North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
License and Statistics Section
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Number of licenses and permits issued by fiscal year
NOTE:
Data were derived from the NCDMF Fisheries Information Network (FIN) database and the NCWRC Alvin/Go Outdoors North Carolina System. Most licenses and permits issued by NCDMF are valid for one fiscal year. A fiscal year runs from July to June. For example: FY2023 = July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023. Calendar year (Jan 1 – Dec 31) is presented if not noted as fiscal year. More detailed information can be found in other statistical reports provided on the division’s website or through a custom data request.
Data were derived from the NCDMF Fisheries Information Network (FIN) database and the NCWRC Alvin/Go Outdoors North Carolina System. Most licenses and permits issued by NCDMF are valid for one fiscal year. A fiscal year runs from July to June. For example: FY2023 = July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023. Calendar year (Jan 1 – Dec 31) is presented if not noted as fiscal year. More detailed information can be found in other statistical reports provided on the division’s website or through a custom data request.
Number of discontinued licenses issued by fiscal year
1The Menhaden License
for Nonresidents without a SCFL was discontinued in 2013.
2The Pier CRFL was discontinued in 2015.
2The Pier CRFL was discontinued in 2015.
Number of Standard Commercial Fishing Licenses (SCFL), Endorsements, and Assignments issued by fiscal year
1The Menhaden Endorsement was discontinued
in 2013
Number of Retired Standard Commercial Fishing Licenses (RSCFL) and Endorsements issued by fiscal year
1The Menhaden Endorsement was discontinued in
2013
Total number of licenses with selling privileges issued by fiscal year, the number of those licenses reported on trip tickets, and the number of individual participants using those licenses
1Licenses with selling privileges include SCFL,
RSCFL, Shellfish, Land or Sell, Tournament, and Menhaden for Non-Residents
2Data for the current calendar year are not available for this report.
2Data for the current calendar year are not available for this report.
Annual number of SCFLs and RSCFLs issued by fiscal year, the number of those licenses reported on trip tickets, and the number of individual participants using those licenses
1Data for the current calendar year are not available
for this report.
Number of licenses available in the SCFL Eligibility Pool at the end of each fiscal year
1Calculation change in 2016
2The MFC voted to limit the number of licenses in the Eligibility Pool beginning in FY2016
2The MFC voted to limit the number of licenses in the Eligibility Pool beginning in FY2016
Number of Commercial Fishing Vessel Registrations (CFVR) issued by vessel length category and fiscal year
Number of Ocean Fishing Pier Licenses issued by fiscal year with pier length range and average
Number of Fish Dealer Licenses issued by fiscal year and number of Fish Dealer License categories
1Summing categories will not equal number of
licenses. A single license can have multiple categories listed.
Number of discontinued permits issued by fiscal year
1Ocean Shad fishery eliminated in 2005
2The permit to waive requirement to use TEDs in the Atlantic Ocean was discontinued in April 2019
3The Pamlico Sound Gill Net Restricted Area permit was discontinued in September 2014
4The For-Hire Fishing permit was discontinued in June 2014
2The permit to waive requirement to use TEDs in the Atlantic Ocean was discontinued in April 2019
3The Pamlico Sound Gill Net Restricted Area permit was discontinued in September 2014
4The For-Hire Fishing permit was discontinued in June 2014
Number of Striped Bass Dealer Permits (total and by validation area) issued by fiscal year
1Summing validation areas will not equal
total number of permits. One permit can have multiple areas listed
Number of Estuarine Flounder Dealer Permits (total and by reporting category and validation area) issued by fiscal year
1Summing validation areas will not equal
total number of permits. One permit can have multiple areas listed.
2The Estuarine Flounder Dealer Permit did not go into effect until the 2023 fiscal year.
2The Estuarine Flounder Dealer Permit did not go into effect until the 2023 fiscal year.
Number of for-hire fishing permits and number of permits that have associated commercial fishing licenses by fiscal year
1The For-Hire Fishing Permit was
discontinued in June 2014 as part of the restructuring of the for-hire license system
2The For-Hire Blanket CRFL for for-hire vessels changed the demand for the For-Hire Permit during fiscal year 2007. If a for-hire operator had the For-Hire Blanket CRFL, then no permit was needed. If the operator chose not to obtain a For-Hire Blanket CRFL, then a For-Hire Permit must have been obtained.
2The For-Hire Blanket CRFL for for-hire vessels changed the demand for the For-Hire Permit during fiscal year 2007. If a for-hire operator had the For-Hire Blanket CRFL, then no permit was needed. If the operator chose not to obtain a For-Hire Blanket CRFL, then a For-Hire Permit must have been obtained.
