[ Post a Response | StriperChaser Fishing News and Views ]
Posted by }<)))*> StriperChaser on September 27, 2005, 8:36 pm BY SUSAN WEST, SENTINEL STAFF Aging population, increasing restrictions discourage participation Figures from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) show that the number of licensed commercial fishermen in the state continues to decrease. In 2000, 7420 standard commercial fishing licenses (SCFL) and retired standard commercial fishing licenses (RSCFL) were sold. In 2005, that figure fell to 6,958. License sales to Dare County residents showed a similar trend, dropping from 1,021 in 2000 to 973 in 2005. A closer examination of those figures lends support to the theory that the commercial fishing population is aging. While the total number of fishing licenses declined, the number of RSCFL, available only to fishermen older than 65 years, increased. The actual number of active fishermen in the state is even lower than these figures indicate. In 2003, 5,773 residents bought licenses, but only 60% of those fishermen had landings. Information from DMF also shows that fewer people are interested in becoming fishermen. In the license year 2004-2005, only 48 individuals applied for a standard commercial fishing license through the license eligibility pool committee. In 1999-2000 when the license pool was first established, 299 individuals applied. The license eligibility pool was created when the commercial licensing system was restructured under the Fisheries Reform Act (FRA) of 1997. Fisheries officials at that time warned that North Carolina could be flooded by fishermen from other states if entry into the industry wasn't controlled. The FRA extended a three-year moratorium on the sale of new commercial fishing licenses, and capped the total number of licenses at 8,396, which reflected the number of license-holders eligible to apply under the new system.
Link: Read the article
4.154.25.99
Numbers of commercial fishermen declining 
Message Thread:
« Back to thread