OCS Study 

MMS 2002-044 

 

Boating Uses, Economic Significance, 

and Information Inventory for 

North Carolina’s Offshore Area, 

“The Point” 

Volume I: Characterization of Recreational 

and Commercial Fisheries 

U.S. Department of the Interior

Minerals Management Service 

Gulf of Mexico OCS Region 
U.S. Department of the Interior 

Minerals Management Service 

Gulf of Mexico OCS Region 

OCS Study 

MMS 2002-044 

Boating Uses, Economic Significance, 

and Information Inventory for 

North Carolina’s Offshore Area, 

“The Point” 

Volume I: Characterization of Recreational 

and Commercial Fisheries 

Authors 

Mac Currin 

Sports Fishing Adventures 

Raleigh, North Carolina 

Steve Ross 

National Estuarine Research Reserve 

Wilmington, North Carolina 

Prepared under MMS Contract 

1435-01-98-CA-30949 

by 

North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve 

North Carolina Division of Coastal Management 

One Marvin Moss Lane 

Wilmington, North Carolina 28409 

Published by 

New Orleans

August 2002 
iii

DISCLAIMER 

This report was prepared under contract between the Minerals Management Service (MMS) and 

the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management. This report has been technically reviewed 

by the MMS, and it has been approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the 

contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the MMS, nor does mention of trade names 

or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. It is, however, 

exempt from review and compliance with the MMS editorial standards. 

REPORT AVAILABILITY 

Extra copies of this model and user guide may be obtained from the Public Information Unit 

(Mail Stop 5034) at the following address: 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

Minerals Management Service 

Gulf of Mexico OCS Region 

Public Information Unit (MS 5034) 

1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard 

New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 

Telephone: (504) 736-2519 or 

1-800-200-GULF 

CITATION 

Suggested citation: 

Currin, M. and S. Ross. 2002. Boating Uses, Economic Significance, and Information for North 

Carolina’s Offshore Area “The Point.” Volume I: Characterization of Recreational and 

Commercial Fisheries at “The Point”- Offshore North Carolina. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 

Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, New Orleans, LA. OCS Study 

MMS 2002-044. 62 pp. 

ABOUT THE COVER

Cover photo courtesy of Dr. William Lang, Minerals Management Service. 
v

Charter Boat and Recreational Boat Fishers...........................................................................3 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page 

Disclaimer ......................................................................................................................................iii 

Report Availability.........................................................................................................................iii 

Citation...........................................................................................................................................iii 

About the Cover .............................................................................................................................iii 

Figures...........................................................................................................................................vii 

Tables ...........................................................................................................................................viii 

Acknowledgments..........................................................................................................................ix 

Introduction .....................................................................................................................................1 

“The Point” ............................................................................................................................. 1 

Objectives........................................................................................................................................3 

Methods...........................................................................................................................................3 

Commercial Fishers ................................................................................................................ 4 

Charter Boat and Commercial Fisher Survey.........................................................................4 

Marine Recreational Fishing Statistics Survey (MRFSS) Data.............................................. 5 

NC-Division of Marine Fisheries Trip Ticket Data................................................................ 5 

Results .............................................................................................................................................6 

Location of The Point ............................................................................................................. 6 

Recreational Fishers................................................................................................................ 9 

Charter Boat Captain’s Response to Survey Instrument ................................................ 9 

Use of The Point by Charter Boats.................................................................................9 

Manteo Charter Fleet .............................................................................................9 

Hatteras Charter Fleet ..........................................................................................10 

Factors Influencing Fishing Location - Manteo and Hatteras Captains...............10 

Effort by the Charter Fleets..................................................................................11 

Number of Customers - Manteo and Hatteras Captains ......................................11 

Tournaments.........................................................................................................12 

Other Users ..........................................................................................................12 

Commercial Fishing by Charter Boats..................................................................................12 

Weather-Related Cancellations ....................................................................................13 

Seasonal Catch.............................................................................................................. 13 

Yellowfin Tuna ....................................................................................................13 

Dolphin.................................................................................................................15 

Wahoo ..................................................................................................................15 

Billfish..................................................................................................................16 

Bluefin Tuna ........................................................................................................16 

Other Species .......................................................................................................16 

MRFSS Data................................................................................................................. 16 

Commercial Fishers...................................................................................................... 19 

Commercial Fishers Response to the Survey.......................................................19 

Use of The Point........................................................................................................... 19 

Factors Influencing Fishing Location ..................................................................20 

Days Lost to Bad Weather ...................................................................................20 
vi

Target Species by Month .....................................................................................20 

Other Users ..........................................................................................................21 

Trip Ticket Data...................................................................................................22 

Discussion .....................................................................................................................................26 

Value of North Carolina’s Fisheries .....................................................................................26 

The Survey............................................................................................................................ 26 

Location of The Point................................................................................................... 27 

Use of The Point........................................................................................................... 27 

Seasonal Effort ............................................................................................................. 28 

Conclusions ...................................................................................................................................30 

Recommendations .........................................................................................................................30 

References .....................................................................................................................................32 

Appendix I Charter Boat and Commercial User Survey Instruments..........................................33 

Appendix II Comments from Fishers...........................................................................................41

Appendix III Marine Recreational Fishing Statistics Survey Form.............................................45 

Appendix IV NC-Department of Marine Fisheries......................................................................51 

Appendix V Table of Seasonal Commercial Catch .....................................................................57 
vii

FIGURES 

Page 

Figure 1. Coastal North Carolina .................................................................................................. 2 

Figure 2. Survey Area .................................................................................................................... 7 

Figure 3. Survey Sites. ................................................................................................................... 8 

Figure 4. Selected Commercial Landings. ................................................................................... 24 

Figure 5. Selected Commercial Landings. ................................................................................... 25 
viii

TABLES 

Page 

Table 1. Average Number of Days Charter Boats Fish in Zones A, B and C .............................. 9 

Table 2 Seasonal Distribution of Charter Boat Effort in Zones A and B .................................. 10 

Table 3. Rank of Factors Affecting Whether Manteo Captains Fish in Zones A or B, 

Ranked 1 to 5 with 1 being most important and 5, least important. n = 20................. 11 

Table 4. Estimated Number of Angler Days per Year................................................................ 11 

Table 5. Estimated Average Daily Catch of Selected Species, Manteo Fleet ............................ 14 

Table 6. Estimated Charter and Private Boat Angler Trips, 1995 – 1997, from MRFSS .......... 17 

Table 7. Target Species and Percent Targeting that Species, Charter and Private Boats, 1995 

– 1997, from MRFSS.................................................................................................... 18 

Table 8. Estimated Catch of Charter and Private Boat Anglers Fishing from Dare County 

Sites and Percentage of the Estimated Total State Harvest by Each Group, 1995 – 

1997, from MRFSS....................................................................................................... 18 

Table 9. Average Number of Days Commercial Boats Fish in Zones A, B and C (n = 4)......... 20 

Table 10 Seasonal Distribution of Commercial Effort in Zones A and B................................... 20 

Table 11. Species Targeted by Commercial Fishers (n = 5)......................................................... 21 
ix

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to thank Mr. Doug Mumford of the North Carolina Division of Marine 

Fisheries for providing data and analysis of the Marine Recreational Fishing Statistics Survey; 

Ms. Dee Lupton of the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries Statistics Section for Trip 

Ticket data on the state’s commercial landings; Ms. Allison Ferreira of the North Carolina 

Division of Marine Fisheries Statistics Section for data on the state’s commercial landings; 

Captain Jeff Ross of the charter boat OBSESSION for assistance with surveys of the Manteo 

charter fleet; Mr. Joey Daniels of Wanchese Fisheries, Mr. Willie Etheridge, Jr. of Etheridge 

Seafood, Mr. Billy Carl Tillett of Moon Tillett Seafood, Mr. Arch Smith and Mr. Doug Brady for 

their assistance distributing surveys to commercial fishers; Ms. Beth Burns of the the North 

Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries for helping distribute surveys. We also thank Ms. Jacquie 

Ott of the National Estuarine Research Reserve for providing maps and figures. Special thanks 

are due all the charter and commercial boat captains who took the time to complete and return 

the surveys. 
Introduction — 1 

INTRODUCTION 

North Carolina’s position on the east coast, along with the shape and structure of its coastline, 

and its extensive estuarine system create a diversity of fishing opportunities for the state’s 

fishers. Geographically, North Carolina’s coastline is unique compared to other east coast states. 

Three “capes” (Cape Hatteras, Cape Lookout and Cape Fear) protrude from the mainland. Each 

of these capes is separated by a “bay” or scalloped feature in the coastline (Figure 1) and sandy 

shoals extend into the Atlantic for about 20 miles off each cape. The shoals provide shallowwater habitat far offshore and affect coastal currents. These shallow shoals are partly responsible 

for North Carolina’s reputation as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” The many shipwrecks, 

artificial reefs, natural rock formations and live bottoms that exist offshore, provide habitat for 

invertebrates and fishes. Fishers seeking bottomfish and structure orienting pelagics often target 

these areas. 

The northern-most cape, Cape Hatteras, projects eastward into the Atlantic Ocean making it 

the land-mass closest to the Gulf Stream anywhere north of Florida. This proximity to the Gulf 

Stream supports large recreational and commercial fisheries for highly desirable pelagic species. 

A growing offshore charter boat industry has operated on the outer banks since 1937 (Cleveland, 

1984), targeting bluewater gamefish such as billfish, tunas, wahoo and dolphin. An evergrowing private boat fleet also seeks the same species. 

