September 20, 2013 — In January 2014, the federation and N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will begin a pilot project to remove abandoned fishing gear from northeastern North Carolina waters.
With a grant from NOAA and North Carolina Sea Grant, commercial watermen will be employed to help N.C. Marine Patrol during the period when wire mesh crab pots are supposed to be out of the water, typically from Jan. 15 to Feb. 7.