Sea turtles are having 

 a hard time these days. 

 Their numbers are dwin- 

 dling and many are on 

 the endangered species 

 list. The disappearance 

 of nesting grounds on the 

 beaches is one major cause of the tur- 

 tle's decline. But many sea turtles die 

 every year when they get caught in 

 fishermen's nets and drown. 



The National Marine Fisheries Ser- 

 vice (NMFS) is sponsoring a workshop 

 in Manteo in mid-March for the North 

 Carolina and Virginia Sea Grant 

 marine advisory services agents to ex- 

 plain a new sea turtle excluder device. 

 The device is designed to keep turtles 

 out of the fishermen's nets. After the 

 workshop, Sea Grant agents will be 

 able to pass along the new information 

 to fishermen in their areas. 



The fisheries personnel will also ex- 

 plain sea turtle regulations being con- 

 sidered by NMFS for the coasts of 

 South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, 

 fishing grounds for many North 

 Carolina fishermen. 



Xo catch the latest in 

 workboats and nets for 

 small-boat fishing, at- 

 tend the Workboat Expo 

 being held in 

 Wilmington, April 4th 

 and 5th. Sponsored by 

 UNC Sea Grant, the expo will gather 

 small-boat designers, manufacturers, 

 and dealers, along with net makers to 

 exhibit their wares for small-boat 

 fishermen. A series of free mini- 



seminars also will be held during the 

 expo on gear maintenance, tax 

 management, fishing regulations and 

 business management. 



The expo was organized by Sea 

 Grant marine advisory agents Jim 

 Bahen in Wilmington and Bob Hines 

 in Bogue Banks and Sea Grant 

 specialist Leon Abbas in Raleigh. It 

 will be held at the National Guard Ar- 

 mory, 2221 Carolina Beach Road in 

 Wilmington. The expo will be open to 

 the public Saturday, April 4th from 10 

 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, April 5th 

 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission for 

 the expo is free. 



The University of 

 Georgia Extension Ser- 

 vice is sponsoring a 

 regional workshop for 

 shrimp boat operators 

 who are interested in 

 converting to multi- 

 purpose fishing. The workshop will be 

 held March 31 and April 1 at the 

 Ramada Inn in Savannah, Georgia. 



Topics to be covered by experienced 

 fishermen include offshore trawling for 

 fin fishes; surface and bottom longlin- 

 ing; hook and line fishing and 

 deepwater shrimping and scalloping. 

 Boat construction and financing for 

 diversification will also be discussed. 



Funding has been provided by the 

 Coastal Plains Regional Commission, 

 Georgia Sea Grant and the University 

 of Georgia. For pre-registration or 

 further information, call Dave 

 Harrington or Jack Rivers at (912) 

 264-7268. 



Attention 



We are purging the newsletter 

 mailing list, and a postage-paid 

 subscription card for you is in 

 the mail now. We are required 

 by law to periodically purge the 

 list of Coastwatch subscribers. 

 Coastwatch is free, but you 

 must renew your request for it 

 in order to remain on the mail- 

 ing list. 



If you would like to continue 

 receiving Coastwatch, just fill 

 out the card and drop it in the 

 mail. If you do not receive a 

 notice, send your name and ad- 

 dress as soon as possible to 

 Coastwatch , Box 5001, 

 Raleigh, N. C. 27650. 



Coastwatch is published monthly 

 except July and December by the Uni- 

 versity of North Carolina Sea Grant 

 College Program, 105 1911 Building, 

 North Carolina State University, 

 Raleigh, NC 27650. Vol. 8, No. 2, 

 February, 1981. Dr. B.J. Copeland, 

 director. Written and edited by Neil 

 Caudle, Kathy Hart, and Cassie Grif- 

 fin. Second-class postage paid at 

 Raleigh, NC 27611. 



COASTWATCH 



Second-class postage paid 



105 1911 Building at Raleigh, NC 27611 



North Carolina State University (ISSN 0161-8369) 



Raleigh. NC 27650 



Librarian - State of North Carolina 

 Library - Documents Branch 

 109 E. Jones St. 



Raleigh, NC 27611 State Gov. Mail 



