Wednesday, October 14, 2026
By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice on June 25, 2025
Dewey Hemilright, a Dare County waterman and official of the North Carolina Fisheries Association, tells the Voice that at about 3 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, those assembled at the NC House to protest a measure banning shrimp trawling were told by legislators that the measure “will not be heard this session.”
The amendment that passed the NC Senate last week would have imposed a ban on shrimp trawling in all of North Carolina’s inland waters and within a half mile of the Atlantic Ocean shoreline. It has generated widespread opposition in the fishing community and the Outer Banks at large.
On Tuesday, June 24, many of those opponents gathered in Raleigh for a show of force to pressure members of the North Carolina House of Representatives to reject the measure that had become known as “Shrimpgate.”
In an update issued on the evening of June 24, the North Carolina Fisheries Association reported that, “Everyone we spoke with said this was the biggest crowd to ever walk the halls and passionately support their cause.”
In a brief interview with the Voice after learning the House will not act on the ban this session, Hemilright said, “It’s just amazing to see when you are fighting for your jobs and your community,” calling the lobbying effort “a monumental task.”
Acknowledging that the ban could return to the legislative agenda at a later time, he added, that “We’ll take this small win.”
More information to follow later.
SEE ALSO: Opponents of shrimp trawling ban respond after NC House kills it
Opponents of shrimp trawling ban respond after NC House kills it
NC Senator Hanig offers post-mortem on rise and fall of the shrimp trawling ban
Comments
Bob Beckett
GOOD
Browny Douglas
The NC fishing industry, fighting for themselves AND the CONSUMERS, is to be SALUTED!!!! Right is right and wrong is wrong. There has not since 1992 when the CCA infiltrated NC and bought control of the DMF been anything but $$$WRONG$$$ coming from the CCA.
Common sense dictates that eradicating mankinds ability to feed millons does not make good sense.
IMO the entire DMF needs a rebuild and done so underneath the Dept of Ag.
Cliff Blakely
Congratulations to all that worked so hard to bring this issue to light after it was initiated in darkness. That’s not the way state business should be done. Hopefully a compromise can be reached in the future. That’s the way governance should work.
Freenusa
Hallelujah!!
Can’t wait to have my fresh Pamlico Sound fried medium greentails😁
Glenn
Yay! The whiners get their way, yet again. Try eating a plant or two now and then.
Woopsie
Glad to see the amendment added by the sneaky NC GOP was shot down
Freenusa
Dang Glenn. I love Hyde County and Rocky Hock vegetables and fruits!
Freenusa
It’s not the GOP, it is the horribly Corrupt Uniparty. We have lost the Ole democrats and present day GOP. Just my opinion.
Browny Douglas
Just to be more clear, in reference to my above IMO I speak of the NC DIVISION of MARINE FISHERIES and the NC DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
Not Over
Yesterday was a great day, but do not let your guard down. Everyone that was so outraged this week needs to continue to put the work in. President Pro Tem Senator Berger (man in charge) said it was a great provision and he intents to pass the legislation at a later date.
If you do not agree with this, make your voice heard. If you give money to the Republican Party make sure to send a note and make it known that none of your donation may be used to support sen Berger or others that put this amendment on the floor.
Craig
Good! I’ll be eating shrimp tonight, with a side of steak, just for Glenn!
charlie
We all should be very proud of our neighbors who stood up and Fought for what is right and for our heritage and for the livelyhood of our fishermen and women and the fishing industry…
And….I don’t think Bobby Hanig and I have ever agreed on anything besides the sun rises and sets……And now.. A big thank you to him….He stood up to and exposed the heavy handed, well oiled, vindictive power structure of his party. He still risks being made a pariah in his own party by them….Bobby-You Did The Right Thing…And that is a Profile in Courage…
Greg
Very good. How about now slow down do the research and come up with a sensible measure. Of course we are talking about a legislative body that routinely proposes foolishness. The Pamlico Sound is 4000 sq miles of area. To ban all of that from trawling is going too far.
Fisheries
Browny I would agree with you in the sense that its the Division of marine fisheries commission that is run by the CCA. Nearly all of them sitting in those seats have proven to be for many years. Having worked for DMF as a biologist none of the ground crews are manipulated by the cca. We had always fought for commercial and the rest. Our voices and research were lost at the commission meetings to those commissioners who voted opposite of us. (I.e floundergate 2015). Remember everyone DMF and DMF commission are not one in the same but politics will always be involved
Woopsie
If you look at what the typical MO of the state legislators, they’ll probably copy and paste the exact language and slip it in a completely separate bill that has nothing to do with the matter, hoping it’ll slip by without anyone catching it
Jay
It is disappointing our paid elected officials did not sort this out before moving this trawl inland water ban almost to a vote. My unrealistic belief is our paid officials will 99% of the time do what is best for the state of NC. The cynical side of me says this another example of corruption amongst our paid officials seeking under the table money for themselves.
I AGREE..
MAHA
See what Dept. Of Agriculture has to say.
It could benefit the Coastal Fisherman..but what do I know.
The Point..
You sooo caddy..
Did you forget the cause!?
The Point of it all? The scope?
The one smart person on here reminded ALL of you..yes..the Pamlico Sound is enormous! 4000 sq. miles+ They can’t ban that! That’s insane..along w/ all the other ridiculous inserts and hidden notes.
Currituck
480,000 salt water fishing license holders against 5,100 commercial fishing license holders. I guess we were outnumbered.
Currituck.