Blue crabs were the stars in a banner year for North Carolina commercial fishing.

Fishermen sold 61.7 million pounds of finfish and shellfish in 2014, a 23 percent increase over the previous year, according to a news release from the state's Division of Marine Fisheries. It was the first year landings had increased since 2010. The dockside value was $93.8 million, the most since 2002.

"It's certainly good news, and good news is needed," said Jerry Schill, president of the North Carolina Fisheries Association.

The state's landings of hard shell crabs reached 25.2 million pounds with a dockside value of $30 million, up from 21.4 million pounds and a value of $26.5 million in 2013, according to state statistics. The numbers last year for hard crabs were the highest since 2012 by weight and since 2003 by value. Hard crabs were followed, in order, by spiny dogfish, shrimp, summer flounder and Atlantic croaker.

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