It is said that the division is associated with the North Carolina Coastal Federation in a federal economic recovery grant to create jobs to assist the state with oyster rehabilitation. In this process a part of the grant will be used to pay fishermen to plant oyster shell for the state’s Cultch Planting Program. According to the division it will pay fishermen to plant 41,000 bushels of oyster shell on cultch planting sites in coastal North Carolina.
The sites for planting the oyster shells are located in Hyde, Carteret, Onslow and New Hanover counties. The rate will be $2 per bushel. The division will provide baskets loaded with oyster shell for participants to transport with their vessels. Planting operations are planned from April 5 to July 31 and may take place simultaneously in more than one county.
The eligibility of this job is that fishermen must have filed at least one commercial landing trip ticket with the division’s Trip Ticket Program between July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2009. Fishermen may apply by downloading an application form and returning it to the division by Feb. 26.
