The North Carolina Coastal Counties Fisheries Commission will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, November 5, Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City.
The coalition was established in July after the introduction of House Bill 442, a proposal that would have banned shrimp trawling in certain coastal and inland waters, but which was eventually stalled indefinitely.
The group was formed to unite county leaders across coastal North Carolina in support of commercial fishing communities, traditional working waterfronts, and a way of life that has helped define the state’s coastal identity for generations.
The commission’s first two meetings on August 5 and September 16 drew representatives from Beaufort, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Hertford, Hyde, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, and Washington counties, as well as state legislators or members of their staff. Members say the coalition’s goal is to strengthen regional advocacy for policies that protect coastal economies and local seafood industries while ensuring responsible and sustainable fisheries management.
Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard, who spearheaded the coalition effort, said the group was created to ensure a strong and unified coastal voice. “The reason I wanted to form this coalition is we wanted one voice,” Woodard said during the Dare County Board of Commissioners’ November 3 meeting. “With 20 counties, that’s about a fifth of the state that has a voice.”
Woodard said the coalition was born out of concerns that policymakers, particularly those outside the coastal region, do not fully understand the needs and challenges of commercial fishing communities. “The state legislature is trying to shut down the oldest profession of mankind, and they’re doing a pretty good job of it here in Dare County,” he said. “And we’re not going to allow it. We’re going to fight it… We’re going to keep our fishermen working.”
The November 5 gathering in Morehead City will continue the coalition’s early work to build coordinated coastal advocacy and respond to emerging regulatory issues. Woodard said at Monday’s meeting that in addition to uniting coastal counties, the group will work to raise awareness elsewhere. “We’re going to lobby the rest of our state as well,” he said. “Because, quite frankly, I don’t believe our legislators in other parts of the state really understand what we go through here for our commercial fishermen.”
The meeting is open to the public and will begin at 1 p.m. at the Crystal Coast Civic Center, located at 203 College Circle in Morehead City.
The post Coastal fisheries coalition to convene November 5 in Morehead City amid industry concerns appeared first on Island Free Press.
Add to favoritesCredit: Original content published here.
