Places and people every angler should know 



— Information Centers: 



A library on wheels stocked with information on 

 a wide range of topics of interest to the fishing 

 community travels the roads of northeastern North 

 Carolina. Sumner Midgett of Camden drives the 

 mobile library. As of now, it follows no regular 

 route or schedule, but Midgett will answer requests 

 for information. 



The Seafood Laboratory at Morehead City, 

 jointly supported by Sea Grant and the NCSU 

 Department of Food Science, features an infor- 

 mation center. There, fishermen and anyone else 

 interested in seafood can gather facts and figures 

 on topics ranging from boat repair and safety to 

 processing. 



—Folks with facts: 



Dr. Frank Thomas, extension professor of food 

 science at N.C. State University, and Ted Miller, 

 director at the Seafood Lab in Morehead City, work 

 closely with the fishing industry. Although their 

 work, supported jointly by Sea Grant and the N.C. 

 Agricultural Extension Service, focuses mainly on 

 processing and improving fish products, they are 

 interested in helping fishermen bring in a catch of 

 high quality which will bring a better price. Miller 

 can be reached by writing to the Seafood Lab, P. 0. 

 Box 51, Morehead Citv or bv calling 326-4901. 

 Thomas is at 129-F Schaub Hall, N. C. State Uni- 

 versity. Raleigh. His phone number is 737-2956. 



N.C. AGRICULTURAL 

 EXTENSION SERVICE 

 — A fisheries economics specialist: 



In the past, information on fishing — figures on 

 landings, costs and returns — in North Carolina 

 has been lacking. Jim Easley, an extension 

 specialist, is working to build up information on 

 North Carolina's fishing industry. Data, when 

 compiled and put into usable form, will be of use 

 to counties in land-use planning and to individuals 

 to the costs of fishing with diesel fuel and in 

 interested in the costs and returns of fishing. 

 Fishermen may be interested in studies now under- 

 way to compare the costs of fishing with gasoline 

 to the costs of fishing with diesel fuel and with 

 similar studies to determine what size boat yields 

 the best returns. Easley can be reached at 3108-A 



The University of North Carolina Sea Grant Program 

 Newsletter is published monthly by the University of 

 North Carolina Sea Grant Program, 1235 Burlington 

 Laboratories, Varborough Drive, North Carolina State 

 University. Raleigh. N.C. 27607. Vol. 1, No. 6, October, 

 1S74. Dr. B. J. Copeland, director. Dixie Berg, editor, 

 faeond-class postage paid at Raleigh, N.C. 27611 



Library. N.C. State University. Raleigh or bv call- 

 ing 737-2472. 



— Help a( home 



County extension agents, headquartered in all 

 of the state's 100 counties, know where to call and 

 who to see for assistance with commercial fishing 

 problems. The phone number of your county ex- 

 tension agent may be found in your telephone 

 directory under your county's Agricultural Ex- 

 tension Service listing. 



STATE AGENCIES 

 SERVING FISHERMEN 



Agencies in the N.C. Department of Natural 

 and Economic Resources are working to benefit 

 the state's fishing industry. Much of their work is 

 aimed at protecting fishery resources for future 

 generations and at building an industry that will 

 continue to prosper for years to come. 



Dr. Arthur Cooper, assistant secretary of the 

 Department of Natural and Economic Resources, 

 holds major responsibility for administering the 

 state's marine-related activities. 



Agencies responsible for fisheries and seafood 

 are the Division of Marine Fisheries and the Sea- 

 food Industries Section of the Division of Com- 

 merce and Industry. 



— Division of Marine Fisheries: 



The mission of the Division of Marine Fisheries 

 is to manage the state's coastal recreation and 

 commercial fisheries. The agency's goal is to en- 

 courage fishermen to make the best use of resources 

 today without over using or depleting stocks for 

 tomorrow. 



To carry out their management mission, the 

 agency sponsors a double-pronged program of 

 research and enforcement. Research is aimed at 

 learning more about North Carolina's fishery 

 resources. An ongoing inventory of estuarine areas 

 is designed to determine what fisheries we have, 

 where nursery areas are located and when shrimp 

 and fish occur in greatest numbers. Other research 

 centers around shrimp — its growth, populations 

 and best size for harvesting. Further development 

 of offshore fisheries, including such species as 

 squid and scallops, is also part of the agency's 

 work. 



Kesearch results, as well as information ob- 

 tained from fishermen, help the agency define 

 fishing regulations. Marine Fisheries is responsi- 

 ble for enforcing fishing regulations and for 

 setting season opening dates. 



