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Local fishermen seek county resolution objecting to state blue crab restrictions
Summary
Fishermen and coastal residents urged the Currituck County Board of Commissioners to support neighboring counties' resolutions and ask state fisheries managers to re‑examine blue crab stock modeling and avoid broad closures; speakers asked the board to form a stakeholder committee and consider a resolution.
A group of commercial and recreational fishermen supporters asked Currituck County commissioners on March 3 to join neighboring counties in asking the state to re‑examine a blue crab stock assessment and to refrain from broad restrictions without further review.
Lauren Birch, speaking during public comment, handed commissioners copies of resolutions from Hyde and Tyrrell counties and a third‑party review of the Division of Marine Fisheries blue crab model. She said a recent independent review concluded the assessment produced unrealistic mortality estimates and that landings have remained relatively stable. She described the Division of Marine Fisheries' recommended management measures—an off‑the‑table female‑crab closure of five months and a 10‑bushel limit for females—and asked the county to "stand with the fishermen" and request the state to refine its model and use adaptive management.
Why it matters: Blue crab landing values are a local economic input; Birch cited an estimated statewide economic impact for hard crab landings and said Currituck's annual hard‑crab value ranged between roughly $1.3 million and $3.6 million in recent years. Speakers asked the county to coordinate with neighboring coastal counties and suggested forming a local stakeholder committee that would include watermen to review state measures and economic impacts.
Board response: Commissioners said they planned to establish a committee with fishermen to track the issue and offered to work with nearby counties. One commissioner asked Birch to provide digital copies of the materials for the county clerk. No formal county resolution was adopted that night. Birch offered to help draft a resolution if the board chose to pursue one.
Ending: The board agreed to monitor upcoming Division of Marine Fisheries meetings and to invite fishermen and county staff to collaborate on any county‑level position or draft resolution.
