April 28, 2003

2002 SEAFOOD HARVEST FIGURES RELEASED

Commercial Catch Increases While Fishing Trips Decline

MOREHEAD CITY – Fishermen brought more seafood to the docks in 2002 but made fewer trips to catch finfish, crabs, shrimp and shellfish, according to harvest statistics released by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries.

Commercial fishermen landed 160 million pounds of fish and shellfish at Tar Heel docks, with the catch valued at $94.6 million. Total landings were up 22.9 million pounds from 2001, but fell slightly below the previous five-year average of 170 million pounds. The value of the 2002 harvest was up $6.6 million from 2001, but below the previous five-year average of $101 million.

The top-five species commercially harvested were:

By Value* By Pounds Landed

Blue Crabs (Hard) $29.3 million

Atlantic Menhaden 69 million

Shrimp $18.3 million

Blue Crabs (Hard) 36.4 million

Summer Flounder $ 6 million

Atlantic Croaker 10 million

Atlantic Menhaden $5 million

Shrimp 9.9 million

Hard Clams $3.5 million

By Pounds Landed

Blue Crabs (Hard) $29.3 million

Atlantic Menhaden 69 million

Shrimp $18.3 million

Blue Crabs (Hard) 36.4 million

Summer Flounder $ 6 million

Atlantic Croaker 10 million

Atlantic Menhaden $5 million

Shrimp 9.9 million

Hard Clams $3.5 million

Summer Flounder 4 million

*Values are ex-vessel, which is the amount fishermen are paid for their catch.

Blue crab landings increased by 6 million pounds from 2001, but continue to be well below the 47.8 million pound average for the previous five years. The increase was most apparent in the Albemarle Sound area, while crab landings for the remainder of the state remained unchanged from previous years.

Shrimp landings were the fourth highest since 1972, at just under 10 million pounds, with a total value of $18.3 million. The average price per pound was down significantly at $1.84 – the lowest price in 12 years. Reduced prices are attributed to the surge in foreign imports.

While the catch increased in 2002, effort dropped by 31,024 fishing trips. The bulk of the decline came from the blue crabs fishery, which fell by 15,000 trips from the previous year.

Commercial Effort Summary

Year Active Fishermen Pounds Harvested Fishing Trips

1998 4,990 180,223,675 272,973

1999 5,242 153,739,425 252,873

2000 4,880 154,236,995 252,676

2001 4,909 137,145,867 255,289

2002 4,523 160,061,584 224,265

Landings fluctuate for a variety of reasons – availability of fish or shellfish, market conditions, and harvest restrictions all impact the amount of seafood harvested. All of these factors came into play during North Carolina’s 2002 fishing year.

Visit the DMF’s Web site at www.ncdmf.net/statistics/index.html to view harvest statistics by year or for information on commercial catches call Don Hesselman at 252-726‑7021.

MOREHEAD CITY - A series of meetings are scheduled May 6 - 8 to solicit input on distributing almost $5 million of federal aid to North Carolina's shrimping industry.

In early March, Dr. Bill Hogarth, head of the National Marine Fisheries Service, announced Congress had authorized a $35 million federal aid package for shrimpers impacted by excessive foreign imports along the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Funding is divided among states based on historical landings, with North Carolina's portion of the emergency relief amounting to $4.9 million.

Each state, in conjunction with their shrimping industry, must develop a system to distribute the funds. Options discussed for North Carolina include direct compensation to vessel owners and fishermen, domestic marketing and seafood promotion, and seafood testing.

Shrimpers are encouraged to attend the meetings and share their thoughts on distribution of the federal aid. All meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. at the following locations:

MOREHEAD CITY - Should gill nets be prohibited in Spooners Creek, an area in Carteret County where residents and fishermen are at odds?

The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) recently received a petition for rulemaking from Spooners Creek residents asking for a year- round prohibition on gill nets and seines. The petition states conflicts with gill-netters in Spooners Creek led them to pursue the total prohibition. Nighttime use of these fishing gears is already banned in the area

The MFC's Central Advisory Committee will meet Wednesday, April 23, at 6 p.m. at the Golden Corral in New Bern, to discuss the gill net issue, along with non-native oyster research.

The MFC's Finfish Committee will review the petition on Tuesday, April 29 at 10:30 a.m. at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Regional Office, at 943 Washington Square Mall, in Washington. Other agenda items include commercial striped bass fisheries in the Atlantic Ocean and comments on Amendment 8 to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan.

For more information, please Jess Hawkins at jess.hawkins@ncmail.net or by calling 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632.

MOREHEAD CITY - The Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) will hold public meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23 at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Wilmington Regional Office, located at 127 Cardinal Drive, to receive suggestions and comments on cultch planting - where shells and rock are placed on formerly productive shellfish beds to restore the habitat.

Oysters, clams and other aquatic life are attracted to the cultch and will begin to immediately colonize the material. Over time, these sites produce shellfish for both commercial and recreational harvest.

The DMF's Shellfish Rehabilitation staff constantly looks for ways to improve the program, so annual meetings are held to provide fishermen and interested parties the opportunity to provide advice and input regarding planting sites, methods, materials and quantities.

For more information about these meetings, please contact Craig Hardy, by e-mail at craig.hardy@ncmail.net or by calling 800-682-2632.

MOREHEAD CITY - The Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) will hold public meetings in April to receive suggestions and comments on cultch planting - where shells and rock are placed on formerly productive shellfish beds to restore the habitat. Oysters, clams and other aquatic life are attracted to the cultch and will begin to immediately colonize the material.

DMF staff will also give a report on the siting of an oyster sanctuary in the Crab Hole area of Northeast Pamlico Sound.

For more information about these meetings, please contact Craig Hardy, by e-mail at craig.hardy@ncmail.net or by calling 800-682-2632.



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