March 27, 2025 — After two weeks of fisheries meetings and numerous comments from stakeholders, it’s clear that our current system of fisheries management leaves much to be desired.
Since the General Assembly passed legislation in 2010 requiring overfishing to be ended in two years, or less, and sustainable harvest to be achieved within 10 years (with management that has at least a 50% probability of success), we have seen nothing but declining harvest limits across every fishery.
This law – pushed by the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and then DMF Director Louis Daniel – has made North Carolina the most restrictive state in the Nation when it comes to fisheries management.
Even California has less restrictive mandates!
The Division of Marine Fisheries routinely cites this law as the reason for severe regulatory decisions, pointing to the “statutory requirements” to justify harsh harvest reductions. And they’re right!
When common sense measures other than direct harvest reductions are suggested, again they point to these statutes, which require “quantifiable” reductions, saying only a direct harvest reduction can be quantified.
But the greater truth is this: Our coastal communities are paying the price.
One of the statute’s key requirements is that Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) be developed and reviewed every five years. Yet DMF often lacks the data needed to conduct the stock assessments that inform these plans.