which includes management measures to address overfishing of North Atlantic shortfin The Council a presentation Draft Amendment 11mako to thesharks 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Migratory mako sharks.received The most recent stock on assessment for shortfin found the stock to beHighly overfished with Species (HMS) FMP, which includes management measures to address overfishing of North Atlantic shortfin overfishing occurring. NOAA Fisheries has already implemented management measures to address overfishing mako sharks.

The mostrule recent stock assessment for shortfin mako11sharks found the stock to be overfished with through an emergency effective March 2, 2018.

Amendment includes a range of management measures overfishing occurring.

NOAA Fisheries has already implemented management measures to address overfishing intended to address overfishing when the interim rule has expired. Following the presentation, the Council through an rule effective 2018. Amendment 11 includes a range and of management measures directed theemergency HMS committee to draftMarch a letter2,regarding the amendment’s monitoring rebuilding measures. intended to address overfishing when the interim rule has expired. Following the presentation, the Council directed the HMS committee to draft a letter regarding the amendment’s monitoring and rebuilding measures.

Next Council Meeting Tuesday, October 2, 2018 – Thursday, October 4, 2018 Next Council Meeting Congress Hall 200 Tuesday, October 2, 2018 Congress Place– Thursday, October 4, 2018 Congress Hall08204 200 Cape May NJ Congress Place 609-884-8421 Cape May NJ 08204 609-884-8421

MAMFC AND ASMFC PUBLIC COMMENT SUMMER FLOUNDER COMMERCIAL ISSUES AMENDMENT MAMFC AND ASMFC PUBLIC COMMENT SUMMER FLOUNDER COMMERCIAL ISSUES AMENDMENT On Monday sept 24,2018 , the rescheduled Summer Flounder Commercial issue’s amendment was held in Washington N,C. There were 10 folks in the audience with 8 asking questions and giving comments on the On Monday sept , the rescheduled Flounder Commercial issue’s amendment wasquestions. held in amendment after24,2018 staff presented options forSummer which to give comments on and explained clarifying Washington N,C. There were 10 folks in the audience with 8 asking questions and giving comments on the Any effects from this amendment will take effect after Jan 1, 2020 according to staff presenting. amendment after staff presented options for which to give comments on and explained clarifying questions.

Any effects from this amendment will take effect after Jan 1, 2020 according to staff presenting. north carolina fisheries association 39

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“ Red Right ….… ” GUARDS FOR EXPOSED HAZARDS The machinery on your boat is hazardous to your health.

Every industry has it’s share of dangerous equipment and commercial fishing is no different. And like every other industry, legislation is enacted to ensure there are at least some minimal standards protecting workers from themselves. For commercial fishing vessels, the federal requirement for documented vessels is 46 CFR 28.215.

When we exam a vessel for safety on deck, we are looking for pulleys, winches and gears that have no protective guards.

On/off switches that are too close to the power winches as this large heavy-duty equipment when running can easily remove a crewman’s hand or arm. In the engine room there are various exposed moving parts and very hot surfaces. In general, we are looking for machine guards, exhaust pipe insulation, exposed electrical hazards and fall risks.

Every vessel has its own specialized equipment. The Captain is responsible to ensure his crew is safe from these potential hazards.

There have been numerous studies done of the non-fatal injuries in the commercial fishing industry. No surprise that the hand and wrist injuries are consistently the highest percentage.

Look over your own work equipment, and ask yourself are these areas safe for the crew to work.

Stay safe and Return….

- Phil Amanna, Coast Guard Auxiliary - Barry Everhardt, Coast Guard CIV, CFVS

A WORD FROM: BLUE WATER FISHERMEN’S ASSOCIATION PO Box 51828, Boston, MA. 02210

I am writing this post Hurricane Florence. First off, I hope everyone affected is safe. I’m hoping the damage to peoples’ homes and businesses, as well as the disruption to their everyday lives is minimal, and I’m wishing a speedy recovery and rebuild to all.

To all of the emergency responders who came to the Carolinas from other parts of the country to assist, to the emergency responders within the Carolinas who put their communities first, to those who helped shelter and comfort all of the people who were forced from their homes, to the caretakers who helped reassure the sick and elderly, to those within our fishing community… To those who offered freezer space to minimize others’ potential loss, and fish houses that filled trucks with ice and shipped it inland to affected people and businesses. I want to say thank you to all who helped out during this difficult time. To put it simply, a

great job has been done by all! Seeing people come together in support of one another in such a time of need makes a simple fisherman like myself proud to be a small part of a great country.

