North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality staff are to present outlines for the new issue papers for the 2026 update to the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan, the state’s long-term strategy to protect coastal habitat, a necessity for a sustainable seafood industry.
fisheries
State announces commercial flounder season opening dates
Internal coastal and joint fishing waters will open for the 2026 commercial flounder season beginning in mid- to late-September.
NCSU, Carteret college OK aquaculture transfer agreement
North Carolina State University and Carteret Community College have signed an agreement designed to create a streamlined transfer pathway for students seeking to earn bachelor’s degrees in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology.
EMC to hear progress on habitat protection plan update
The 15-member Environmental Management Commission are scheduled to hear an update to the N.C. Coastal Habitat Protection Plan at its July 9 meeting.
Committee to discuss draft habitat plan, seagrass formula
The Habitat and Water Quality Advisory Committee’s meeting scheduled for Thursday will include discussion of the draft 2026 amendment to the North Carolina Coastal Habitat Protection Plan.
State announces tagging program’s yearly drawing winners
Fifteen anglers are each $100 richer as the latest winners of the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries’ annual drawing of Multi-Species Tagging Program tag numbers.
Moratoriums leave NC shellfish farmers with few options
Shellfish lease moratoriums covering several coastal counties have pushed growers to the waters near Topsail Island, and the resulting pushback could lead to further restrictions, but growers say producing in-demand, presentation-perfect oysters is difficult enough without the fight.
Fishing guides cast concerns over shellfish lease proliferation
Special report: The state’s rapid growth of shellfish leases, especially water column leases where gear must float, has not only led to viewshed complaints from waterfront property owners but also frustration among fishing guides over the operations’ effects on access.
New fisheries rules, amendments now in effect
New rules and amendments adopted by the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission, including false albacore management, are now in effect.
Coastal Carolina Riverwatch opens symposium registration
The annual event, set for Oct. 19-20 at the Sturgeon City Environmental Education Center in Jacksonville, is designed for fishermen, students, researchers, agency partners, local governments, decision makers, educators, advocates, and coastal community members who care about clean water, healthy fisheries, and working waterfronts.
Sept. 1-14 is recreational flounder season for all NC waters
Fishers are allowed to keep one fish per day if it is 15 inches or longer that they caught with hook and line only in inland, coastal and joint fishing waters.
Leland man lands new state record for graysby grouper
A Brunswick County man landed the new state record for graysby grouper while fishing about 45 miles offshore of Southport earlier this month.
Division makes big additions to two offshore artificial reefs
The reefs, AR-230 off Hatteras Inlet and AR-250 off Ocracoke Inlet, each received about 1,500 tons of recycled, damaged concrete pipe and boxes from highway projects.
DMF to give update on blue crab stock assessment progress
The Division of Marine Fisheries stock assessment team during a May 28 webinar plan to review their work on developing a new benchmark stock assessment for the blue crab fishery.
Dr. Lela Schlenker joins Coastal Federation as advocate
Schlenker, the new advocate with the North Carolina Coastal Federation in Wanchese, is a fisheries ecologist with a research career spanning topics such as the effect of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on mahi-mahi, how climate and weather affect the state’s shrimp populations, and the impact of catch-and-release fishing practices on white marlin.
Effort seeks to replicate tech incubators for shellfish growers
Framing it as a saltwater flavor of technology hubs, officials broke ground this week on the planned Shellfish Mariculture Hub in Carteret County that will feature a 2,500-square-foot structure next to the boat ramp at Straits Landing, cold storage, equipment, an outdoor workspace and water access for growers.