“THE POINT” 

North of Cape Hatteras, approximately 30 miles east of the town of Salvo, exists a steeply 

sloping bathymetric feature known as The Point. In this area, the southward flowing coldwater 

Labrador Current meets the northward flowing, warmwater Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream, one 

of the largest and most powerful ocean currents, originates in the Gulf of Mexico and generally 

tracks the 100 fathom (183 m) curve along the east coast of the United States until it reaches the 

Cape Hatteras area off North Carolina, where it begins a northeastward flow across the Atlantic 

Ocean. Although the Gulf Stream meanders unpredictably, this northeastward bend generally 

occurs in the vicinity of The Point. 

The convergence of these two major currents, in conjunction with the Western Boundary 

Undercurrent, has been suggested to cause upwelling of nutrient-rich waters, enhancing the 

ocean’s productivity (Len Pietrafesa, personal communication). The steep slope of the 

continental shelf, the converging currents and possible nutrient enhancement seem to concentrate 

small baitfish and squid, which in-turn seasonally attract and aggregate larger predator fishes 

such as king mackerel, yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, dolphin, wahoo, billfish and some of the 

smaller species of tuna such as blackfin, skipjack and bonito. These species are the targets of 

recreational and commercial fisheries comprised of charter boats (for hire), privately owned 

recreational fishing boats, as well as commercial longliners, trollers, netters and other fishers. 

Much of this effort is reported to occur at and near The Point. 

A number of scientific studies have been conducted off North Carolina’s northern outer banks. 

State and federal fisheries surveys have been carried-out mostly in continental shelf waters (see 

Ross et al., in prep. for a review). Extensive bathymetric and seismic studies were conducted in 

the vicinity of The Point in conjunction with Mobil Oil Company’s plans to explore for 

petroleum reserves in this region. Much of this information is contained in Mobil’s Plan of 

Exploration (POE) that was filed in 1989 for lease block 467 (see Mobil 1989). Limited 
2 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

Figure 1. Coastal North Carolina 
Objectives — 3 

oceanographic and biological studies were also conducted (see Mobil 1989, MMS 1990, ESRP 

1992, Shepard and Hulbert 1993 and Vigil 1998 for reviews). Although the state of North 

Carolina asked for documentation of the use and value of The Point during their review of 

Mobil’s P.O.E. and the Environmental Report (ER) prepared by the Minerals Management 

Service (MMS 1990), to date, no one has characterized the users and the extent of their use of 

this area. 

In 1997, Chevron announced its intention to drill an exploratory well in or around lease block 

510. Lease block 510 is adjacent to block 467 and includes the area known as The Point. The 

questions were again raised; who is out there, what are they doing and how much do these 

groups use this offshore area? 

OBJECTIVES 

The purpose of this study was to determine the geographic extent of the area known as The 

Point; to identify and characterize the primary users of The Point, and to determine the extent of, 

and seasonality of their use. A four pronged approach was chosen to accomplish this task. 

First, the likely users of the area were determined by contacting resource agencies and fishers 

who were known to use the area extensively. Recreational and commercial fishers were 

identified as the primary user groups. Second, a directed survey was designed to define the area 

and estimate the use and seasonality of use by commercial fishers and charter boat captains. 

Thirdly, data from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Marine Recreational Fishing 

Statistics Survey (MRFSS) were obtained to augment the charter boat survey and to characterize 

the use by private boaters. And fourth, data from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Trip 

Ticket Program (TTP) were obtained to augment the survey of commercial fishers. 

METHODS 

CHARTER BOAT AND RECREATIONAL BOAT FISHERS

Charter boats are concentrated at relatively few marinas on the northern outer banks of North 

Carolina. A survey and cover letter were mailed to 50 identified charter boat captains docking at 

Pirate’s Cove Marina (Manteo, NC), Oregon Inlet Fishing Center (adjacent to Oregon Inlet), and 

25 captains docking at either Oden’s Dock, Hatteras Harbor or Teach’s Lair marinas in Hatteras, 

NC (Appendix I). Although, the charter fleet at Hatteras typically does not fish as far north as 

The Point, under some circumstances, a few of the Hatteras captains will make the long run. 

The MRFSS is designed to identify recreational participation in marine fisheries and to assess 

their impact on fisheries (Appendix III). These data are collected by direct intercepts at known 

fishing access points and by a random telephone survey. The direct intercepts provide the bulk 

of the data, because of the relatively small number of marine anglers identified by the 

randomized telephone survey. For this report, only the results of the direct intercepts of private 

boat anglers and charter boat clients at eight selected sites in Dare County were used. These sites 

were located at major marinas and harbors: Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, the Manteo waterfront, 

Pirate’s Cove Marina, Salty Dog Marina (in Manteo area), and Teach’s Lair, Hatteras Harbor 

Marina, Oden’s Dock and Hatteras Landing (in Hatteras). Only data from intercepts indicating 

that anglers fished outside three-miles and either targeted or caught offshore species (e.g., 
4 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, bluefin tuna, blackfin tuna, skipjack tuna, dolphin, wahoo, blue 

marlin, white marlin and sailfish) were considered and analyzed. 

COMMERCIAL FISHERS

Commercial fishers who are likely to fish in the area of The Point and target offshore species 

participate in relatively few fisheries. Longliners target primarily swordfish, sharks, tuna and 

sometimes dolphin. Tuna trollers use either conventional rod and reel trolling gear or the “green 

stick” method (Wescott 1996). Additionally, some bottom fishing, trawling, fish trapping and 

gillnetting may occur near The Point, but those fisheries are usually prosecuted shoreward of the 

shelf break. 

CHARTER BOAT AND COMMERCIAL FISHER SURVEY

Survey instruments (Appendix I, p. 1-7) were distributed to charter boat captains and 

commercial fishers to: geographically define The Point; ascertain their use and temporal patterns 

of use; determine conditions affecting their use; and to identify the species targeted or caught on 

a seasonal basis. The surveys for each group were similar but designed to seek information 

unique to each activity. 

After the initial response period had passed, additional responses were gathered with the 

assistance of Captain Jeff Ross (charter boat “OBSESSION” at Pirate’s Cove Marina) who 

redistributed 15 additional surveys to charter captains who had not originally responded. 

Because of the vagaries of identifying and locating individual commercial fishers who might 

fish offshore, an attempt was made to identify fish dealers who provide services for, and buy 

from, fishers targeting offshore species. After telephone conversations with three of the area’s 

larger dealers, the identified dealers were called and surveys were mailed to the four fish houses 

in the Manteo / Wanchese area and one in Morehead City that “pack-out” commercial fishers 

who landed offshore species. All five dealers indicated they would distribute the surveys and 

encourage the fishers to participate. A total of 70 surveys were mailed to the five dealers — 65 

to Manteo/Wanchese and 5 to Morehead City (Appendix I). 

A low initial response rate from commercial fishers was followed by subsequent contact with 

the five dealers to further encourage participation by their fishers. An additional mailing was 

made to 23 individual commercial fishers in the Manteo / Wanchese area who were identified by 

the NC-DMF as participants in offshore fisheries. At a later date, NC-DMF staff assisted in the 

hand-delivery of additional surveys to individual fishers. A total of over 100 surveys were 

distributed to commercial fishers. 

Each survey included a map (Appendix I, p. 7) with two concentric circles drawn around loran 

C coordinates 26795 and 40590. The coordinates were identified as The Point on a commonly 

used fishing chart of the area (Nautical Publications, Raleigh, NC). We defined Zone A with a 

radius of approximately 8 kilometers (five miles) and Zone B, a radius of approximately 16 

kilometers (ten miles) around the above stated coordinates. Zone C was considered to be any 

location outside Zone B. 

The area of Zone A (approximately 202 km2

- 78 square miles) covers a portion of the shelf 

from about 48 m (26 fathoms), on the west, out to a depth of around 1200 m (700 fathoms). 

Zone B has an area of approximately 611 km2

 (236 square miles, extending onto the shelf to a 

depth of about 48 m (25 fathoms) and offshore to over 1,829 m (1000 fathoms). There is one 

charted shipwreck in the north-northeastern part of Zone A in about 91 m (50 fathoms) of water. 
Methods — 5 

Zone B also has a single shipwreck in the northwestern sector in about 64 m (35 fathoms) of 

water (see Appendix I, p. 7). 

Responses from the charter boat and commercial fisher surveys were tabulated to determine 

means or ranges of the values provided. Other than question number 1, on the location of The 

Point, and question number 8, on seasonal catch (see Appendix I), when respondents answered 

with a range of values, the mean of that range was used in the calculations. For example, if a 

fisher estimated that he lost 10 to 20 days due to weather, we used a value of 15 to calculate the 

average annual number of days the fleet lost to bad weather. 

Question number 8 (Appendix I), on the seasonality of catch, sought a numeric estimate of the 

average number of fish caught per trip during each month. Two respondents did not provide 

seasonal catch estimates. Several respondents provided a range of values while others indicated 

by a check-mark only that they landed that species during that month. To handle the range 

values, we chose to use the lowest (most conservative) value in the range, except when the 

lowest value was zero. When zero was the lowest value of the range, we noted that the species 

was caught, but it was not used in the calculation of a mean. Analysis was done only on those 

answers that provided a numeric value or when we could establish a conservative value by the 

method above. 

Participants were also asked to provide comments about the survey or the possibility of 

exploratory drilling off North Carolina’s coast. The comments of those who responded are 

summarized in Appendix II. 

MARINE RECREATIONAL FISHING STATISTICS SURVEY (MRFSS) DATA

The MRFSS data from eight survey sites in Dare County were summarized. The sites were 

selected based on the advice of the state’s MRFSS coordinator (Doug Mumford) to provide the 

most complete coverage of anglers potentially fishing offshore areas. The sites included five 

locations that access the ocean through Oregon Inlet and three locations at Hatteras, NC. Only 

anglers who either targeted or landed any of 10 offshore species (yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, 

bluefin tuna, blackfin tuna, skipjack tuna, dolphin, wahoo, blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish) 

typically caught in and near the Gulf Stream, were included in the data-set. Both charter boat 

and private boat intercepts were used in the summary but treated separately. 

