St. James Conservancy is a community supporter and partner of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. As an environmentally focused organization, we are joining their statewide efforts in raising awareness to the unsustainable practice of inshore shrimp trawling.
North Carolina is the only state that allows large-scale, inshore shrimp trawling in our sounds and estuaries. Inshore shrimp trawling is a devastating, unsustainable fishing method that has a persistent impact on our state’s environment, tourism industry, and economy
This shrimping method uses nets and chains to trawl through an underwater terrain already stripped bare by the practice, further devastating fish populations and the complex ecosystems in our sounds and estuaries. Banning inshore shrimp trawling will preserve North Carolina’s natural seafloor habitat and protect all bottom-dwelling plants and animals.
Data shows that more than four pounds of bycatch are discarded for every pound of shrimp harvested in North Carolina’s sounds. Trawls are non-selective. They catch more than just shrimp. As a result, many unwanted species, such as juvenile fish, are harvested, killed, and wasted due to their small sizes. While some efforts have been made to reduce the impact of bycatch, we haven’t done enough.
The practice disrupts and destroys critical natural habitats, like seagrass meadows, oyster beds, soft corals, and sponges. Trawling also impacts water quality by increasing turbidity and resuspending toxic sediments on a daily basis.
North Carolina’s economy is also negatively impacted. Declining fisheries, caused in part by trawling bycatch, reduce the amount of fish available for our recreational fishermen, thereby reducing North Carolina’s fishing tourism
It is estimated that 700 million immature animals other than shrimp are killed by inshore shrimp trawling each year. For every one pound of shrimp caught in our sounds and estuaries, four pounds of bycatch are discarded, drastically reducing populations of key species up and down the food chain.
Please contact your State Representative.
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Dear [Legislator's Name],
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you as a concerned citizen and constituent from [Your City or District], deeply invested in the health and sustainability of North Carolina’s coastal environment.
North Carolina remains the only state that still permits inshore shrimp trawling. This practice is outdated and has proven highly destructive to our marine ecosystems. The trawling nets used in this process cause significant bycatch, capturing and killing countless non-target species, including juvenile fish and crabs, which are crucial to the health of our coastal waters. Inshore shrimp trawling is responsible for hundreds of millions of juvenile fish of bycatch in North Carolina annually.
The Consequences:
1. Habitat Destruction: Inshore shrimp trawling disrupts and damages habitats essential for various marine species.
2. Declining Populations: Bycatch contributes to the decline of already pressured species, threatening biodiversity and the balance of our marine ecosystems.
3. Economic Impact: The long-term sustainability of our fisheries and the livelihoods they support are at risk.
I fully support safe and responsible fishing practices that sustainably protect our marine resources. Banning inshore shrimp trawling is a necessary step toward achieving this balance. As your constituent, I urge you to ban inshore shrimp trawling in North Carolina. This action is critical to safeguarding our coastal habitats and ensuring the future health of our marine ecosystems.
Now is the time to act. Delaying this decision will only exacerbate the environmental damage and make recovery more difficult. I implore you to consider the long-term benefits of banning inshore shrimp trawling and to champion this cause in the legislature.
Your leadership on this issue will benefit our natural resources and reflect the will and best interests of your constituents. Thank you for your attention to this urgent issue. I look forward to seeing meaningful action taken to protect North Carolina’s coastal waters.
Sincerely,