An economic analysis of a 2008-09 survey by the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) reveals that commercial fishermen of Atlantic Ocean are more positive about the their business in future. Scott Crosson, the division’s socio-economics program manager, informed that commercial fishermen are now well on the mark. He added that the ocean fishermen are making solid mid-level income.
A DMF press release states that although 29 percent of the fishermen in the study reported breaking even or losing money in the previous fishing year, 20 percent made more than $30,000; a few fishermen, 4 percent, reported fishing income in excess of $75,000 per year. Crosson opined that while a $30,000 annual income is no fortune in today’s economy, it is higher than was seen in previous surveys of estuarine fisheries in Albemarle, Pamlico and Core sounds.
The report also revealed that the number of active oceangoing fishermen has increased while the overall number of active commercial fishermen has declined in the past decade, and 58 percent of those surveyed said they expect to still be commercial fishing in 10 years. It is said that the study found fishermen who work in the Atlantic Ocean were the most diverse group of commercial fishermen surveyed to date, but also the most specialized, focusing on one type of fishery.