For purposes of analysis, the distribution of private boat fishers targeting offshore species is 

assumed to mirror that of the charter fleet. Anecdotal information and personal observation of 

small boaters following charter boats to the fishing grounds, and observations of small boaters 

fishing in close proximity to the charter fleet suggest that this is a reasonable and valid 

assumption. Queries of charter captains and others knowledgeable of the fishery also support the 

validity of this assumption. 

NC-DIVISION OF MARINE FISHERIES TRIP TICKET DATA

Additional data on commercial fishers was obtained from the North Carolina Division of 

Marine Fisheries’ (NC-DMF) Trip-Ticket Program (TTP) to augment the directed surveys 

(Appendix IV). The TTP is designed to record and track effort and landings of commercial 

fishers in the state. Only data from offshore species landed in Dare County were considered and 

analyzed. 

The data collected by the TTP are landings (in pounds) by gear and waterbody. The landings 

are tabulated by the county in which the catch is purchased. For offshore fisheries, the categories 

are broken down to “less than three miles offshore” and “greater than three miles offshore.” 
6 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

Before mid-1995, all offshore data were collected coastwide (i.e., for the entire state). Beginning 

in 1995, landings were tabulated “north of Hatteras” and “south of Hatteras. Only the landings 

north of Hatteras were tabulated for this report. The TTP data were derived by applying a 

proportional constant (the % of the total caught north of Hatteras) to the “unknown” landings to 

estimate the proportion of “unknown” landings occurring north of Hatteras — these were added 

to the landings north of Hatteras (Allison Ferreira, NC-DMF Statistics Section). A small 

proportion of the data for 1996 and 1997 required the above manipulation. 

Under some circumstances, the trip ticket data are deemed confidential. For example, when 

fewer than three fishers account for all the landings of a species or species group during a given 

time-frame, the landings and value become proprietary and can not be reported. Such data are 

noted in the tables and charts. 

RESULTS 

LOCATION OF THE POINT

The coordinates provided in response to question number 1 were used to establish boundaries 

for the area called The Point. All respondents were asked to locate The Point with loran TDs 

(time delays) or coordinates of latitude and longitude. Responses were uniformly provided in 

loran TDs which were converted to latitude and longitude. Several respondents provided a range 

of loran TDs (time delays) and each set of coordinates was included. One respondent provided 

two loran “lines” (40570 - 40600) which could not be plotted without corresponding 26000 lines. 

All other values received (charter and commercial) were plotted and fall within loran TDs of 

26775-26820 and 40500-40610 (Figures 2 and 3). Elimination of the obvious outliers defines a 

polygon with an area of approximately 89.8 km2

 (34.7 square miles). Only five of the 48 

coordinates were not contained in the polygon outlined in Figures 2 and 3. The coordinates from 

the fishing chart used to establish the center of Zone A, coincided with the coordinates of 

number 13 on Figure 3. 
 Figure 2. Survey Area 
8 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

Figure 3. Survey Sites. 
Results — 9 

RECREATIONAL FISHERS

Charter Boat Captain’s Response to Survey Instrument 

Of the 75 surveys mailed to charter captains, 24 were returned for an overall response rate of 

32%. Twenty completed surveys from the Manteo fleet and four from Hatteras fleet were 

returned. This sample size was deemed adequate to characterize the population of charter boats 

from Manteo. Except where noted, the information from the Hatteras fleet is treated separately. 

Use of The Point by Charter Boats 

Manteo Charter Fleet 

Overall, 20 of the 50 Manteo captains (40%) responded to the survey. Only one of 20 

respondents from the Manteo fleet spent no days in Zone A. The number of days fished annually 

by charter boats accessing the ocean through Oregon Inlet, ranged from 0 to 200 for Zone A, 

from 0 to 200 for Zone B and from 0 to 170 for Zone C (Table 1). The average number of days 

spent in Zone A was 89.4, in Zone B, 85.3 days, and in Zone C, 64.3 days. The percentage of 

time spent in each Zone was 37% in Zone A, 36% in Zone B and 27% in Zone C. The sum of 

the time spent in all zones was 239 days. This summed value provides one estimate of the 

annual number of days spent fishing. 

Table 1. Average Number of Days Charter Boats Fish in Zones A, B and C 

MANTEO FLEET n = 20 

Zone A Zone B Zone C Total 

Days Fished 89.4 85.3 64.3 239 

Percent Time in 37.4% 35.7% 26.9% 

Range 0 - 200 10 - 200 0 - 170 

HATTERAS FLEET n = 4 

Zone A Zone B Zone C Total 

Days Fished 6.3 10.6 152.5 169.4 

Percent Time in 3.7% 6.3% 90.0% 

Range 0 - 20 0 - 40 0 - 200 

Seasonal use of Zones A and B is similar among the respondents. The average number of days 

fished in Zones A and B each month is found in Table 2. Most captains estimate they spend a 

greater part of the months of April, May, June, July, October and November fishing Zones A and 

B. During August and September, and December through March, charter captains spend fewer 

days fishing in Zones A or B. August and early September are prime months for white marlin 

fishing which usually takes place considerably north of The Point. But from December to 

March, those charter captains who commercially fish for yellowfin tuna and king mackerel will 

fish near The Point (Beth Burns, personal communication). Of the charter captains who 

indicated that they commercially fished, 12 boats spent between 6 and 11 days per month in 

Zone A or B during December to February. Those charter captains who indicated they do not 

commercially fish, spend little if any time in Zones A or B during December through March. 
10 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

Several charter captains do not fish during December and at least two, leave the area in winter 

and spring to fish in Florida and Mexico. 

During January to mid-March the past few years (1996 - 1999), many of the Manteo captains 

have relocated to Hatteras to participate in the bluefin tuna fishery. This new fishery has nodoubt affected the winter-time pursuit of yellowfin tuna by a number of the charter captains. 

Hatteras Charter Fleet 

The overall response rate for the Hatteras fleet was 16% (four of 25). As expected, Hatteras 

captains spent little time fishing near The Point and this may have affected their willingness to 

respond. Only about 10% of their fishing time was spent in either Zone A or Zone B. The 

average number of days fished in Zone A was 6.3 and in Zone B, the estimate was 10.6 days per 

year (Table 1). These estimates include the days (50) spent commercially fishing by a single 

captain — interestingly, all this time was in Zones A and B. 

Other Hatteras captains fish the area on occasion, but many either do not have the fuel capacity 

to run that far or choose not to make the long run on an average charter trip. Seasonally, the 

Hatteras captains fished Zones A and B in May, June, July and September to December (Table 

2). At least one Hatteras captain will move his boat to Manteo to fish the white marlin season 

during August and September. 

We know of other charter captains who occasionally fish The Point, but the proportion of 

respondents that fish there (2 of 4, or 50%) is likely not representative of the proportion of all 

Hatteras captains that spend some time fishing The Point. 

Table 2 Seasonal Distribution of Charter Boat Effort in Zones A and B

MANTEO FLEET n = 20 

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC TOTAL 

Average days/mon. 3.8 3.8 5.3 15.3 21.2 22.6 19.4 8.6 11.1 19.4 15.2 7.5 153.2 

Range of Values 0-10 0-15 0-12.5 0-30 0-31 0-30 0-30 0-25 0-23 0-31 0-30 0-25 

MANTEO FLEET n = 3 

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC TOTAL 

Average days/mon. 0 0 0 0 5 1.7 1.7 0 3.3 5 5 0.3 22 

Range of Values 0 0 0 0 0-10 0-5 0-5 0 0-10 0-15 0-15 0-1 

Factors Influencing Fishing Location - Manteo and Hatteras Captains 

Respondents were asked to indicate the most important factors affecting whether or not they 

chose to fish in Zones A or B (question number 4). They were given a choice of “Season, 

Species of Fish Available/Targeted, Oceanographic Conditions, Wind Direction or Other,” with 

a rank of “1” being most important and “5” being least important. It appeared that some 

respondents (11) viewed the question as a “rank order” question and responded likewise. We 

suspect that some may also have reversed the order of importance but were unable to determine 

that for certain. Despite these possible misinterpretations, the data were tabulated as received. 

The highest ranking factor affecting whether or not charter captains fished in Zone A or B was 

the species of fish targeted or available (Table 3). The species of fish available is closely linked 

to season, which was next most important, followed by oceanographic conditions. Least 

important was wind direction. Other factors listed as affecting their choice of where to fish were 

presence of bait (mentioned twice), bottom contour and ocean currents. 
Results — 11 

Table 3. Rank of Factors Affecting Whether Manteo Captains Fish in Zones A or B, 

Ranked 1 to 5 with 1 being most important and 5, least important. n = 20 

Sea Conditions Fish Species 

Available 

Oceanographic 

Conditions 

Wind

Speed 

Other 

Average Rank 2.4 1.6 2.55 3.55 4.89 

Other factors mentioned were: presence of baitfish (2) and bottom contour (1). 

Effort by the Charter Fleets 

The survey results provide two estimates of annual effort by the charter boats. First, question 

number 2 asked for the average number of days fishers spent in each of the three Zones. Table 1 

summarizes these responses. Second, question number 5 directly asked the captains to estimate 

the number of days spent charter fishing each year. In response to question number 5, the 

Manteo boats indicated they fished between 100 and 240 days per year, with an average of 170 

days. The respondents from the Hatteras fleet averaged 145 days per year with a range of 120 to 

200 days per year (Table 1). 

