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North Carolina Department of Environment Quality

NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Marine Fisheries - Finfish - Recreational Landing Statistics

Marine Fisheries

North Carolina Marine Recreational Finfish Harvest

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Anglers catch more fish in North Carolina coastal waters than in any other state, except Florida. How do we know this? Through surveys.
The Division of Marine Fisheries has collected information on recreational fishing catch and effort since 1987, and is recognized as one of the nation’s leader in this area.
In partnership with the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Marine Recreational Information Program, division staff talk to more than 20,000 anglers each year on the beach, at the piers and at boat ramps. They find out what the fishermen caught, what they threw back, where and how long they fished and other information. In addition, the division sends written questionnaires through the mail to Coastal Recreational Fishing License holders.
Scientists use this data to better understand the status of fish stocks and how to manage the recreational fishery.

Search for current and historical North Carolina recreational fishing catch and effort statistics at:
http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/recreational-fisheries/data-and-documentation/run-a-data-query

Watch a video about how North Carolina collects coastal recreational fishing data at: http://bcove.me/zgq3e1hi

For more information on N.C. Recreational Hook and Line Harvest Statistics contact:
Doug Mumford — Doug.Mumford@ncdenr.gov

For more information on N.C. Recreational Commercial Gear Harvest Statistics contact:
Chris Wilson — Chris.Wilson@ncdenr.gov

To view Recreational Commercial Gear Landings, click here.

To download various fisheries statistics, reports, and bulletins, click here. 

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The number and pounds of finfish listed represent estimated harvest; finfish released alive are not included. Recreational finfish catches from headboats are not included in this table; headboat data are collected seperately by National Marine Fisheries Service.
N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries • 3441 Arendell Street • Morehead City, NC 28557 • 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632

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