Deadline Extended for Economic Impact Survey of North Carolina’s Commercial Fishermen

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Jane Harrison, 919-513-0122, jane_harrison@ncsu.edu

A new deadline of April 30 has been set for active commercial fishermen to return a survey on economic impacts of the industry.

Individuals who fill out the survey will receive a $50 Amazon gift card, or a Walmart gift card for those without a computer. So far, more than 280 fishermen already have completed the survey.

The survey is one part of a study by researchers at North Carolina Sea Grant, NC State University’s Center for Environmental and Resource Economic Policy, the University of North Carolina Wilmington and Appalachian State University.

“The goal of the overall study is to estimate the full economic impacts of North Carolina commercial fishing, including impacts on businesses supplying and supporting commercial fishermen — such as fuel suppliers, marinas, and engine repair — as well as impacts on seafood processors, packers, shippers, wholesalers, markets, restaurants and consumers,” says research team member Chris Dumas, of UNCW.

“We want good participation in this survey so that the study results will represent all regions of the state, all seasons, all types of fishing gear and all target species.”

The study is funded by the North Carolina Commercial Fishing Resource Fund, which is supported by a portion of the proceeds from the sale of commercial fishing licenses issued by the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries.

To be eligible for this survey, you must be a fisherman who had a commercial fishing license in 2019, as well as trip ticket sales of any amount in 2019. Commercial fishermen who did not receive the survey or who need a replacement should contact Chris Dumas at dumasc@uncw.edu or 910-962-4026.

For more details on the survey, visit this informational page. To learn more about the research project, read this blog post.

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