Summing the estimated days spent in Zones A, B and C (from question number 2) by the 

Manteo fleet yields an average of 239 days fished per year (Table 1). This value should 

approximate the total number of days spent charter fishing given in response to question number 

5, but only if the entire day was spent in a single Zone. Comparing Table 1 and the responses to 

question number 5, one sees that these values are quite different. 

For the Hatteras fleet the two values are more similar. The summed value from the three 

Zones is 169.4 days (Table 1) and the average estimated value is 145 (from question number 5), 

an overestimate of around 17%. The values for the Manteo fleet are 239 days for the summed 

value (Table 1), versus170 days for the estimated average (from question number 5), an 

overestimate of 40.6%. 

Number of Customers - Manteo and Hatteras Captains 

The estimated average number of customers per trip was 4.5 for the Hatteras boats and 5.5 for 

the Manteo boats. Though all the boats are licensed to carry up to 6 customers (there is one 

exception at Pirate’s Cove), this difference is not surprising considering the smaller average size 

of Hatteras boats and the higher average charter fee for the Manteo boats. 

Combining estimates of the number of days fished with the average number of clients, we can 

estimate the number of clients/anglers participating in offshore charter fishing from the two 

ports. Using a conservative estimate of 50 boats for the Manteo fleet and the average number of 

days spent charter fishing, yields an estimated 46,750 angler-days per year (Table 4). The 

estimate for the smaller Hatteras fleet (25 boats) is 16,312 angler days per year. The total anglertrips for the two fleets is slightly over 63,000 per year. 

Table 4. Estimated Number of Angler Days per Year 

Boats in Fleet Average Number 

Trips per Year * 

Average Clients 

per Trip 

Angler Days 

per Year 

Manteo Fleet 50 170 5.5 46,750 

Hatteras Fleet 25 145 4.5 16,312 

* from question number 5
12 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

Tournaments 

There are 17 bluewater tournaments held in North Carolina each year. Seven of these are held 

in Dare County. All the tournaments are held from late April through September. Tournaments 

have a large economic impact on the local communities. Reportedly, data exists on the 

economic impact of the Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament, but we were unable to obtain the 

information. As an illustration of the impact that tournaments have, the state of South Carolina 

estimates that the seven billfish tournaments comprising their Governor’s Cup have a $1.5 

million economic impact (1998 Press Release. Pete Laurie, SC-DNR). The expenditures per 

boat for those events range from $6,070.00 to nearly $8,000.00, with 127 boats entering at least 

one of the seven tournaments. By comparison, the Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament, held in 

Manteo, on average hosts over 91 boats each year. The economic benefit from tournaments is 

greater than from a typical charter trip. Charter captains routinely receive a higher daily rate for 

tournaments and receive added compensation if they win or place in the competition. 

The Manteo charter fleet averages six days per year fishing tournaments. The estimate from 

the four Hatteras respondents averaged 7.25 days. The average number of days per year that 

boats spend fishing in either Zone A or B during tournaments is approximately two for the 

Manteo boats and 0.75 for the Hatteras boats. Only one of the Hatteras captains indicated that he 

fished during tournament(s) in Zones A or B. 

Other Users 

Captains were asked if they make additional trips taking bird-watchers or marine mammal 

watchers — two identified user groups. No one from the Hatteras fleet acknowledged such 

trips. Two of the responding Manteo boats noted trips for birding and marine mammal watching. 

One boat makes 2 trips per year on average and the other boat makes 6 trips per year. 

Approximately 60 people each year charter vessels for birdwatching off the northern outer banks 

(Dave Lee, personal communication). Several captains noted that seeing birds and marine 

mammals was of interest to many of their fishing clients. 

When asked to identify other users, besides fishers, only four of 24 respondents offered 

suggestions. The charter captains mentioned sailors, divers (likely inshore of Zone A) and 

merchant ships, which no doubt were in transit. 

COMMERCIAL FISHING BY CHARTER BOATS

Charter captains were asked whether they spent additional time at sea commercially fishing. 

One stated that all his time at sea was commercial fishing — a reflection of his perception of his 

work. Two others answered yes but did not estimate the time spent commercially. Eighteen 

indicated that they did spend time commercial fishing. Six of the twenty-four respondents did no 

commercial fishing during the year. 

The captains were also asked how many days per year they fished commercially in Zones A or 

B. Fourteen respondents provided numerical estimates ranging from 10 to 50 days. The average 

number of days spent commercially fishing in Zones A or B was 30 days per year for the Manteo 

fleet. Although three of the four captains from Hatteras indicated that they fished commercially, 

only one provided an estimate of 50 days per year. As mentioned previously, all those days were 

in Zone A or B. 
Results — 13 

Weather-Related Cancellations 

All but one captain gave a numerical estimate of the fishing days lost annually due to “bad 

weather.” The average number of days lost to the Manteo fleet was 22.6 and Hatteras averaged 

25.8. The estimates ranged from 10 to 50 days per year. 

Seasonal Catch 

The responses to seasonal catch generally reflected the difficulty in estimating monthly catch 

from memory. A few captains apparently maintained detailed records of daily or monthly catch, 

providing values to the nearest tenth. Most provided an estimate of the average number caught 

and others chose to indicate by a check-mark whether or not they landed a species during a 

particular month. The seasonal catch data are summarized in Table 5 where the provided 

numbers were averaged and the “check-marked “ (caught but no estimate provided) responses 

were tallied. 

Yellowfin Tuna 

Yellowfin tuna are a highly migratory species that typically travel in schools. When the water 

cools in the fall, yellowfin tuna are thought to migrate south from their northeast summering 

grounds. Offshore North Carolina is where these fish typically encounter suitable water 

temperatures and food resources. Based on the consistent commercial catches, yellowfin tuna 

apparently remain off North Carolina all winter. The size of yellowfin tuna caught in the 

recreational fishery ranges from under 20 to over 100 pounds. The estimated recreational catch 

of yellowfin tuna was over 172,000 fish weighing over 4.7 million pounds in 1997; nearly 95% 

by number were caught in Dare County (Doug Mumford, personal communication, MRFSS 

1997). 

Catch estimates of yellowfin tuna by the Manteo charter captains are greater than 10 per 

vessel, per day for 10 months of the year — October through June. The highest average catch is 

in January (20 per day for the Manteo boats). This is likely dominated by commercial catches, 

as few sportfishing charters are taken in the Manteo area from December through March. Much 

of the effort for yellowfin tuna reportedly occurs in the vicinity of The Point although yellowfin 

are certainly caught elsewhere. Some charter captains in the Manteo fleet fish almost 

exclusively at The Point regardless of season (Jeff Ross, personal communication) seeking 

primarily yellowfin tuna either for their clients or for the commercial market. 

The Hatteras fleet’s yellowfin tuna catch peaks in April at 11 per boat, per day. The Hatteras 

boats average seven per day in May, but the catch during other months averages less than three 

per day (note: one boat reported 14 per day in February — the others reported 0). Yellowfin 

tuna catch by the Hatteras boats is consistently lower than the catch by the Manteo fleet, which 

averages over 15 per boat per day from October through June. 
14 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

Table 5. Estimated Average Daily Catch of Selected Species, Manteo Fleet 

SPECIES 

Yellowfin 

Tuna 

Dolphin Wahoo Billfish Bluefin 

Tuna 

JANUARY 

Mean Number 20 0.06 0.12 0.0 3.8 

Range 0-150 0-1 0-1 0 0-12 

(n) (16) (18) (17) (18) (15) 

*No. “check-marked” 2 0 1 0 3 

FEBRUARY 

Mean Number 13.7 0.69 0.12 0.0 3.93 

Range 0-60 0-1 0-1 0 0-14 

(n) (16) (18) (17) (18) (14) 

*No. “check-marked” 2 0 1 0 4 

MARCH 

Mean Number 12.33 0.41 0.12 0 4.23 

Range 0-30 0-4 0-1 0 0-12 

(n) (16) (18) (17) (18) (14) 

*No. “check-marked” 2 0 0 0 4 

APRIL 

Mean Number 15.17 3.98 0.59 0.04 0.8 

Range 0-24 0-16.7 0-2 0-0.5 0-6 

(n) (15) (15) (15) (15) (15) 

*No. “check-marked” 2 2 2 2 2 

MAY 

Mean Number 14.78 21.5 0.71 0.43 0.14 

Range 0-24 0-60 0-2 0-1 0-2 

(n) (15) (14) (14) (15) (14) 

*No. “check-marked” 2 3 2 2 2 

JUNE 

Mean Number 12.25 34.57 0.81 0.89 0.01 

Range 0-20 0-60 0-2 0-2 0-0.2 

(n) (16) (15) (15) (14) (17) 

JULY 

Mean Number 5.94 42.53 0.75 1.41 0 

Range 0-20 0-60 0-3 0-4 0 

(n) (16) (15) (15) (14) (18) 

*No. “check-marked” 3 4 4 5 1 

AUGUST 

Mean Number 2.22 47.67 0.56 2.68 0 

Range 0-12 0-125 0-2 0-7.5 0 

(n) (16) (15) (14) (14) (19) 

*No. “check-marked” 3 4 4 5 0 
Results — 15 

Table 5. Estimated Average Daily Catch of Selected Species, Manteo Fleet (continued) 

SPECIES 

Yellowfin 

Tuna 

Dolphin Wahoo Billfish Bluefin 

Tuna 

SEPTEMBER 

Mean Number 3.74 36.67 0.38 2.0 0 

Range 0-13.3 0-60 0-2 0-4 0 

(n) (15) (15) (15) (14) (19) 

*No. “check-marked” 4 4 4 5 0 

OCTOBER 

Mean Number 13.07 10.86 0.59 0.25 0 

Range 0-25 0-40 0-2 0-0.1 0 

(n) (15) (14) (13) (15) (18) 

*No. “check-marked” 3 3 4 2 0 

NOVEMBER 

Mean Number 15.87 1.39 0.11 0 0 

Range 0-30 0-10 0-1 0 0 

(n) (15) (15) (14) (14) (13) 

*No. “check-marked” 3 4 3 1 2 

DECEMBER 

Mean Number 21.87 0.83 0.11 0 0 

Range 0-66.6 0-10 0-1 0 

(n) (11) (12) (11) (12) (10) 

*No. “check-marked” 3 4 1 1 3 

* No. “check-marked” is the number of captains reporting a catch but no value given 

Dolphin 

In the 1980’s, the charter fleets of North Carolina self-imposed a limit of 60 dolphin (also 

known as dorado or mahi-mahi) per boat. This seasonal visitor is a fast growing, short-lived 

species. At smaller sizes, schools of dolphin will aggregate under Sargassum weed or other 

floating material, making them easy to locate and quite vulnerable to anglers. North Carolina 

anglers landed an estimated 4.8 million pounds of dolphin in 1997; 89% by number were landed 

in Dare County (Doug Mumford, personal communication, MRFSS 1997). 

