A House Bill, filed in March, is currently being discussed in the North Carolina State Senate and would create a Shrimp Trawl Transition Program, contingent on the passing of House Bill 442.

The program would provide temporary transition payments to holders of Commercial Fishing Licenses who had reported sales of shrimp caught with a trawl net between January 1, 2023, and June 30, 2025. The bill would also increase coastal fishing license fees.

Funding for the program would come from the North Carolina Commercial Fishing Resource Fund and the North Carolina Marine Resources Fund. The program would be used to provide annual transition payments to eligible holders of commercial fishing licenses with verifiable landings of shrimp between the previously mentioned dates. The sale of brown, pink, or white shrimp would be eligible.

Senator Kandie Smith spoke to News 12 recently about direct payments to impacted fishing license holders, “I wanted to have direct payments to the impacted commercial fishing license holders. That’s because when we think about people being put out of jobs — they’ve got to feed their families.” Smith previously had an amendment on the board to give $30,000 to each eligible license holder. Smith says she was approached about removing the amendment due to a larger compensation package.

In regard to House Bill 442, Onslow County officials released the following:

“The Onslow County Board of Commissioners, led by Chairman Tim Foster, recently sent a letter to State Representatives in opposition of the proposed amendment to House Bill 442 that would ban shrimp trawling in North Carolina’s estuarine waters. The Board expressed concern about the impact this could have on local fishermen, small businesses, and the coastal economy.

They emphasized that North Carolina’s shrimp industry is already one of the most heavily regulated in the country, with science-based rules in place to protect marine life and habitats. The letter encourages state leaders to continue using the established regulatory process — one that balances sustainability with economic opportunity and includes input from those who depend on our coastal waters. View the letter at www.OnslowCountyNC.gov/HB442Letter”