February 2019
Stories in this newsletter
From the director's desk
The basis of good fisheries management is good data. Fishery management plans and modelling used to conduct stock assessments are data hungry products. Luckily, the Division of Marine Fisheries has one of the top data and statistics programs in the country.

Recreational statistics change to new survey method figures
Recreational fishing data are collected through multiple programs specifically designed for fisheries or methods of fishing. The largest of these programs, the Marine Recreational Information Program, is a federal partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Looking for fisheries data?
Try the Annual Report
If you are looking for statistical information on marine fishing in North Carolina, there’s an easy one-stop place to find it. Each year, the License and Statistics Section summarizes all of its fisheries information in an  Annual Report, affectionately known within the Division of Marine Fisheries as the Big Book of Data.

Meet the technicians
who survey anglers
Sixteen Marine Recreational Information Program field interviewers can be spotted out and about at any of 214 active angling sites along the coast, in all kinds of weather, on any day of the week, and during any time of the day or night.
How the state manages for spotted seatrout cold stuns
Throughout the winter, the Division of Marine Fisheries remains alert for any sign of cold stun events. Cold stun events occur when the environment becomes so cold that aquatic wildlife in the area are physically affected and become lethargic or appear stunned.

Tagging: How to get hands-on with fisheries management
Ever catch a tagged fish and wonder what it’s all about? N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries researchers are tagging more than 15,000 striped bass, red drum, southern flounder, spotted seatrout, and cobia per year. Reporting a tagged fish is one of the easiest and best ways to get involved and to do your part to help manage North Carolina’s fish resources, while putting cash in your pocket.