The rise and fall of ‘Shrimpgate.’ NC’s trawling controversy explained.
A bill to ban shrimp trawling in North Carolina’s sounds died Wednesday at the hands of the state House of Representatives.
Shrimpers from coastal towns rallied to oppose the bill, arriving at the Legislative Building in droves over the past week as the ban appeared and then quickly passed the state Senate with overwhelming support. For them, shrimping is a way of life; but others know little about trawling — the method used to catch shrimp.
Now that this chapter has ended, here are answers to some of the biggest questions to come out of “Shrimpgate.”
What is trawling?
Trawling is a form of fishing that involves pulling a large, durable net attached to a boat. The net — often made of synthetic fibers — reaches close or touches the ocean floor to scoop up fish en masse. Shrimpers use the tool to maximize their catch in a single haul.
The practice dates back to as early as the 1300s in Europe, with major improvements to the nets’ strength and durability picking up speed during the Industrial Revolution.
For more, see our story on how one commercial fisherman explains the practice.
Why is it controversial?
Environmental advocates argue trawling causes unintentional but widespread damage to marine ecosystems. By-catch — or unwanted fish scooped up in a trawling haul — is a major concern for those advocates.
Some trawling nets scrape along the seafloor while others rest just above. Nets that run along the seafloor can damage habitats and render them uninhabitable for fish populations.
However, trawling devices and technology have improved over the past few decades to improve some of the practice’s shortfalls.
How has the practice improved?
While a solution to completely eliminate by-catch during trawling hauls has not surfaced, technological improvements have reduced by-catch numbers and created a way for unwanted species to make an escape from the shrimp-filled net.
Previously, sea turtles were among trawling nets’ biggest victims. In an effort to protect turtle species from harm, the United States required turtle excluder devices for all shrimp trawling in 1987. TEDs are a grid of bars fitted in the net’s neck with an opening at the top or bottom, which keeps shrimp in and allows other species an exit through the TED’s opening. Some trawling nets have trap doors fishermen operate to release by-catch as needed.
Most modern trawls also tend to rest above seabeds, rather than scraping across the sea floor and causing damage.
How did the bill emerge?
Originally, House Bill 442 outlined a plan to expand fishing season for flounder and red snapper and made no mention of trawling.
The ban on shrimp trawling in North Carolina sounds and within a half-mile of the coast emerged June 16 as an amendment to that bill. The Senate approved the amendment to be incorporated into the revised bill June 17.
While the amendment’s origins are murky, opponents have pointed at Senate leadership as responsible for the last-minute change. The amendment was not discussed in Senate Republicans’ caucus meetings, according to Republican Sen. Bobby Hanig.
Sponsors of the bill said during a Tuesday press conference that the amendment had rendered their efforts to help fishermen useless.
What does the bill do?
If HB 442 were signed into law, North Carolina shrimpers would have had to move their trawling nets beyond a half mile of the coast. Violation of the law would result in misdemeanor.
The trawling ban provision directed the state Marine Fisheries Commission to implement the rule. If it had passed, the law would have gone into effect Dec. 1.
Why are the House and Senate divided on the issue?
The Senate passed the bill last week with opposition from just four senators, all representing coastal regions.
Proponents of the trawling ban cited reduced environmental damage and fish population restoration.
Local shrimpers, however, said the waters beyond a half mile of the coast are unfavorable, with conditions most of their boats cannot withstand without risk.
Hanig — the Senate’s most vocal opponent of the bill — said a report the General Assembly commissioned in 2022 to evaluate trawling’s impact is a mere days away from its expected publication date. He suggested the chamber wait until more data and research were available.
The House proved more receptive to those arguments, with lawmakers from across party lines uniting in an effort to protect local shrimping businesses and wait for more data.
What happens now?
Trawling concerns and attempts to regulate the practice could always resurface again in the General Assembly, but for now, shrimpers can catch their breath.