Dolphin occur from May through December, but the average catches are highest during the 

summer months, ranging from over 20 to around 45 fish per day. Dolphin become scarce during 

the late fall and winter as reflected in the average catch per day — less than one per day from 

December through March. Dolphin catches, seasonally and in number, are quite similar for the 

charter fleets. 

Wahoo 

Wahoo appear to be an incidental catch thoughout the year but are slightly more common in 

the catches during April to October. Unlike dolphin and tuna, wahoo are not typically a 

schooling species, although smaller fish will sometimes aggregate under floating objects, 

yielding multiple fish days for lucky anglers. Average numbers of wahoo caught annually by the 

charter fleets are small and similar. North Carolina anglers landed over 570,000 pounds of 
16 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

wahoo in 1997; 69% by number were caught in Dare County (Doug Mumford, personal 

communication, MRFSS 1997). 

Billfish 

Billfish appear to be present only during the warmer months. Although they have been caught 

in every month of the year off North Carolina, most are caught from May to September. Blue 

marlin are more frequently caught from June to August. There is a consistent fishery for white 

marlin to the east and northeast of Oregon Inlet during August and part of September each year, 

as these fish leave cooler northern waters in the fall. Billfish catches peak in August at an 

average of about two per boat, per day for the Manteo fleet. Daily catches of over 10 white 

marlin per boat occur with some regularity during August to September. Sailfish and spearfish 

are a relatively minor component of the billfish catch, but do occur here. Very few billfish are 

retained by recreational anglers — most are released. 

Bluefin Tuna 

Bluefin tuna catch peaks during January to March. This recent fishery is primarily prosecuted 

from the port of Hatteras, where many of the Manteo fleet will dock during that period. The 

fishing grounds are generally south of Diamond Shoals. This winter fishery is composed of fish 

generally weighing from 100 to over 600 pounds. Incidental catches of bluefin tuna occur out of 

Oregon Inlet (and elsewhere off N.C.) during the spring and early summer. These are primarily 

smaller “school” size fish weighing less than 100 pounds, but “giants” (over 350 pounds) are 

encountered. One or two Manteo captains recorded bluefins among their catch each month from 

April through July. 

Other Species 

Species such as bigeye tuna, blackfin tuna, skipjack tuna, bonito and false albacore are 

occasionally caught while pursuing the above most targeted species. Sharks will also 

infrequently appear in the catches. Some charter boats will also bottom fish periodically in 

shallower shelf waters, but pelagic species like tunas, dolphin, wahoo and billfish are the most 

frequently targeted and/or landed fish species. 

MRFSS Data 

The MRFSS data are collected statewide to estimate the effort and catch of recreational anglers 

in the state. These data are collected by the NC-DMF under a cooperative agreement with the 

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and are entered into a national statistical database on 

fisheries. It is important to note that much of the statewide sampling effort is concentrated in 

Dare County because a large proportion of the recreational effort occurs there — especially for 

offshore fishing. 

For this report, the MRFSS data were tabulated based on criteria selected to isolate those trips 

or anglers who had the potential to fish offshore and in the vicinity of The Point. Target species 

that typically occur only in the warmer Gulf Stream water (or near its edge) were selected: blue 

marlin, white marlin, sailfish, wahoo, dolphin, yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, bigeye tuna, skipjack 

tuna and blackfin tuna. 

Of the charter and private boat anglers seeking or landing any of the 10 “target” species, a total 

of 3,980 interviews were conducted in 1995, 6,668 in 1996 and 6,227 in 1997 (Table 6). Of 
Results — 17 

those interviewed in 1995, 15% (n=592) were fishing on private boats; the remainder (n=3,388, 

or 85%) were on charter boats. In 1996, 15% (n=988) fished on private boats and 85% 

(n=6,668) were on charter boats. In 1997, 13% (n=827) fished on private boats and 87% 

(n=5,400) were on charter boats. 

A large proportion of the offshore trips in North Carolina originate from the eight selected 

sites in Dare County. Eighty-one percent of all charter trips in the state originated from these 

sites in 1995 (Table 6). Eighty-six percent of the charter trips taken in North Carolina during 

1996 were from these sites and in 1997, 92.2% of the charter trips sailed from Dare County. 

Private boaters sailing from the Dare County marinas accounted for an estimated 30% (1995), 

75% (1996) and 65.4% (1997) of the state’s offshore trips (Table 6). 

There are an estimated 212,269 annual offshore angler-trips taken on charter boats in the state 

each year (1995 - 1997). The Dare County sites accounted for over 118,000 of these. Private 

boaters from Dare County who targeted offshore species, made an average of 120,920 anglertrips during those same years; an effort about equal to that of the charter fleet. 

The target species of the charter and private boat anglers were similar, both between groups 

and among years (Table 7). “Tuna” (unspecified) was the primary target species for both groups 

during 1995 to 1997. Dolphin was the second target species for all groups. The third most 

sought after species for the charter boats was blue marlin, while private boaters targeted wahoo. 

Table 6. Estimated Charter and Private Boat Angler Trips, 

1995 – 1997, from MRFSS 

 1995 1996 1997 

Charter Boats 

No. Interviews 3,388 5,680 5,400 

Statewide Angler Days 187,187 216,543 245,078 

Dare Co. Angler Days 152,333 187,980 225,837

Percent of All Trips 

from Dare County 81.4% 86.8% 92.2% 

Private Boats 

No. Interviews 592 988 827 

Statewide Estimates 231,183 212,730 203,977 

Dare Co. Estimates 69,910 159,547 133,442 

Percent of All Trips 

from Dare County 30.24% 75.0% 65.4% 
18 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

Table 7. Target Species and Percent Targeting that Species, Charter and Private Boats, 1995 – 

1997, from MRFSS 

1995 1996 1997 

Charter Boats 

1st Target Species Tuna (74.3%) Tuna (74.4%) Tuna (76.8%) 

2nd Target Species Dolphin (43.9%) Dolphin (48.2%) Dolphin (69.7%) 

Private Boats 

1st Target Species Tuna (41.0%) Tuna (61.8%) Tuna (61.4%) 

2nd Target Species Dolphin (51.3%) Dolphin (37.3%) Dolphin (40.5%) 

Despite the fact that both charter boats and private boats “targeted” tuna, the number one 

ranking catch (by number) for both groups was dolphin (Table 8). The estimated number of 

dolphin caught by charter boats at the eight surveyed sites was 377,264 in 1995, 238,848 in 1996 

and 391,679 in 1997. Private boats landed 44,153 dolphin in 1995, 49,039 in 1996 and 94,010 in 

1997, from the Dare County sites. The estimated number of dolphin landed from these eight 

Dare County sites represented around 90% of the state total for all charter boats and around 70-

75% of the state total for private boats during each of the three years under consideration (Table 

8). Anglers landed lower numbers of yellowfin tunas than dolphin, but the percentage of the 

state’s catch was slightly higher — 90-95% for charter boats and 97-98% for private boats. The 

charter boats from the eight Dare County sites landed over 75% of the state’s catch of all 

offshore species, including over 90% of the state’s blue marlin and 85-97% of the white marlin. 

Table 8. Estimated Catch of Charter and Private Boat Anglers Fishing from 

Dare County Sites and Percentage of the Estimated Total State Harvest 

by Each Group, 1995 – 1997, from MRFSS 

1995 1996 1997 

Charter Boats 

Dolphin 377,264(88.3%) 238,848(89.2%) 391,679(89.2%) 

Yellowfin Tuna 152,806(93.4%) 218,361(95.0%) 131,458(95.0%) 

Wahoo 17,054(81.8%) 8,455(65.3%) 16,602(65.3%) 

White Marlin 3,529(93%) 6,361(97.1%) 1,777(97.1%) 

Blue Marlin 1,064(95.4%) 1,315(90.1%) 911(90.1%) 

Private Boats 

Dolphin 44,153(54.8%) 49,039(69.6%) 94,010(76.0%) 

Yellowfin Tuna 4,678(41.3%) 59,316(96.9%) 31,630(97.5%) 

Wahoo 1,683(25.8%) 3,641(65.2%) 2,196(70.6%) 

White Marlin —-(—-) 835(100%) 200(100%) 

Blue Marlin —-(—-) 341(100%) —-(—-) 

The percentage of the state’s catch landed from private boats in Dare County was more 

variable than the catch from charter boats. For example in 1995, private boats landed only 

25.8% of the wahoo caught by the state’s private boat anglers, while in 1996, boats from the 
Results — 19 

eight sites landed 50% of the estimated 1,275 wahoo landed by private boats. But in 1997, the 

Dare County boats caught 70.6% of the state’s wahoo landed by private boat. Private boats from 

Dare County caught an estimated 60-99.9% of the white marlin during the three years and 100% 

of the blue marlin in 1996 (none were reported caught in the 1995 or 1997 interviews). It is 

important to note that blue marlin are a relatively rare catch and the survey is likely to miss some 

catches of uncommon species in all parts of the state. Other billfish (sailfish and spearfish) are 

relatively rare and also unlikely to be encountered in the intercepts. 