May God Bless all of you! Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

BWFA-President Marty Scanlon

north carolina fisheries association 41

Talk on the Dock NCDMF DIRECTOR

STEVE MURPHEY TO YOUNG FISHERMEN: WELCOME TO THE PROCESS!

“I welcome you to the process,” said NC Division of Marine Fisheries Director Steve Murphey to young fishermen at a NC Sea Grant-funded “Fish Camp” leadership workshop in Wilmington last March.

“I’ve talked with stakeholders a long time, and found people have more in common than not,” he continued. “If we can get past the recreational versus commercial paradigm that seems to have set itself up in the state, there are win-win scenarios for everyone. We just have to find the right people.”

Murphey was appointed in January 2018 by the Governor to take the place of Braxton Davis, interim Director following Louis Daniel’s resignation. No stranger to the world of North Carolina fisheries, Murphey began working for DMF as a biologist in 1987. His wife Trish Murphey also worked for DMF as southern district manager before transferring to Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Parternship (APNEP).

Steve Murphey has seen a lot, including a deepening rift between those who fish for fun and those who fish for food.

“The divide is made worse by social media,” he said. “I call it confirmation bias, and it’s not just in fisheries – it’s in everything. You listen to the channel that supports how you feel. CNN, Fox, whatever. If I’m a recreational fishermen and I see a shrimper out trawling I might conclude that it’s his fault I didn’t catch anything. Maybe I read that ________________ somewhere. I might join an organization that tells me I’m right.”

Murphey pointed out that commercial Steve’s favorite fishermen should guard against jumping seafood is shrimp, to conclusions as well. “Say DMF closes an area to gillnets or trawling – keep in preferably fried. mind that it’s not just to benefit recreational ________________ fishermen but important for the overall health of the fishery.”

The director underscored the importance of making science-based decisions.

“Fisheries science looks at what the evidence tells us, not what we thinkit should be. We make management decisions or recommendations to the MFC, and then monitor to see if those decisions have the desired effect. This can take years and so it is 42

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important to have time to monitor if those measures are working or not, and then adjust as necessary.”

One of Murphey’s goals is to foster greater cooperation among stakeholder groups, and build on common interests and goals.

“We need people who are willing to work together and who can come to the table with fresh eyes,” he emphasized. “Balance is the key.”

Another change that Murphey has noted over time is fisheries management has drifted away from the tenets of the 1997 Fisheries Reform Act, legislation that he calls “brilliant.” He gave the example of the shrimp petition hearing that took place in January 2017.

“The shrimp petition went before all of the standing advisory committees in New Bern. Over 1,000 people were there. It was truly a great example of grass roots democracy. The committees overwhelmingly voted to deny the petition but the MFC approved it at the next meeting. That’s not how founders of the FRA envisioned the process working…we should not ignore the science nor stakeholder input.”

Murphey believes in following the process laid out in the FRA. He reminded the young fishermen that Bob Lucas, a recreational fisherman and attorney who chaired the Moratorium Steering Committee that led to the Fisheries Reform Act, was visionary in calling for a better process.

“Bob Lucas wanted to get away from what he called management by ambush,” Murphey noted.

“For both recreational and commercial fishermen, there was nothing to buffer against sudden closures and other regulatory changes. So a moratorium was put in place on commercial fishing licenses while better a process was set up. It involved several years of meetings, groups working together long days and nights at tables across the state,” Murphey recalled.

“Two prime tennets emerged as central to the FRA: first, the development of Fisheries Management Plans for significant species.

Stocks had to be managed in a plan, and the plan would have stakeholders with expertise help the division develop the plan.”

The other significant part of the FRA, according to Murphey, was the development of Coastal Habitat Protection Plans. “Any habitat, whether pine forests or fields or bodies of water, has a carrying capacity based on the quality of that area. So it’s important to protect habitats,” he stressed.

The process by which fisheries are managed can seem tedious and time consuming. That, according to Steve Murphey, is by design.

“First we develop a plan development team, which is a team of division technical experts and scientists from universities and other

institutes,” he said. “The plan development team comes up with a stock assessment, which tries to answer what’s going on with the fishery.”

The stock assessment basically determines the amount of fish in a breeding population.

“This can be by weight or biomass, numbers, egg production, and so on,” Murphey explained.

“Then we determine if a reduction is needed in fishing effort and what other factors need to be considered “For example, if a stock has multiple year classes, such as red drum, then we need to look at the numbers of each year class. The result may be a slot limit to limit harvest of larger fish whose numbers are fewer or where we have limited data.

Murphey noted that the controversial part of fisheries management wasn’t so much figuring out the status of the stock and the reductions needed, but rather, how to spread the pain if tough measures are in order.

