Abstract:
Bycatch is a hotly debated topic among fishermen involved in inshore shrimping, individuals, and state agencies. Bycatch is the amount of non-targeted catch that fishermen net along with their intended catch. Inshore shrimping nets can scoop up valuable commercial and recreational fish, such as croaker, spot, gray trout, and flounder. If large numbers of these fish end up as bycatch, their populations will decline and affect sportsfishermen and other commercial fisheries. A North Carolina Fishery Resource Grant project assesses the bycatch generated in North Carolina's southeastern shrimp fisheries.