DOWN EAST FISHING HERITAGE 



For generations, many families in Cart- 

 eret County have made a living from working 

 the local waters — from clamming, shrimping 

 and fishing in Core and Pamlico sounds to 

 beach seining for mullet off Bogue Banks. 



But in recent years, Carteret County 

 commercial fishers have struggled to remain 

 viable in a fiercely competitive world market. 



The local fishing communities, including 

 Harkers Island, Atlantic, Davis and Cedar 

 Island, are so tiny that most natives know each 

 other on a first-name basis. 



Many fish alone or in small groups. A 

 few work for large commercial fleets that run 

 out of Beaufort and Morehead City. 



In the last decade, the number of trips 

 by commercial fishers in Carteret County has 

 declined from more than 54,000 in 1994 to 

 around 30,000 in 2004, according to the N.C. 

 Division of Marine Fisheries. 



The value of catch also has dropped from 

 more than 96.5 million pounds worth more 

 than $20.6 million in 2004 — to less than 61 

 million pounds valued at about $19 million 

 last year. 



"We have been shrimping and clamming 

 for 35 years, and it has changed drastically in 

 recent years," says Leroy Goodwin of Cedar 

 Island. "There is not as much to 

 catch, and prices are not as good as 

 they used to be." 



Gaskill says she and her 

 husband, Elbert, are the 

 fourth generation 

 of watermen to 

 fish in waters around 

 Carteret County. "We have 

 to make a living and do it all 

 — shrimping, scalloping, clamming, oystering 

 and fishing," she adds. "During the year, we 

 jump from one fishery to the next." 



More and more commercial fishers in 

 Carteret County are leaving the industry. 



Five years ago, George Goodwin of 

 Cedar Island gave up fishing to work for the 

 N.C. Ferry Division. 



"In 2000, my husband sold his shrimp 

 trawler," explains his wife, Claudia Goodwin, 



TOP: Large pieces of fish from all over the world are cleaned and processed at the Whole Foods facility. 

 BOTTOM: Harkers Island in Carteret County, N.C, maintains its fishing traditions. BELOW: Restaurants are 

 now featuring the Carteret Catch logo. RICHT: Surveys show consumers prefer domestic seafood. 



the group decided to focus on creating a brand 

 image for Carteret County seafood. 



"In Carteret County, the heritage and 

 value of the seafood industry is important," 

 says Joseph Barwick, president of Carteret 

 Community College. "RCCI will help 

 strengthen the community, and what is good for 

 the community benefits the college." 



The initial two-year RCCI grant ended 

 in the spring of 2005. The project is now 

 funded by a second RCCI grant, and is partially 

 supported by North Carolina Sea Grant. 



"We are excited about the project because 

 it will do something positive for the fishing 



CarteretCatch 



Select NC Seafood from the Fishermen of Carteret County 



an Atlantic middle school teacher. "He couldn't 

 keep up because of rising costs." 



PROJECT INITIATION 



The seafood project began when Carteret 

 Community College received a RCCI grant that 

 helps rural communities become competitive in 

 the economy by forging partnerships. 



After several brainstorming sessions 

 with a variety of community representatives, 



16 HOLIDAY 2005 



