PRO" 



ABOVE : A dynamic and complex coast presents a challenge to those charged with protecting 

 important fish habitats. This image is after Hurricane Floyd. Photo courtesy of Seawir-s/NASA 



High above Earth, 



a passing satellite blinks in 

 recognition of North Carolina's 

 unique geography: 

 A line of barrier islands 

 protects the mainland 

 from the ocean's energy, 

 channeling its flow 

 through narrow inlets. 

 Behind the barriers, 

 irregular shorelines define 

 a system of shallow sounds, 

 bays and tidal creeks 

 that are intricately tied 

 to the ocean's will. 

 Mighty rivers appear as threads 

 connecting mountains to 

 piedmont to coastal plain. 



Ultimately freshwater rivers empty into 

 coastal and marine waters, creating nursery 

 grounds for the state's important commercial and 

 recreational fisheries, as well as species that 

 migrate along the coast. 



But fish do not live by water alone. The 

 water column swirls about a variety of underwater 

 habitats that provide food and shelter necessary for 

 spawning, breeding or growth for finfish and 

 shellfish alike. The watery landscape includes 

 ocean hard bottom, sand and mud bottoms, 

 submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), shell 

 bottom, and freshwater and saltwater wetlands. 



Healthy habitats provide the basic founda- 

 tion for healthy fisheries. It's that simple. 

 However, rapid coastal development, degraded 

 water quality, dredging, and the use of certain 

 fishing gear, such as trawls, are cited as contribut- 

 ing to both habitat loss and fishery declines. 



Though the passing satellite offers only a 

 snapshot of the dynamic and complex coast, it 

 provides enough detail to suggest that developing 

 Coastal Habitat Protection Plans (CHPPs) could 

 be a daunting task. 



Nevertheless, the N.C. Department of 

 Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is 

 overseeing efforts to devise strategies to protect 

 and restore fish habitats for the long-term 



enhancement of coastal fisheries. 



When the North Carolina General Assembly 

 passed the 1997 Fisheries Reform Act, legislators 

 focused on ensuring healthy stocks, the recovery 

 of depleted stocks, and the wise use of fisheries 

 resources through fishery management plans as 

 well as habitat protection plans. 



For starters, DENR and the Marine 

 Fisheries Commission have been working with 

 the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) to 

 devise management plans for each significant 

 commercial and recreational species. The process 

 involves input from commercial fishing groups, 

 seafood dealers, recreational anglers, scientists and 

 interested citizens. 



Attention now is focused on the process of 

 developing habitat plans that will enlist similar 

 public involvement, beginning with a series of 

 public meetings this summer at coastal and inland 

 locations. 



MOVING AHEAD 



It's a job so big, that the law requires three 

 commissions to do the heavy lifting — the Marine 

 Fisheries Commission (MFC), the Environmental 

 Management Commission (EMC) and the Coastal 

 Resources Commission (CRC). 



An Intercommission Review Committee 



16 HIGH SEASON 2003 



