The glowing orange eyes of shrimp grow in number as the night wears on. 



Sessions believes his traps are a viable alternative to trawling and 

 says he has evidence, however anecdotal, to back it up. 



"There's a guy a few houses down that trawls. Often, I'd see him 

 leaving to go out as I was setting my traps. I'd sit here in the hammock all 

 night, having fun, drinking a beer, talking to friends, and in the morning I 

 would have as many shrimp as he did out trawling all night. And he had 



to pay for gas, the crew, and that big boat and 

 nets. I can do this myself, with no crew. I use 

 a 19-foot boat, I bum maybe a gallon or so of 

 gas a night," Sessions explains. 



iguring out the 

 utiure 



Currendy, DMF regulates Sessions' 

 commercial size trap similarly to pound nets. 

 To use a commercial trap, fishers must apply 

 for a permit, specifically citing where the 

 trap will be located. Before being approved, 

 the general public has the opportunity to 

 comment on the trap's location. DMF also 

 considers if the proposed site will interfere 

 with riparian rights or existing fishing 

 practices, or hinder vessel navigation. 



Once a site is permitted, other shrimp 

 traps are not allowed within 1,000 yards of 

 the site. Recreational traps currently are not permitted. 



Sessions hopes that the trap will find a successful niche in the 

 shrimp industry. 



"I want it to be available as an alternative to trawling. I don't want 

 to shut down any fisheries or end traditional trawling," he stresses. "But 

 I think if it's out there and more people can use it, people can decide 

 what's best for them." 



Baker agrees. "This gear has definite 

 possibilities for both recreational and 

 commercial shrimp fishers. I'm looking 

 forward to seeing how this gear works in 

 areas outside of Topsail." 



Thorpe believes that the trap will work 

 wherever there are shrimp. "It's just a matter 

 of figuring out where they are in those areas 

 and setting the traps in the right places," she 

 says. 



Most importantly, Sessions and Thorpe 

 want to get the word out. Although Sessions' 

 trap is well known around Topsail, many 

 commercial shrimpers still don't know much 

 about it. 



"It's just so simple," Thorpe asserts. 

 "It's easy to make; easy to do; so cheap; 

 minimal bycatch. The only 'downside' may 

 be you have to be up at night to do it." 



But Sessions argues that may not be a 

 drawback after all. "If you're a fisherman you 

 love the hours." a 



Jurrell prepares flow meters to record water velocity near 



trap. 



Coastwatch I Winter 2006 I www.ncseagrant.org 25 



