{"id":1722,"date":"2010-06-01T11:22:00","date_gmt":"2010-06-01T15:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/?page_id=1722"},"modified":"2024-07-02T14:29:35","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T18:29:35","slug":"for-hire-fishing-rich-in-coastal-history-enriching-coastal-economies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/for-hire-fishing-rich-in-coastal-history-enriching-coastal-economies\/","title":{"rendered":"For-Hire Fishing: Rich in Coastal History; Enriching Coastal Economies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n

This article was published in the Summer 2010 issue of <\/em>Coastwatch.<\/em><\/p>\n

It’s late afternoon dockside at the Hatteras Harbor Marina. Excitement ripples through a gathering crowd waiting for a string of for-hire charter boat captains and their fishing parties to return from plying the Gulf Stream bounty. The impromptu welcome committee moves from slip to slip with each arrival to glimpse the day’s catch \u2014 murmuring, cheering and snapping photos of the fish being displayed like shiny trophies.<\/p>\n

Some in the crowd are locals making casual rounds of village marinas for fishing updates \u2014 and fish stories. Others are out-of-towners with more immediate interest in fish landings: They have signed up for a charter boat fishing excursion the next day or so.<\/p>\n

Each year, the for-hire recreational fishing industry attracts thousands of avid anglers to North Carolina fishing communities from the Outer Banks to Morehead City to Sunset Beach. And while skillful for-hire captains help happy clients bring in the fish, they also help to bring millions of dollars to local and state coffers. A recent North Carolina Fishery Resource Grant (FRG) report puts the for-hire economic impact at nearly $668 million for the 2007-2008 survey study year.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, expectations run high when Capt. Rom Whitaker guides his 53-foot craft, Release, into position at the Hatteras marina. Soon, there is a chorus of “oohs” and “ahs” as First Mate J.D. Payne tosses the day’s catch, one by one, onto the dock: First, a raft of the usually elusive tilefish, and then a lone amberjack.<\/p>\n

“At 21 pounds, it may be some sort of record for the tilefish,” Whitaker muses as he and Payne weigh the largest tile.<\/p>\n

Clearly, it was an impressive day aboard Release for long-time friends Elena and Bobby Bussey of Florida and Ivy and Ben Carey of Virginia.<\/p>\n

“We love to fish,” Elena Bussey exclaims. “We meet here at Hatteras twice a year, every year, and always fish with Captain Rom.”<\/p>\n

“In fact, we plan to go out with Rom again tomorrow,” notes Bobby Bussey. “We always do two days offshore with Rom.”<\/p>\n

This year, the couples’ weeklong stay was part reunion and part birthday celebration. “Not that anyone needs an excuse to come to North Carolina to fish,” Ivy Carey adds.<\/p>\n

BY THE NUMBERS<\/h2>\n

Turns out, the Busseys and the Careys fit a profile that emerges from the passenger survey segment of the FRG study.<\/p>\n

They are among some 431,000 passionate fishermen and fisherwomen \u2014 many from out of state \u2014 who return year after year to fish with a favorite for-hire captain in a favorite coastal town.<\/p>\n

The study project, Economic Impacts and Recreation Value of the North Carolina Far-Hire Fishing Fleet, takes a coast-wide look at operations of some 754 for-hire vessels during the study year: 27 head boats that may be licensed to carry up to 100 passengers; and 727 charter boats that typically carry four to six passengers.<\/p>\n

On the passenger side of the ledger, according to the FRG study:<\/p>\n