The North Carolina Coastal Federation has launched its 12th annual Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project, bringing together 21 commercial fishermen and women to remove displaced crab pots and other hazardous gear from North Carolina’s northern and central coastal waters.
The monthlong effort runs through Jan. 8-31, aligning with the annual internal waters pot closure north of the Highway 58 bridge to Emerald Isle. During that closure, crews are searching designated areas for lost crab pots that pose risks to navigation, wildlife, and active fisheries. Since the program began in 2014, the Federation has recovered more than 24,000 lost crab pots from the North Carolina sounds.
Last year’s cleanup, carried out in collaboration with commercial watermen and the N.C. Marine Patrol resulted in the recovery of 2,136 pots across all three Marine Patrol districts. The 2026 project will focus on select areas within Marine Patrol Districts 1 and 2, covering the northeast and central coast.
Recovered pots will be recycled when possible, and pots retrieved from the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds will be made available for owners to reclaim after the cleanup. The project is funded through the N.C. Commercial Fishing License Resource Fund Program, which supports marine habitat improvement, water quality, and coastal economies.
“I’m glad to be involved and do my part to keep the sounds clean,” said Joe Speight, a longtime project participant from Kitty Hawk, in comments shared with the Island Free Press. “It’s important for the blue crab fishery and much more. Without clean waterways, there would be so much at risk.”
Federation Coastal Education Coordinator and project leader Sara Hallas Hemilright shared that the effort depends on cooperation across the waterfront. “This project brings together unique partnerships for a common cause of clean waterways,” she told The Press.
Boat crews will work from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on favorable weather days, with each crew participating three to five days during the month.
