Controversial Shrimp Trawl Ban Amendment Sparked Backlash

BY NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON

RALEIGH — A contentious North Carolina Senate proposal to ban inshore shrimp trawling has officially collapsed after House Republicans announced Tuesday that House Bill 442 is dead and will not be brought to a vote in the House.

The announcement followed a closed-door Republican caucus, where lawmakers decided to abandon the amended version of the bill, citing overwhelming backlash from fishing communities and concern over the Senate’s last-minute addition of a trawling ban.

From Fishing Access to Fisheries Fight

Originally introduced to expand recreational fishing opportunities, House Bill 442 proposed a four-year pilot program allowing anglers a longer window to catch flounder and red snapper.

However, after passing the House in a bipartisan vote, the bill took a dramatic turn in the Senate. Lawmakers there inserted a sweeping amendment that would have prohibited shrimp trawling within a half-mile of the shoreline in North Carolina’s internal coastal waters, including sounds, rivers, and estuaries — essentially banning the practice in areas where the majority of inshore shrimping takes place.

The Senate passed the amended bill 39-2 on June 19 and simultaneously advanced House Bill 441, a companion measure authorizing up to $10 million in compensation over five years for affected commercial shrimpers.

Coastal Communities Push Back

The Senate’s move sparked immediate and intense opposition from coastal legislators, shrimping families, and local industry advocates. Many shrimpers argued that the ban would destroy their livelihoods, especially for smaller boats that cannot operate in offshore waters.

Industry representatives estimate that as much as 70% of the state’s shrimp harvest occurs within the proposed no-trawl zone.

A bipartisan group of House members, including Rep. Ed Goodwin (R-Chowan), hosted a press conference earlier this week to voice opposition to the trawling ban and call for the House to reject the Senate’s version of HB 442. They were joined by commercial fishermen, scientists, and coastal county leaders who called the amendment an economic threat to working waterfronts and small-town economies.

Environmental Advocates Back the Ban

Supporters of the trawling ban, including the North Carolina Wildlife Federation and various conservation groups, say the practice of inshore bottom trawling causes long-term harm to marine ecosystems. They cite high rates of bycatch—particularly juvenile flounder and red snapper—as well as damage to seagrass and nursery habitats critical to sustaining fish populations.

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission had also issued a statement earlier this month supporting the ban.

Political Fallout and Next Steps

Despite Senate passage, the outcry proved too strong for House leaders to ignore. On June 25, House Republicans emerged from caucus and confirmed the bill was dead. It will not return to the House floor for a vote this session, effectively halting both the proposed recreational fishing reforms and the trawl ban.

With that decision, the issue is now shelved — at least for now.

It remains to be seen whether the Senate or House will attempt to reintroduce separate legislation in the future to address recreational access or regulate inshore shrimp trawling through other means.

For now, shrimping in North Carolina’s internal coastal waters will continue as usual, and the state’s broader fisheries debate remains as divided as ever.