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North Carolinas Coastal Conference April 14, 2015 Alison T. Willis

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2013 Commercial Species Availability Source: http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/commercial-fisheries/commercial-landings. Note: the number of species codes listed may not reflect the number of species available for commercial harvest; this graph only serves as a indirect comparison tool.http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/commercial-fisheries/commercial-landings

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2013 North Carolina Commercial Landings

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Economic Importance in a Rural Economy Tourism dollars o Recreational fishing o Commercial fishing Maritime heritage & boat building Fresh, local seafood Jobs & Revenue o In 2013... $72.9 M Ex-Vessel Value $305.2 M in total Economic Impacts o Every job counts in a rural economy! Source: NCDMF License & Statistics Section 2014 Annual Report

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Todays Challenges Imports (cheaper) Rising costs (fuel, equipment, etc.) Catching less & making more (increasing revenues) Selling the story Putting a face on the fish Misinformation & misunderstanding (education)

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Trends Over Time

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New Horizons & Opportunities Increasing demand for North Carolina seafood o 91% of seafood consumed in the US is imported o Supply will always be a challenge o Consumer choice for local caught? Desire for traceability o Knowing the origins of your food

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What are we doing? Education & outreach NC Catch & Catch groups (www.nccatch.org) o Consumer based focus o Consumer Outreach - NC State Fair, Food shows, Festivals, Etc. Marketing Putting the Face behind the fish! o Connecting fishermen with consumers through multimedia Telling the story. o Branding efforts (Partnerships with NC Catch & NC Growing Together) Partnership development o Chefs, restaurants, processors, distributors & grocery chains o Annual NC Catch Summit (Winter 2016 Carteret County)

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Industry Needs & Opportunities? Processing capabilities The Future! o Value-added seafood products Statewide & national distribution opportunities Loosing revenue to other states with processing capabilities o Jobs creation in rural areas Every job counts! o Increased revenue for the fishermen, processors & the State Developing markets for underutilized species o Spiny dogfish (Quota: 7.2M Pounds) o Cow-nose rays

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Questions? Contact Information: Alison Willis (919) 971-3905 awillis.mrbigseafood@gmail.com