Commercial Fishers 

Commercial Fishers Response to the Survey 

Although disappointing, a low response rate (5 of 70 or 7%) from the commercial industry was 

not totally unexpected. Commercial fishers are renowned for their independence, and those 

seeking offshore species may spend large blocks of time away from home. Also, because of 

threats to their livelihood, including low abundance and strict regulation of some target species, 

this group seems distrustful of regulatory and governmental agencies, perhaps making them less 

inclined to participate in a survey sponsored by such groups. 

Regardless of the low number of responses, it appears that a cross-section of fishers 

responded. Those responding targeted a variety of fish, from sharks (usually caught on 

longlines), to tuna and dolphin (usually caught trolling or on longlines) and croakers and gray 

trout (usually caught in gillnets, trawls, or flynets). 

Use of The Point 

The responses to questions concerning the total days at sea and the days spent in the various 

Zones are summarized in Table 9. The average number of days spent commercially fishing was 

172 days per year (response to question number 5) with a range of 60 to 225 days at sea each 

year. The summed value of the number of days annually spent in either Zone A, B or C was 167, 

resulting in a difference of only 3% in the total days fished. The sum of the average estimated 

days fished each month in either Zone A or Zone B (response to question number 3) was 104 

days, or roughly 62% of the total time spent fishing (Table 10). This value compared quite 

favorably with the sum of the average number of days spent in Zone A and B (101 days; 

response to question number 2). There is only a 3% difference in the two values. The average 

number of days spent fishing in Zone A was 53 days, in Zone B, 48 days and in Zone C, the 

average was 66 days. 

The effort in Zones A and B by the commercial sector resembled that of the charter fleets. 

More time was spent fishing near The Point from March to June, with reduced effort in July and 

August, increasing again in September, October and November. The highest average number of 

days fished in Zones A and B was 15 days in October (Table 10). The least average effort was in 

January (2.5 days) and February (2.75 days). 

Only one commercial fisher indicated that he spent additional days (30 days) at sea 

recreationally fishing and none mentioned taking birders or marine mammal watchers. 
20 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

Table 9. Average Number of Days Commercial Boats Fish in 

Zones A, B and C (n = 4) 

Zone A Zone B Zone C Total 

Number of Days in 53.7 47.5 66.2 167.4 

Percent Time in 32.1% 28.4% 39.5% 

Range 0 - 100 25 - 75 40 - 100 

From Question #5- The Average Annual Days Spent 

Commercial Fishing 

Table 10 Seasonal Distribution of Commercial Effort in Zones A and B 

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC TOTAL 

Average days/mon. 2.5 2.75 10 11.25 12.5 13.75 5.0 5.5 8.5 15.0 12.5 5.0 104.25 

Range of Values 0-10 0-10 0-15 0-15 0-20 0-20 0-10 0-15 0-15 0-20 0-15 0-10 

Factors Influencing Fishing Location 

Four of the five respondents appeared to have answered question number 4 with a rankordered response. It was difficult to determine the most important factor because the average 

rank of each factor was between 2.8 and 3. Water temperature and season were clearly the most 

important factors affecting their use of Zones A and B. These closely correlated factors were 

ranked number 1 in three of five responses. 

Days Lost to Bad Weather 

Commercial fishers estimate that they lose an average of 110 days per year to bad weather. 

This is more than the average indicated by the charter fleets (22 days), however, many 

commercial fishers attempt to remain active in the winter months, when seas are usually rougher, 

and this could account for more lost days. As noted, there is little charter fishing in the winter. 

Target Species by Month 

The respondents represented several different commercial fisheries, and therefore, their target 

species exhibited a diverse seasonal pattern (Table 11). Three of the five fishers showed catches 

in January, targeting sharks, tuna, swordfish, black sea bass and king mackerel. Sharks and 

swordfish are typically caught on longlines fished off the continental shelf. Tuna may be 

longlined or trolled but are sometimes caught on longlines used for swordfish and sharks. 

Mackerel are either netted or trolled and black sea bass are typically caught using pots, but may 

be caught using baited hooks on hydraulic or electric reels. 

There were some differences in seasonal activity between the commercial and recreational 

fishers. Commercial activity in Zones A and B was greatest in May, June, October and 

November, averaging 10-15 days per month. Two of the five commercial fishers did not fish in 

Zones A or B during December, January or February. Commercial effort in January and 

February averaged two days per month and during July and August, effort was around 4 days per 

month. All the averages include a number of “0-day” estimates by fishers who either target 

inshore species or did not fish during those months. Two of the fishers, targeting tuna and king 

mackerel, averaged 10 days per month in Zone A or B during December and January. A 
Results — 21 

longliner, who did not provide seasonal effort, indicated that three-fourths of his entire effort 

occurred in Zones A and B. 

Target species in February and March included tuna, sharks, swordfish, king mackerel and 

black sea bass, plus bluefish, croaker and gray trout which are usually caught with either gill 

nets, trawls or flynets (Table 11). In April and May, four fishers listed tuna as a target. Two 

listed mackerel, while only one listed sharks, bluefish and seabass. One of the fishers also 

included dolphin as a target, beginning in May. 

June and July target species were similar among the fishers, with four of them targeting tuna. 

One targeted sharks and swordfish in addition to tuna while another sought mackerel in addition 

to tuna. The other fisher targeted bluefish and seabass. Tuna, sharks and swordfish were the 

only target species mentioned for August and September, except one fisher also targeted king 

mackerel. October, November and December target species were similar for each of four 

commercial fishers. With the exception of October, three fishers targeted tuna and mackerel all 

three months, while one of those also sought swordfish. One fisher switched from mackerel to 

seabass in December while still targeting tuna and swordfish. Another fisher targeted only 

croakers in October and November, apparently not fishing in December (Table 11). 

Other Users 

Ships or ship traffic were noted as users other than fishers. Only two fishers mentioned other 

users. 

Table 11. Species Targeted by Commercial Fishers (n = 5) 

Month Species Frequency Month Species Frequency_ 

JANUARY- Sharks 2 JULY- Sharks 2 

Tuna 3 Tuna 3 

King 

mackerel 

 1 Swordfish 1 

Swordfish 1 Black Seabass 1 

Black 

Seabass 

 1 Bluefish 1 

Dolphin 1 

FEBRUARY- Sharks 1 AUGUST- Sharks 2 

Tuna 2 Tuna 2 

Swordfish 1 Swordfish 1 

Black 

Seabass 

 3 

Bluefish 2 

Gray Trout 1 

MARCH- Sharks 1 SEPTEMBER- Sharks 1 

Tuna 3 Tuna 3 

King 

mackerel 

 1 Swordfish 1 

Swordfish 1 King Mackerel 1 

Black 

Seabass 

 3 

Bluefish 3 
22 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

Table 11. Species Targeted by Commercial Fishers (n = 5) 

Month Species Frequency Month Species Frequency_ 

Gray Trout 1 

Croaker 1 

APRIL- Sharks 1 OCTOBER - Tuna 3 

Tuna 4 King 

Mackerel 

3 

King 

mackerel 

 2 Swordfish 1 

Swordfish 1 Croaker 1 

Black 

Seabass 

 1 

Bluefish 1 

MAY- Sharks 1 NOVEMBER- Tuna 4 

 Tuna 4 King Mackerel 4 

King 

mackerel 

 2 Swordfish 1 

Swordfish 1 Croaker 1 

Black 

Seabass 

 1 

Bluefish 1 

Dolphin 1 

JUNE- Sharks 1 DECEMBER- Tuna 4 

Tuna 4 King Mackerel 3 

King 

mackerel 

 1 Swordfish 1 

Swordfish 1 Black Seabass 1 

Black 

Seabass 

 1 

Bluefish 1 

Dolphin 1 

Trip Ticket Data 

North Carolina’s Trip Ticket Program (TTP) was established in 1984 to track the landings and 

effort of commercial fishers in the state. This program is the envy of many coastal states in 

terms of the volume and extent of fisheries data collected. The TTP is not without limitations, 

however, and is periodically changed to gather better data for use by the state’s fisheries 

managers and policy makers. One limitation is due to the issue of confidential data mentioned 

earlier (Page 5, Trip Ticket Data). Another limitation that may be changed soon, deals with the 

location of harvest effort. Presently, the NC-DMF asks for harvest locations on a broad scale — 

inside or outside three miles and north or south of Cape Hatteras (only since mid-1995). Such 

data are of limited use in establishing the actual location of effort by the commercial industry 

“potentially” fishing in the vicinity of The Point or elsewhere offshore. The data do provide a 
Results — 23 

good estimate of the seasonal catch of species that occur offshore and those data are reported 

here. 

Selected commercial landings of offshore species collected through the TTP are noted in 

Appendix V and in Figures 4 and 5. These data are only for fish landed in North Carolina. It 

must be noted that boats from other states (and perhaps boats from NC) do fish the area and may 

land their catch in other states. Obtaining accurate information on these landings is difficult but 

this fact should cause one to view the landings data as conservative estimates of the catches that 

are made in the various fisheries. 

