ACT NOW TO PREVENT THE COLLAPSE OF THE NC SHRIMP INDUSTRY!
The North Carolina shrimp harvest has been a consistent bright spot for state fishermen struggling to earn a living. A petition from NC Wildlife Federation would overrule an existing management plan that has been successful, and severely curtail when and how NC shrimpers could harvest their catch according to NC Catch. BUT YOU CAN HELP!
You can:
Call Governor Cooper at 919.814.2000
Email commission members and legislators
“North Carolina shrimp are considered a public trust resource for its citizens, belonging to fishermen, consumers, and others. The shrimp fishery is one of North Carolina’s most valuable commercial fisheries and has been so for decades. The shrimp fishery occurs from near the Manteo, NC area all the way to the South Carolina state line, and involves numerous coastal communities. Our shrimp are managed for sustainability by the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) and the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) and are currently not overfished or being fished at unsustainable rates. NC Catch wants to alert consumers, restaurants and other interested parties that a petition has been submitted to the MFC that would greatly impact the North Carolina shrimp fishery and would restrict access to this public trust resource.
The petition asks the MFC to prohibit shrimp trawling in all the state’s estuarine waters and near-shore ocean waters unless opened by the DMF. Waters could not be opened at all between May 15 and August 16.”
TheMFC will vote on the petition at its February 15-16, 2017 business meeting in Wilmington, NC at the Hilton Riverside. Public input at a MFC business meeting is usually allowed during specified times.
Comments may be sent to:
Sammy Corbett, MFC Chairman
P.O. Box 769
Morehead City, NC 28557
Contact Governor Cooper’s office at 919-814-2000
Concerns may also be expressed to your local and state elected representatives.
[box type=”bio”] Educate yourself and read the rest of this call to action by North Carolina Catch HERE.[/box]