The Currituck County Board of Commissioners opposes NC House Bill 442, which the board feels would have a negative impact on the commercial fishing industry. The bill would ban shrimp trawling within one half mile of the Atlantic Ocean shoreline and in all inshore/inland waters, which would include all sounds, estuaries, and rivers.
On June 19, 2025, the Board emailed copies of its letter of opposition to Destin Hall, Speaker, NC House of Representatives; Phil Berger, Senate President Pro Tempore; NC Representative Ed Goodwin; and NC Senator Bobby Hanig.
Below is the text of the letter of opposition:
The Currituck County Board of Commissioners was recently made aware of a controversial bill that is moving quickly through the legislature, H442, that will ban the use of trawl nets in all coastal fishing waters, except for the Atlantic Ocean when more than one-half mile from the shoreline.
Currituck County is a coastal county that relies heavily on the commercial fishing industry to provide jobs and promote local spending. The industry contributes significantly to the health of our economy while also providing our hardworking, local watermen with a means to financially support their businesses and their families. Imposing this restriction on shrimp trawling not only threatens the livelihoods of our local watermen, but has the potential to threaten the entire commercial seafood industry, potentially resulting in devastating economic impacts that will be felt by Currituck County and our coastal neighbors, all of whom have long advocated for and supported a thriving seafood industry as a main economic driver for communities along the North Carolina coast.
The Currituck County Board of Commissioners strongly opposes the amendment to House Bill 442, which poses a serious threat to our county and our region’s economy, culture and way of life. The Board of Commissioners will join our neighboring counties and adopt a formal Resolution to affirm its staunch opposition to the amendment and would urge lawmakers at the General Assembly to reject any amendment that further limits shrimp trawling in coastal waters.
We respectfully request this letter stating our position on this issue be shared with House membership. We thank you, in advance, for your consideration, and will trust that North Carolina’s representatives will ultimately stand with us and our neighboring coastal counties and oppose these trawling restrictions.
