North Carolina Wildlife Federation Applauds North Carolina Senate for Advancing Critical Legislation to Protect Our Juvenile Fish (Copy)
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Highlights Importance of House Bill 442 to Protect Juvenile Fish Nurseries
North Carolina Wildlife Federation appreciates the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for bringing this critical issue to the attention of North Carolina license holders Raleigh, N.C. – [JUN. 23, 2025] – North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF) applauds the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for amplifying the large-scale, inshore bottom shrimp trawling issue across the state.
The WRC sent an email to over 1.5 million North Carolina license holders detailing the issue and the impact this destructive practice has on other North Carolina fisheries.
“This is an emotional issue for many,” said Tim Gestwicki, CEO of NCWF. “But the facts are clear. Large-scale, inshore bottom shrimp trawling kills hundreds of millions of juvenile fish and destroys vital seafloor habitats each year. We’re glad to see WRC provide their point of view on this issue and we hope it will encourage more anglers to advocate for this commonsense legislation.”
NCWF thanks the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for encouraging public engagement and advocacy for science-based solutions. See below for the full notice from WRC.
“Without question, shrimp are one of the most valuable species harvested by commercial fishermen in North Carolina, and, based on the NC Division of Marine Fisheries’ stock status analysis, the current level of shrimp harvest is sustainable. What does that mean? The current levels of harvest are not negatively impacting the numbers of shrimp in the State’s waters, and, if that were the only impact of shrimp trawling, we would not be talking about House Bill 442 (H442), which was modified to prohibit shrimp trawling in the inshore waters of the State and passed by the NC Senate. Unfortunately, shrimp trawling does not only affect the shrimp that are targeted. Trawling in estuaries can damage submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) beds and other bottom habitats that fish, especially juvenile fish, depend upon. In fact, the NC Division of Marine Fisheries’ May 2024 Revision to Amendment 2 to the North Carolina Shrimp Fishery Management
Plan stated that, “While there are several major threats to SAV (i.e., eutrophication, sedimentation, pollution, coastal development, climate change, etc.), impacts from mobile bottom disturbing fishing gears is of particular concern.
It has been well documented that bottom disturbing gears such as trawls can significantly reduce habitat complexity and community composition from the physical disruption of the habitat to the removal of species (Dorsey and Pederson 1998; Auster 1998; NCDMF 1999; SAFMC 2014; Hiddink et al. 2017; Sciberras et al. 2018; Barnette 2001; NRC 2002; NCDEQ 2016, 2021).”
In addition to potential damage to SAV and other bottom habitats, shrimp trawling is also often cited as impacting other fisheries through by-catch, or the unintentional harvest of non-target species (species other than shrimp in this case). There is no doubt that technology and better designed excluder devices have decreased the impacts to sea turtles and larger fish.
However, by-catch of juvenile fish (e.g., flounder, spot, croaker, etc.) is still significant, with reports of by-catch as high as 4 pounds of by-catch for every 1 pound of shrimp harvested. These are some of the reasons why other states have restricted trawling, and North Carolina is the only state on the Atlantic or Gulf coast that continues to allow widescale trawling in inshore waters. This is the impetus behind H442. It bears pointing out that this bill does not ban shrimp trawling, but it does prohibit shrimp trawling within ½ mile of the shoreline.
There are many arguments both for and against this bill. There is no magic bullet that will restore depleted fisheries overnight, but reducing the impacts shrimp trawling has on the habitats that juvenile fish depend upon and limiting by-catch of those fish will make a difference. The NC Wildlife Resources Commission encourages you to examine the issue, weigh the pros and cons, and get involved. Contact your representative and let them know how you feel about H442.”
NCWF calls on members of the North Carolina House of Representatives to follow the Senate's leadership and pass House Bill 442 without delay.
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