Petition Seeks to Introduce New Rules to NC Commercial Fishing Industry

A petition by the North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF) could have a major impact on the commercial fishing industry.

The petition seeks to:

  • Limit shrimpers workweek from five days (Monday-Friday) to three (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
  • To designate areas as shrimp trawl management areas
  • Reduce the size of nets allowed and restrict gear in these newly designated areas

The federation says the reason for the petition is to reduce the amount of by-catch. By-catch is the anything in the net that’s not your intended species. It’s common for shrimpers to catch juvenile fish in their nets while shrimping.

To read the rest of the story, please go to: WNCT