July 23, 2018 — North Carolina fishermen work long hours, and many fish alone. When harvesting shrimp, they can stay out on the water four to five days at a time.
Broken bones and lacerations are common. Fishermen are disproportionately affected by skin cancer. Most complain of back pain and others lose limbs, even as many don’t have health insurance.
Some die by drowning.
One hurricane or unexpected cold front can move their crop. The stakes are high.
But they don’t think much about these things and they didn’t see why a health care reporter was interested in talking to them, even as they admitted health care concerns have changed how many approached their fishing careers.
For Glenn Skinner, 45, fishing is freedom. It’s in his blood. He’s a fourth-generation fisherman from Carteret County who has been on fishing boats since he was 4 years old.
“That’s the way most people get into it,” he said. “I have farmers and fishermen on both sides of my family. I was going to do one or the other.