“How do we allocate effort reductions, if needed, to the various users?”

Once a stock assessment determines the status of a fishery, a MFC appointed stakeholder advisory committee is formed to review the science, help the division develop the plan and come up with recommendations to the Marine Fisheries Commission, the state’s rule-making body.

Advisors typically have knowledge in the specific fishery for which a plan is being developed. Commercial and recreational fishermen, scientists, and others work with DMF staff for two years. They volunteer their time and expertise, and are not paid.

“They drive to Wilmington or Morehead City or Washington once a month and hash it out. No other state has as much public input as North Carolina,” Murphey emphasized.

At the end of the up to two-year process DMF staff presents recommendations to the Marine Fisheries Commission, the state’s rule-making body. By law the MFC is not required to accept or modify recommended measures, but responsible fisheries managers should weigh stakeholder and staff input very carefully.

“It’s a long, complicated process,” Murphey emphasized. “And it’s deliberative on purpose because you’re making decisions on people’s livelihoods as well as the health of the resource. It shouldn’t be off-thecuff decision making.”

Murphey gave southern flounder as an example.

“Southern flounder is overfished and overfishing is occurring. This means we are taking more flounder from the stock than can be replaced on a sustainable basis. The law says the division shall develop a plan with management measures to end overfishing in two years and 10 years to set that stock back up to where it’s a sustainable type of harvest.”

At Murphey’s first meeting as director, two commissioners requested that he use his proclamation authority – allowing the director to make nimble regulatory changes when needed – to pass emergency restrictions on southern flounder.

“I declined,” Murphey explained. “I felt that we have a process underway. Dr. Fred Scharf of UNCW, one of the sharpest scientists on flounder I know, is on the advisory committee. They’re working towards updating the stock assessment with the last two years of data.”

Steve Murphey noted that biologists now recognize that southern flounder leave the sounds of North Carolina and migrate south.

Therefore scientists working on the stock assessment are integrating data from South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

“It’s a lot of data. The advisors will be making management recommendations with DMF’s plan development team, and present them in 2019,” Murphey said. “That’s the correct process and what the

Steve & Tricia Murphey law requires us to do. The stock will last that long - I’m not worried.”

The ongoing management process compelled him to decline passing emergency regulations by proclamation on southern flounder. “It would be arbitrary for me to say, you know what? I’m just going to shut the gillnet fishery down.”

Although Steve is a multi-generational Florida “cracker”, he’s lived in North Carolina for most of his career. And he appreciates seafood.

“One thing that tends to get lost in fisheries deliberations,” Murphey mused, “is the fact that the Fisheries Reform Act calls for management measures that will maximize food production. So the Fisheries Reform Act is about food, as well as recreational fishing opportunities and habitat protection.”

Steve Murphey’s favorite seafood is shrimp, preferably fried.

“You all are in the business of putting food on the table,” Murphey emphasized to the young fishermen.

“I take that as sacrosanct - you’re the farmers, putting protein on the plate of consumers in this state. And the Fisheries Reform Act is about making sure food production, and other uses and benefits, can be sustained.”

north carolina fisheries association 43

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Tradewinds is a bi-monthly publication owned and published by North Carolina Fisheries

Association, Inc. (NCFA). The North Carolina Fisheries Association is a non-profit organization based on Families, Heritage, and Seafood.

Commercial fishermen established the North Carolina Fisheries Association, Inc. in 1952 to serve fishing families by protecting their heritage and promoting seafood.

Over six decades later, NCFA still believes the commercial fishing industry begins and ends with families â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from those who harvest seafood to those who help supply the industries needs and to those who enjoy the harvest. We are committed to presenting an accurate portrait of the industry and the people who sustain it.

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~-Note: With Annual Prepaid Ad Commitment there is a 10% discount off the top (excludes Business Directory) **As a courtesy your ad will also be placed on NCFISH.ORG in a digital Tradewinds Flipbook** north carolina fisheries association 45

NORTH CAROLINA FISHERIES ASSOCIATION, INC. P.O. Box 86 101 N. 5th Street, Morehead City, NC 28557 www.ncfish.org 252.726.NCFA (6232)

NCFA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

If you enjoy fresh North Carolina seafood and you support the hardworking fishing families that put it on the plate, become a member today!

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TRED’n WATER BY TRED BARTA

Stay the course

I

was asked to write for Tradewinds because of my unique understanding of not only sportfishing, but commercial fishing as well.