Yellowfin tuna, king mackerel and bluefish dominate the commercial landings. Yellowfin 

tuna harvest generally peaks in the fall, but is high all year. Peak landings of yellowfin were in 

December 1995, October 1996 and June 1997. Annual landings of yellowfin tuna were lower in 

1997 than the previous years. The “tuna” category includes unclassified tunas (i.e., unidentified 

to the species level) as well as the minor species like blackfin, skipjack, false albacore and 

bigeye tuna. Bigeye tuna and false albacore make up the majority of this category, which can be 

significant in the fall and winter. Like yellowfin tuna, unclassified “tuna” landings were also 

high in June of 1996 and 1997. King mackerel landings also peak in the fall, but the data contain 

a high percentage of “confidential” landings. Bluefish landings are highest in the fall, continuing 

into the spring — primarily from November through April. Appendix V also includes data on 

bottom fish (e.g., gray tilefish and snowy grouper) which are deepwater species found near the 

shelf break and on irregular bottom offshore. These fisheries are prosecuted near The Point (and 

elsewhere), as is the black seabass fishery (Beth Burns, personal communication). The black 

seabass fishery generally occurs from the shelf break, inshore. 

Commercial landings of wahoo and dolphin are typically incidental, occurring as “bycatch” 

while pursuing tunas or other species. There are reports of a blossoming surface longline fishery 

targeting dolphin off northeastern North Carolina but to date, landings have remained at a 

fraction of the recreational catch. 

The mako shark landings are almost entirely from the longline fishery. Makos are pelagic 

species that are most often found near schools of other fish. The seasonality of their landings 

support this contention. Their landing peaks generally coincide with those of bluefish, mackerel 

and tuna — mostly in the fall and winter. Other shark species are landed offshore, but they also 

occur seasonally nearshore and landings are difficult to attribute to either nearshore or offshore 

fisheries. 
24 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

Figure 4. Selected Commercial Landings. 
Results — 25

Figure 5. Selected Commercial Landings. 
26 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

DISCUSSION 

VALUE OF NORTH CAROLINA’S FISHERIES

North Carolina’s marine fisheries are important to the state. The American Sportfishing 

Association estimates the value of North Carolina’s marine recreational fisheries as $1.28 billion 

annually, accounting for over 19,000 jobs in North Carolina (Maharaj and Carpenter, 1997). A 

large and highly respected charter fleet exists on our coast. An estimated 1.3 million anglers fish 

for saltwater species in North Carolina each year. Those anglers made nearly 4.8 million trips 

and landed over 19 million pounds of fish in 1997 (Doug Mumford, personal communication, 

MRFSS, 1997). Over 840,000 of these anglers were from out-of-state. Anglers made an 

estimated 295,000 trips on boats for hire, 1.5 million trips on private boats and the balance of 

trips (over 2.9 million) were from piers or from the shore. 

North Carolina’s charter fleet is concentrated in Dare County, with between 75 and 100 boats 

for hire, and is one of the larger fleets on the east coast of the U.S. Charter fishing is a relatively 

expensive activity with boats costing between $700.00 and $1,200.00 per day. Manteo area 

boats charter for $975.00 per day and on average take five clients. The average cost for an 

individual to charter fish one day is $195.00. This value does not include other costs associated 

with fishing such as travel, food, lodging and gratuities. 

North Carolina ranks 9th in the U.S. in the commercial harvest of marine resources, landing 

nearly 229,000,000 pounds of product in 1997 valued at over 44 million dollars (Diaby, 1998). 

This figure does not include the economic impact of those revenues, which would be several 

times higher. There are over 6,000 licensed commercial fishermen employed in the state, with 

roughly an additional 21,000 either assisting in the harvest, working in seafood processing, 

distribution or related jobs (Diaby, 1998). The state’s commercial fishers participate in a broad 

array of fisheries, including trawl fisheries, longline fisheries, gill net fisheries, pound net and 

pot fisheries as well as tong and dredge fisheries for molluscs and crustaceans. 

Dare County was second in the state (behind Carteret County) in the total value of seafood 

landed in North Carolina. Dare County’s commercial landings of the primary offshore species 

(i.e., tunas, dolphin and king mackerel) averaged 73.4% of the state’s catches of those species 

during 1994 — 1998 (NC-DMF statistics). 

THE SURVEY

The survey relied principally on the memory of the respondents to estimate a number of 

factors about their fishing operations, including their average participation in fisheries conducted 

in relatively well defined areas (Zones A, B and C). Such surveys are not without inaccuracies, 

and it is not possible to calculate errors around the means. The survey results do provide a good 

geographical definition of The Point from the fishers’ viewpoint. The data also provide 

reasonable estimates of the seasonality of the fishers’ use, the seasonality of their catches and the 

targeted species. In the case of charter and private boaters, the data provide estimates of the 

relative amounts of time these users spend offshore of northeastern North Carolina, including 

areas within eight and sixteen kilometers of The Point. 

The low response rate by the commercial users severely limits the ability to accurately 

characterize this group’s temporal use of specific offshore locations. We hesitate to extrapolate 

the responses of five individuals to draw conclusions about how much time this industry as a 

whole spends in a particular area of the ocean. Although anecdotal information (and information 
Discussion — 27 

from the surveys) suggests that commercial activity is heavy near The Point, the discussion of 

the commercial users will be limited primarily to the seasonality of their catch. 

Location of The Point 

One of the major objectives of this project was to better define the geographical area of The 

Point. Commercial and recreational fishers were consistent in locating The Point. This 

consistency was not in identifying a single location or “spot,” but in the broadness of the area. 

The “region” identified by the users as The Point is large, encompassing an area of at least 89.8 

km

2

 (34.7 square miles). The area defined by the users as The Point is contained almost entirely 

in Zone A established by this survey with only five of the 48 coordinates provided by the fishers 

falling outside the polygon defining The Point. These are the first data that define The Point 

fishing grounds and document that The Point is indeed a large variable expanse of ocean, rather 

than a single location as the name implies. 

The exact physical and biological mechanisms that control and influence fish aggregations at 

The Point are unclear and have not been defined. These unknown mechanisms that attract bait 

and the target fishery species (as well as seabirds, turtles and marine mammals) apparently can 

change on very short time scales (daily or even within a day), resulting in shifts in the 

distribution of the fishes sought. The fishing grounds, used by the fishers, appear to be defined 

by unpredictable sets of dynamic oceanographic and biological factors that may interact with 

fixed bathymetric contours. The criteria selected or identified as important by the fishers in our 

survey — temperature, currents, wind, bottom and the presence of bait fish — are integrated by 

the fishers on a daily basis to determine where they actually ply their trade. The bottom in this 

area does have some rugged, mini-canyon bathymetry and is the region where major current 

systems collide (Sulak and Ross, 1996). Determining if or how the currents, bathymetry and 

biology interact to concentrate productivity over a relatively small area of open ocean is an 

important task remaining for scientific investigation. 

This fishing ground is quite different from those defined by the position of a fixed or floating 

tower, or buoy that may aggregate pelagic species, and is also different from fishing grounds 

associated with fixed bottom features such as shoals, wrecks and reefs. The results of the user 

survey support the contention that it would be quite difficult to mark anything more than the 

center (perhaps) of the area called The Point. 

Use of The Point 

When compared to their estimates of the total number of days fished each year, the charter 

captains tended to overestimate the actual number of days spent in each Zone. The commercial 

fishers estimates were more similar to each other. These disparate values could result from a 

simple error in estimation by the charter captains, but could also result from fishers spending part 

of a day in different Zones. The latter is expected for the Hatteras fleet, which likely spends 

every day fishing in Zone C, including those days when they fish in Zones A and B. And the 

Manteo fleet is likely to spend at least some days fishing in several Zones, resulting in overlap of 

the “zones” fished in a single day. In fact, several respondents indicated that they spent equal 

numbers of days in all three zones with each of those estimates equaling the total number of days 

chartered annually. This fact could easily inflate the sum of the number of days spent in each 

Zone. In our judgement, the answers provided to question number 5 are likely a more accurate 

estimate of the fishers’ annual days at sea. But regardless of the obvious inaccuracies associated 
28 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

with adding the days spent in each zone to estimate total annual effort, we believe that the 

relative percentages of time the fishers estimated they fished in the three zones are accurate. 

Dare County is the site of an unusually high proportion of North Carolina’s sportfishing effort 

and much of that is directed at offshore species. The annual number of offshore angler-trips on 

charter boats for the Dare County (NC-DMF, MRFSS data for the years 1995 — 1997 ) are 

slightly less than two times the number of trips we estimated in our survey. The MRFSS 

estimates around 100 offshore charter, inshore charter, headboat and guide boats in Dare County. 

Even though the MRFSS includes headboats, and inshore boats that may make occasional 

offshore trips, the number of trips they estimate are acknowledged as being somewhat high 

(Doug Mumford, NC-DMF, personal communication). Apparently, the overestimated values are 

a result of the methods used to deal with the relationship of the telephone intercepts and the high 

proportion of out-of-state anglers who fish in Dare County. The value may also be skewed by 

the high proportion of total statewide sampling effort from Dare County. The actual number of 

charter boat trips is likely higher than those estimated by our survey, but less than the MRFSS 

estimate. We believe our estimates are slightly conservative. 

The MRFSS estimates that around 400,000 angler trips (private and charter) are made in the 

state each year seeking pelagic species found in and near the Gulf Stream and the number 

appears to be increasing over time. Our survey suggests that these absolute numbers may be 

inflated by a factor of almost two. Regardless of the accuracy of the absolute number of anglers, 

the MRFSS estimates that a large percentage (86-92%) of the state’s charter trips and of the 

private boat trips (65-75%) targeting offshore species originate in the Dare County ports using 

Oregon and Hatteras inlets as access. These percentages should not suffer from the 

methodological inaccuracies, because they are based on the proportion of actual intercepts. 

