NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OF MARINE FISHERIES
Annual Fisheries Bulletin
2017 Commercial and Recreational Statistics
License and Statistics Section, PO Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557
May 2018
Included in this bulletin are the finalized 2017 landings and harvest information from the commercial and recreational
fisheries programs, along with the 2013 to 2016 landings for comparison. The bulletin also contains a summary of
commercial fishing trips by major gear.
The North Carolina Trip Ticket Program collects commercial fishery landings and effort statistics. This program collects trip
level fish dealer reports for all finfish and shellfish landed in the state. Recreational fishery harvest and effort statistics are
derived from the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) that conducts recreational angler interviews at public
access points and telephone/mail surveys.
Total Pounds Harvested in 2017
Commercial
Recreational
54,364,185 pounds
11,024,294 pounds
Top Five Species Caught in Each Fishery
Commercial
Species
Pounds
Blue Crabs, Hard
18,069,170
Shrimp (Heads On)
13,892,730
Flounder, Summer
1,563,045
Bluefish
1,544,014
Flounder, Southern
1,394,552
Recreational
Species
Pounds
Tuna, Yellowfin
2,980,821
Dolphin
1,486,909
Bluefish
690,018
Seatrout, Spotted
580,849
Wahoo
497,341
Issued by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, Department of Environmental Quality
For additional information regarding Commercial and Recreational Statistics, please contact:
Alan Bianchi, Commercial Statistics
(252) 726-7021 or (800) 682-2632
alan.bianchi@ncdenr.gov
Chris Wilson, Recreational Statistics
(252) 948-3876 or (800) 338-7804
chris.wilson@ncdenr.gov
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