The agency's control of dredge and fill activities 

 in estuarine areas is of significant benefit to the 

 fishing industry. By regulating the dredging and 



State services continued 



filling of marsh areas, Marine Fisheries is slowing 

 the loss of marsh, an area vital to the growth of 

 many fishery species. 



Agency officials, headquartered at the Depart- 

 ment of Natural and Economic Resources labora- 

 tory in Morehead City, are available to assist 

 fishermen with questions. Questions about dredge 

 and fill regulations may be directed to James T. 

 Brown. Walter Godwin is in charge of research 

 and development and James Tew is chief of law 

 enforcement. Ed McCoy, commissioner of Marine 

 Fisheries, is also eager to help. All may be reached 

 at the Morehead City NER lab or by calling 726- 

 7021. 



conducts short-term projects to alleviate severe 

 marketing problems in the seafood industry. In 

 August when the state's shrimpers found shrimp 

 supplies up and prices down, the Seafood Indus- 

 tries Program mounted a campaign to urge con- 

 sumers to buy shrimp. The program succeeded in 

 increasing demand, lowering supplies and spur- 

 ring prices. 



A group of fisheries development representa- 

 tives, a part of the Seafood Industries Section, are 

 conducting preliminary studies to learn more 

 about landings and dockside prices and to deter- 

 mine more accurately where fish are caught and 

 with what type of gear. The work of the repre- 

 sentatives should provide information useful to 

 fishermen in making decisions on what to fish for, 

 with what and where. 



— Seafood Industries Section 



The Seafood Industries Development Program 

 works to encourage the expansion of seafood and 

 marine-related industries in North Carolina. 

 Alvah Ward, program coordinator, believes that 

 expansion and development of all links in the sea- 

 food marketing chain — from fisherman to con- 

 sumer — benefit the entire industry. The Program 

 seeks to improve the movement of seafood through 

 trade channels and to heighten consumer interest 

 in seafood. Results of the Program point to more 

 jobs for coastal residents and a healthier seafood 

 industry. 



The Seafood Industries Section consists of three 

 parts. Ward, who is a seafood industries consultant, 

 seeks to encourage investors to put their money in 

 the Tarheel seafood industry. His efforts center 

 around encouraging financial institutions to 

 understand and take a second look at the seafood 

 industry as a good investment. He is also involved 

 in assisting those already in business to continue 

 and expand. 



Paul Allsbrook, a seafood marketing specialist, 

 heads the second part of the Seafood Industries 

 Section. Allsbrook works between seafood whole- 

 salers and retailers. He provides processors and 

 other seafood suppliers with information that may 

 help them sell their products to retail food stores. 

 Allsbrook consults with processors on the forms 

 and quantities of seafood that make the best sellers 

 in retail markets and on shipping arrangements. 



Fay McCotter, seafood home economist, works 

 with food editors and home economists to create 

 shopper interest in seafood. Her job is to get infor- 

 mation to the consumer on the availability of sea- 

 food supplies and to help the homemaker make 

 the best use of fish products by introducing her 

 to new ways to prepare them. 



Ward, Allsbrook and Ms. McCotter are at 112 

 W. Lane Street in Raleigh and may be reached by 

 phone at 829-3760. 



The Seafood Industries Program occasionally 



— Office of Marine Affairs: 



The Office of Marine Affairs, a division of the 

 N.C. Department of Administration, is designed to 

 coordinate all state marine activities. Dr. Thomas 

 Linton heads the office which is located at 410 

 Oberlin Road, Raleigh. Marine Affairs is heavily 

 involved in putting the recently-enacted Coastal 

 Area Management Act into action. Wise planning 

 and use of marine resources can aid in preserving 

 fishery resources. 



— N.C. Division of Health 

 Services: 



The Division of Health Services is another state 

 agency concerned with a healthy seafood industry. 

 Inspection and declaration of waters unsuitable 

 for oystering is one example of their services to the 

 industry. 



— Coastal Plains Regional 

 Commission: 



The Coastal Plains Regional Commission 

 (CPRC), is an agency designed to help spur the 

 economies of coastal areas in North and South 

 Carolina and Georgia. With funds from state and 

 federal sources, CPRC provides cooperative sup- 

 port to research and development, as well as to 

 advisory services, in coastal areas. One cooperative 

 venture by CPRC and Sea Grant has been aimed 

 at developing eel aquaculture techniques in North 

 Carolina. 



The Coastal Plains Center for Development 

 Services in Wilmington is a storehouse of infor- 

 mation on a wide range of coastal and marine- 

 related subjects. Information and services at the 

 Center are available to anyone interested in coastal 

 development. The Center is located at 1518 Har- 

 bour Drive, Wilmington and is directed by Beverly 

 C. Snow Jr. 