I was asked if I could address many of the issues that are currently in conflict between the two groups and give my straightforward opinion and position on each topic. In this article however, I refuse to do so. Hurricane Florence has stirred something inside of me which I just have to say in love, and maybe you could go as far as calling it adoration, of the United States of America’s commercial fishermen. I’m speaking this from the deepest depths of my heart.

It is a widely known fact that there are very basic needs of mankind to survive; we need water, food, and shelter. In the greatest book ever written: The Bible, God created the world and all of the creatures in it. The Lord did so in such a way that the human race could harvest the resources of the world to survive. American farmers and fishermen are the heart and soul of our great country, they are the people and families who feed the human race. One of the greatest tragedies in our country today is how far-removed society has become from the ebb and flow of nature. The average American family is so far-removed from the basic harvest of our food source, yet so acutely aware of the latest videogame. It is a sad shame, and our youth are being robbed.

The Atlantic Ocean of North Carolina and all of its inland bays and rivers have a unique heartbeat that affect us all. No one knows the heartbeat of North Carolina greater than North Carolina’s commercial fishermen. This last hurricane leaves so many fishermen in a devastating position; in many cases, their vessels have been damaged or totaled. Many of the oyster beds which have been planted and maintained for harvest are wiped out.

A number of fish houses and commercial docks have been changed forever. The damage is hard to even grasp.

With our government over-regulating commercial and sport-fishing on one side, and the recent hurricane on the other, the question if one should continue is a very hard one for many to answer. The fact remains that North Carolina needs commercial fishing, charter boat fishing and recreational fishing! Why? Because this is “what” North Carolina is, this is “why” North Carolina is, this simply “is” North Carolina.

As North Carolinians, we need sport-fishermen, commercial fishermen, and farmers; for much more than the food they provide for our families.

We need them to show all of us what “not quitting” really means and looks like. We need them to show all of us the important role that nature plays in our life; the way God intended for us to live…

To work hard, to be aware with every rising and falling tide, to understand the fabric of our natural world; to understand how fragile, vulnerable, and

precious life is. When I drive down a beautiful North Carolina road, between the great pines, beautiful bays, and estuaries, I see so many commercial boats and small craft natives working the bays for clams, mussels and oysters. It gives me peace and confidence that all is okay in our world. Life is so much more than fast cars, fancy TVs and lights/ garage doors that operate on voice signals from your smartphone.

As everyday men and women of North Carolina, we all work to support ourselves and our families, but a very special group provides the fresh seafood that we eat and love, and they need our support just as much now as ever. I ask every North Carolinian to reach out and support the commercial fishing industry in any way you can. Start asking restaurants to serve North Carolina seafood, not imported muck from Asia. If you are a North Carolina restaurant owner, stop buying imported frozen seafood. Serve North Carolina fish, crabs, shrimp, clams, mussels, and oysters.

I ask all sport-fishermen to support the charter boat fleet. Rally to the cause! Create groups of five or six guys and charter from time to time, rather than using your own boats. The charter boat fishermen are going to need your help. I beg all North Carolinians to let our local and state representatives know that commercial fishing cannot exist with all of the overregulation that is taking place. I’d also like to ask every local municipality to immediately organize community groups to help clean up our shores of garbage and debris left over from the storm. Let’s help marinas and fish houses rebuild, let’s all volunteer our time. If you’re a sportfisherman, please step out of your comfort zone; work your way up to find a commercial fisherman and ask how you can help him get back on his feet. We as North Carolinians have to step up and band together, we can all do our part.

I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe in prayer, I believe in saluting the American flag, and I believe in standing for the national anthem. I’m asking all of us to pray for North Carolina’s fishermen and farmers.

They have been devastated

Written by: Capt. Tred Barta

beyond belief. If you can’t do anything else, seek them out, give them a handshake, and encouraging word. Let them know how much we need them. Next time you eat a fish dinner from a restaurant, let the owner know that if it’s not from North Carolina, you’re not coming back. We all need to eat and request North Carolina seafood.

I’ve said my piece, I’ve made my plea. What I have written is from my heart. North Carolina needs commercial fishing because it represents everything that society is losing. Do we honestly want to live in a world where your kids don’t know what a day of backbreaking work looks and feels like? This is not the first hurricane to ever hit North Carolina and it certainly will not be the last, but this one was devastating to commercial fishermen and we absolutely must help them to rebuild. I don’t give a hoot who you are, where you come from, or what you have. If you live or play in the great state of North Carolina, do your part, no matter how big or how small.

Until next tide, Capt. Tred Barta

A MAN OR

A MINDSET?

TRED BARTA KNOWS NO LIMITS.

north carolina fisheries association 47

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