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Cross-linked news, and information resources about fishermen

MOREHEAD CITY — After close to three hours of testimony, discussion and debate Tuesday morning, a three-person N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries committee unanimously denied a hunting and fishing club’s

The fish swimming in the coastal waters of North Carolina belong to the people — they're a public resource. But how the state balances the use of that resource by commercial and recreational fishermen is a contentious issue, made more difficult by the challenge of accurately tracking how many fish are in the water.

The Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina is suing the state for allegedly mismanaging a public resource — that is, fish. The organization notes that the state's fishery management program began as an economic development agency, which has colored its approach since then.

For years, the state of North Carolina has struggled to balance economic interests, environmental concerns, and the public's right to recreational access to natural resources — that is, fish. The issue is complicated by the difficulty of knowing the exact status of many of the state's most popular fish species. On this episode, WHQR's Grace Vitaglione unpacks months of reporting to try and get to the bottom of things.