North Carolina Coastal Fisheries Reform Group

Overview

The North Carolina Coastal Fisheries Reform Group (NCCFRG) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reforming how the State of North Carolina manages its public trust marine resources. Established to address the decline of North Carolina's fisheries, the group collaborates with conservation partners to push for a new comprehensive management plan aimed at restoring the state's fisheries to their former status.

Mission

The NCCFRG's mission focuses on promoting sustainable management practices for North Carolina's marine resources. This involves advocating for policies based on scientific data rather than political or financial interests. The group seeks to ensure that all coastal and marine resources are managed sustainably, with the ability to adapt quickly to new scientific findings.

Issues Addressed

Decline of North Carolina Fisheries

North Carolina has experienced a significant decline in fish landings over the past decades, with a drop from 38.5 million pounds to 4.9 million pounds—representing an 88% decrease. This decline is attributed to inadequate management practices and governance issues involving the state's Executive Branch, including the Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), and Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC).

Gear and Management Issues

The group highlights wasteful duplication in responsibilities and programs within the management of North Carolina's coastal resources. Issues include excessive use of trawl nets and gill nets, which result in bycatch and habitat destruction.

Remedies and Advocacy

• Trawling and Bycatch: The NCCFRG has been involved in legal actions concerning the environmental impact of shrimp trawling in Pamlico Sound. They argue that the practice causes extensive bycatch and damages marine habitats. However, their lawsuit alleging violations of the Clean Water Act was dismissed by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

• Consolidation of Fisheries Management: The group advocates for consolidating the Division of Marine Fisheries into the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to eliminate redundancies and improve management effectiveness.

• Coastal Fishing License Reform: The NCCFRG supports reforms aimed at reducing competition among commercial fishermen by limiting licenses to those who depend primarily on commercial fishing for their livelihood.

Activities and Impact

The organization's activities include advocating for policy changes, partnering with other conservation groups, and raising awareness about the state of North Carolina's fisheries. Despite setbacks in legal challenges, the NCCFRG continues to push for sustainable fishing practices and better management of marine resources.

Legal Actions

In 2020, the NCCFRG filed a lawsuit against commercial shrimpers and state agencies, alleging violations of the Clean Water Act due to bycatch and sediment disturbance from trawling. The lawsuit was dismissed, and subsequent appeals were also unsuccessful. The court rulings highlighted the challenge in applying the Clean Water Act to bycatch and sediment resuspension as pollutants.

The NCCFRG's efforts reflect broader concerns about the environmental and economic sustainability of North Carolina's fisheries sector, emphasizing the need for data-driven policy reforms.