Number of For-Hire Blanket CRFLs and number with associated commercial licenses by fiscal year
1The For-Hire Blanket CRFL was
discontinued in June 2014 as part of the restructuring of the for-hire license
system
Number of Blanket For-Hire Vessel CRFLs and number with associated commercial licenses by fiscal year
Number of Non-Blanket For-Hire Vessel Licenses and number with associated commercial licenses by fiscal year
Number of Blanket For-Hire Captain’s CRFLs and number with associated commercial licenses by fiscal year
Number of Commercial Fishing Vessel Registrations (CFVR) with For-Hire Endorsements by fiscal year 1
1The Blanket For-Hire Captain's
CRFL was made available in FY2015 and requires a CFVR with For-Hire Endorsement
on the vessel being used in a for-hire operation. Before 2015, CFVRs were only
issued for commercial use; however, the owner of the CFVR could optionally
declare use of their vessel as a charter boat.
Number of Blanket For-Hire Vessel CRFLs issued by fiscal year and passenger capacity 1
1There was a major restructuring of
all for-hire licenses in June 2014, part of which was a change from annual
effective dates from day of sale to fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) effective
dates. Existing for-hire licenses were provided extensions to adjust to this
shift in effective dates. For this reason, sales figures were affected and should
not be directly compared to previous years.
Number of Coastal Recreational Fishing License (CRFL) Exemption Permits issued by fiscal year
Number of Blocks of 10 Ten-Day Coastal Recreational Fishing Licenses issued by fiscal year
Map of Trip Ticket Waterbodies
Interactive map showing the waterbodies in the Trip Ticket program:
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Annual number of dealers, participants, vessels, trips, and licenses for North Carolina
Commercial landings of select species of finfish and shellfish
* Confidential data were added to “Finfish, Other” and “Shellfish, Other” landings, where applicable
*** represent confidential data
Commercial oyster landings by year and bottom type1
1Total trips may
not equal the sum of private trips and public trips due to some trips recording
harvest from both bottom types.
2Oysters are reported to the Trip Ticket Program as either bushels or numbers. When numbers are reported, a conversion factor of 0.13 is applied to estimate the pounds of meat per oyster. A conversion factor of 5.29 pounds of meat per bushel is used to estimate bushels from oysters reported by number. This differs from the Lease Program, which uses a count of 300 oysters per bushel.
2Oysters are reported to the Trip Ticket Program as either bushels or numbers. When numbers are reported, a conversion factor of 0.13 is applied to estimate the pounds of meat per oyster. A conversion factor of 5.29 pounds of meat per bushel is used to estimate bushels from oysters reported by number. This differs from the Lease Program, which uses a count of 300 oysters per bushel.
Commercial Hard Clam landings by year and bottom type1
1Totals trips
may not equal the sum of private trips and public trips due
to some trips recording harvest from both bottom types.
Annual Commercial Seafood Landings by County of Landing
All Coastal Counties
Single County Over Time
* Confidential data were added to "Inland Counties" totals
*** Represent confidential data that have been removed
Commercial seafood landings by dealer city
*** Represent confidential data
This table includes dealer cities in coastal counties.
Commercial seafood landings by waterbody
*** Represent confidential data
Confidential data were added into waterbodies in a similar location
Confidential data were added into waterbodies in a similar location
Commercial seafood landings by gear
*** Represent confidential data
1Confidential
data were added to “Other” when applicable.
Recreational Effort & Catch Estimates for Selected Species in North Carolina
Estimates based on mail survey
NOTES:
* Hyphens (-) represent waves where the survey was not administered. A value of "0" indicates that the survey was administered, but we received no data for that species.
* The wave estimates and annual total estimates are calculated independently from one another, so slight rounding differences may occur between them.
* The mail surveys were unable to be administered from July 2023-December 2024.
* Hyphens (-) represent waves where the survey was not administered. A value of "0" indicates that the survey was administered, but we received no data for that species.
* The wave estimates and annual total estimates are calculated independently from one another, so slight rounding differences may occur between them.
* The mail surveys were unable to be administered from July 2023-December 2024.
Economic impacts of commercial fishing in North Carolina
1Annual prices converted to 2023 dollars
using Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Consumer Price Index value
1As reported by the NCDMF Trip Ticket
Program
2Economic impacts calculated using the NCDMF commercial fishing economic impact model and IMPLAN economic impact modeling software. Economic impact estimates are for the state economy of North Carolina.
3Represents both full-time and part-time jobs
2Economic impacts calculated using the NCDMF commercial fishing economic impact model and IMPLAN economic impact modeling software. Economic impact estimates are for the state economy of North Carolina.
3Represents both full-time and part-time jobs
Economic impacts of coastal recreational fishing in North Carolina
1Economic impacts calculated using
the NCDMF coastal recreational fishing economic impact model and IMPLAN economic impact
modeling software. Economic impact estimates are for the state economy of North Carolina.
2Includes full time and part time jobs
3Estimated expenditures include both durable good expenditures and fishing trip expenditures
2Includes full time and part time jobs
3Estimated expenditures include both durable good expenditures and fishing trip expenditures