DMF Home	About DMF	Contact DMF	DMF Offices

MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION TO MEET JUNE 7 and 8

May 31 MOREHEAD CITY -- The Marine Fisheries Commission will be holding a business meeting June 7 and 8 at the Riverfront Convention Center in New Bern.

The meeting is open to the public.

A public hearing will also be held at 7 p.m. on June 6 at the same location, to discuss changes to the fishing license renewal process.

For more information, contact Jess Hawkins by e-mail at Jess.Hawkins@ncmail.net or by calling 1-800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.

NOTE: Meeting Agenda Here

YEAR 2000 SEAFOOD LANDINGS RELEASED

May 8 MOREHEAD CITY – The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has today released its report on the amount of fish and shellfish harvested in 2000 by both commercial and recreational fishermen.

Commercial fishermen landed only 154.1 million pounds of fish and shellfish at Tar Heel docks - the second-lowest catch in the last 27 years. But there was good news for the commercial sector - while the catch was down, the market value soared to the third highest on record at $108.3 million, compared to the previous 5-year value average of $105.1 million.

The top-five species commercially harvested in 2000 by weight were:

The top-five species commercially harvested in 2000 by value were:

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

Landings fluctuate for a variety of reasons – availability of fish or shellfish, market conditions, harvest restrictions, and shifts in consumer tastes all impact the amount of seafood harvested.

Hard blue crabs experienced the most troubling harvest decline. North Carolina still leads the nation in the production of hard blue crabs, but in 2000, the catch plummeted to 38.8 million pounds, well below the previous 5-year harvest average of 57.1 million pounds. Hard crabs continued to be the State’s top money crop in 2000, bringing in $32.1 million, compared to previous 5-year value average for hard crabs of $36 million.

Hard crab catches varied regionally; normal or above average landings were reported in the Albemarle Sound and southern portions of the coast, but based on the previous 5-year average, catches decreased by 46 percent in the Neuse, Pamlico and Pungo rivers, as well as the Pamlico Sound. It is unclear if this decrease can be attributed to the impact of Hurricane Floyd.

The thread herring catch was negligible in 2000. Only 707,541 pounds of the menhaden-like fish were brought to the docks, compared to the previous 5-year harvest average of 6.5 million pounds. Thread herring is non-edible and used for industrial purposes, such as fertilizer and animal feed.

Shrimp catches remained solid in 2000 with 10.3 million pounds harvested, which was the third highest landing of shrimp on record, valued at $25.4 million - well above the previous 5-year value average of $16.9 million.

Tar Heel commercial fishermen also hauled in 1.7 million pounds of tuna valued at $3.4 million - the second highest recorded harvest in the state, and much higher than the previous 5-year value average of $1.4 million. Last fall’s cooler temperatures off the New England coast caused bluefin tuna to migrate earlier than usual, giving North Carolina fishermen the opportunity to catch the popular fish before the coast-wide harvest quota was reached.

Record-breaking landings of yellowfin tuna, dolphin and southern flounder helped recreational anglers reel in their largest catch in 12 years, with an estimated 21.2 million pounds of fish landed recreationally in 2000.

The top-five seafoods recreationally harvested in 2000 by weight were:

Visit the DMF’s web site at www.ncdmf.net/statistics/index.html to view harvest statistics by year. For information on commercial catches call Don Hesselman at 252-726?7021, and for information on recreational landings call Doug Mumford at 252-946-6481.

NC Division of Marine Fisheries - 3441 Arendell Street - Morehead City, NC 28557 - 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632