NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OF MARINE FISHERIES
Annual Fisheries Bulletin
2018 Commercial and Recreational Statistics
License and Statistics Section, PO Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557
May 2019
Included in this bulletin are the finalized 2018 landings and harvest information from the commercial and recreational
fisheries programs, along with the 2013 to 2017 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 2018
Commercial
Recreational
45,758,871 pounds
20,064,976 pounds
Top Five Species Caught in Each Fishery
Commercial
Species
Pounds
Blue Crabs, Hard
16,409,610
Shrimp (Heads On)
9,729,526
Flounder, Summer
1,657,761
Croaker, Atlantic
1,643,607
Mullet, Striped
1,312,117
Recreational
Species
Pounds
Dolphin
2,873,059
Bluefish
2,333,410
Tuna, Yellowfin
1,640,717
Drum, Red
1,378,930
Mackerel, Spanish
1,156,702
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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