The number of private boats fishing offshore in Dare County is also large. Like the charter 

trips, this number is increasing each year. The average number of private boat angler-trips taken 

in Dare County each year (120,920; 1995-1997 MRFSS data) is approximately equal to the 

number taken on charter boats. The data for private boat anglers are expanded using the same 

methods used to treat charter trips and, therefore, may be also overestimated. We assume that 

the overestimation is of the same magnitude as that of the charter fleet — about two times — but 

that the relative proportion of private boat trips is accurate (i.e., the number of private boat 

angler-trips is essentially equal to the number of charter boat angler-trips). 

Using our value of 75 as the number of offshore charter boats from the five Dare County 

marinas, we estimate that over 63,000 angler trips are made on charter boats each year — over 

46,000 from the Manteo area alone. About 72% or 33,000 angler-days per year are spent by 

Manteo-based charter boats fishing within 16 km of The Point. There is a small but unknown 

amount of additional effort at The Point by the Hatteras charter captains. So the addition of 

Manteo-area private boat anglers doubles that estimate to over 66,000 angler-days that are spent 

within 16 km of The Point, with roughly 24,600 angler-days (37%) spent within in 8 km of The 

Point. 

Seasonal Effort 

Fishing effort near The Point is extensive but varies seasonally for recreational anglers. First, 

effort varies with demand for charter services and the population of private boaters, both of 

which are highest during the warmer months. Secondly, effort at The Point varies within season 

according to the availability of fish, both at The Point and at other locations. Charter captains 

from Manteo spend most of April through June and October and November fishing in Zones A 
Discussion — 29 

and B. These months coincide with peak catches of yellowfin tuna for most of the fleet. The 

exceptions are the high yellowfin catches in December and January that likely represent 

commercial fishing activity by charter boats, an alternative chosen when the availability of 

charter clients is low. 

Some charter captains reportedly fish consistently at The Point. They and/or their parties, 

choose not to pursue white marlin during August and September. These captains will fish all 

season targeting tuna and dolphin in the vicinity of The Point, while most of the other captains 

and their parties will travel to the northeast during much of August and early to mid-September 

primarily in search of white marlin. 

Assuming that the private fleet’s distribution mirrors that of the charter fleet, places large 

numbers of recreational anglers near The Point during most of the months of April, May, June, 

October and November. These are the months of maximum participation in the fishery and when 

the primary target species are most available. Fifty-one percent of the charter fleet’s annual trips 

in Zones A and B occur during those five months. Because of unpredictably stormy and cold 

weather, and the smaller numbers of charter clients, recreational fishing is greatly reduced during 

the winter. But as evidenced by commercial catches, yellowfin tuna are present near The Point 

at this time and a few captains do take occasional charters. 

The abundance of “tuna” — primarily yellowfin tuna — seems to attract offshore anglers to 

the northern outer banks and The Point. “Tuna” was the number one target species of both 

charter and private boat anglers. During the spring and again in the fall, most of the charter 

fleet’s effort is directed at yellowfin tuna, and they experience a high degree of success. Over 

90% of the state’s recreational (charter and private boat) catch of yellowfin tuna (almost 200,000 

fish per year) occurs in Dare County and the most consistent and productive yellowfin tuna 

fishing reportedly occurs at The Point. 

Commercially, tuna are landed primarily by long-line, by trolling and using the “green stick,” 

a method recently adopted from Japanese fishers and modified by local fishers (Wescott, 1996). 

Yellowfin tuna landings are consistently higher in Dare County than anywhere else in the state. 

North Carolina’s reported commercial harvest of yellowfin tuna in 1997 was lower than the two 

previous years, yet nearly 720,000 pounds were landed, and the catch was worth $1,134,717.00. 

Of the 1997 catch, over 662,000 pounds, or 92% were landed in Dare County. Peak tuna catches 

for the Dare County commercial fishers occurred during June, July and September through 

December. Except for December, these are the same months when participation in recreational 

and charter fisheries peaks. 

Other species also appear to be abundant at The Point. Large numbers of dolphin are caught in 

the late spring and summer when effort at The Point is highest. Although commercial catches of 

bigeye tuna are high in June, the recreational catch occurs primarily in the fall. One of the 

reported “hotspots” for bigeye tuna is near the edge of Zone A, but bigeye are often caught 

further offshore and in the deeper canyons to the north (Jeff Ross, personal communication). 

Offshore species caught/targeted by recreational and commercial fisheries generally track their 

seasonal availability. Dolphin and billfish are consistently available only during the warmer 

months (May through September), while wahoo offer spring to fall availability. Because of the 

relatively constant temperature of Gulf Stream water, virtually all pelagic species “can” be 

caught every month of the year. 

Species like yellowfin tuna are often caught in “blended” water — water that is a mixture of 

greenish coastal water and clear Gulf Stream water. Under some weather and climatic 

conditions, the Gulf Stream can move a considerable distance offshore and pelagic species that 
30 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

require or desire consistent temperatures will move offshore with that water-mass. Of course, 

the opposite can be true where climatic conditions move Gulf Stream water inshore and typically 

offshore species can be caught very close to shore. For example, in 1996, dolphin were 

reportedly caught in the estuary at Morehead City (Joe Shute, personal communication). 

The movement of the Gulf Stream (inshore and offshore) greatly influences where the fishers 

ply their trade. For example, if the Gulf Stream consistently tracked the 183 m (100 fathom) 

contour, the area defined by the fishers as The Point would likely be much smaller. In actuality, 

the edge of the Gulf Stream meanders, greatly influencing either the distribution of the target 

species or where they are more easily targeted by the fishers. And with the movement of the 

interface of the Gulf Stream and coastal water, so moves The Point. 

CONCLUSIONS 

A large portion of the commercial and recreational offshore fishing effort on North Carolina’s 

northern outer banks takes place near The Point. For reasons that are not totally understood, this 

area aggregates and holds a diverse assemblage of fish for a large part of the year. 

Commercially, these fishes tend to be species of high value like tunas, dolphin, king mackerel, 

swordfish, and sharks and Dare County commercial catches of offshore species dominate the 

state’s landings. Many of these same species, along with billfish, are highly prized by 

recreational anglers for their size, strength and food value and catches from Manteo area charter 

and private boats also dominate the state’s recreational landings. 

Although our knowledge of the region called The Point needs to be more complete, we now 

have a good idea of the geographical extent of this area used so extensively by recreational and 

commercial fishers. We have determined that The Point is effectively a large area defined 

perhaps by the interaction of poorly understood biological and oceanographic parameters. We 

also have a better idea of the extent and timing of the fisher’s use. And we know what species of 

fishes attract fishers to the area. With the appropriate economic data, we may now be able to 

estimate the impact that recreational fishing at The Point has on the outer bank’s economy. 

Other research has clearly documented the uniqueness of the oceanography, geology and 

biology, especially on the bottom near the proposed exploratory well (see Vigil, 1998). 

Evidence suggests that this region could contain one of the most productive sections of watercolumn along the U.S. east coast. The Point’s productivity and uniqueness need to be more 

explicitly verified and quantified and we need to better understand how and what mechanisms 

control the dynamic biological activity at The Point. 

RECOMMENDATIONS 

1. Collect better data on the distribution of fishers using The Point and better 

characterize their catches. This survey was able to characterize the use of The Point by the 

recreational fishing community and their average catches over a season. In the short time-frame 

and scope of this project, we were not able to gather details on the small-scale spatial distribution 

of the fishers. Such data, if needed in the future, might be gathered in conjunction with ongoing 

sampling efforts of the NC-DMF (e.g., MRFSS). Certainly, data collected from such an on-site 

intercept survey would be more accurate, eliminating the vagaries associated with recall of past 

activities and events. This type of direct-intercept based study should provide better data on the 

fine-scale distribution of fishers and their associated catches. 
Recommendations — 31 

2. Investigate other means of collecting information on the users of The Point. A more 

accurate picture of the fishers spatial distribution might also be derived using more sophisticated 

means, such as satellite imagery or aerial photographs of vessel distributions. Defense 

Department satellites should have the high resolution needed to distinguish between vessel types. 

If these images are available at regular intervals and at a reasonable cost, good information could 

be obtained on the temporal distribution of various types of fishing effort. Satellite imagery 

could not, however, yield data on catch. 

3. Activities that restrict usage of The Point should be closely evaluated and avoided. 

The establishment of exclusion zones associated with offshore oil exploration and/or 

development in the vicinity of The Point would certainly impact commercial and recreational 

fisheries. Longline fisheries use passive sets of large amounts of gear that drift with the currents. 

Storms or sudden changes in currents could cause unpredictable and unavoidable interactions 

with stationary drilling operations. 

Such impacts would be most severe in the April to November time-frame with the exception of 

the months of August and September when many fishers are working to the north of The Point. 

There is, however, a segment of the charter and private fleet, as well as commercial trollers, 

long-liners and green-stickers, who continue to target tunas near The Point during the summer. 

In fact, some of the highest commercial tuna landings occur during August and September. If 

exploration goes forward, the oil companies should not establish an exclusion zone in this area or 

at least work out a safe plan that is acceptable to the fishers. Furthermore, an assessment of the 

economic impact on these fishers and risks to the fishery resources at The Point should be 

adequately considered in decisions regarding exploratory drilling off North Carolina’s coast. 

4. Collect better data on the commercial fishers. Commercial fishers are an important 

segment of the offshore fishing community on the northern outer banks and the pelagic species 

are a valuable component of the commercial landings in Dare County. Unfortunately, this 

survey effort did not capture the quantity of information needed to adequately characterize the 

commercial users. We were initially concerned that some of the survey questions might threaten 

commercial fishers, thereby affecting their participation. Upon first distributing the surveys, we 

asked for feedback on the structure and content of the survey questions. No input was received, 

so we assumed that none of the questions were threatening or offensive to the fishers. Still, the 

response rate was too low to extrapolate the data to the entire group of approximately 70 fishers. 

We believe that an individual with direct ties to the industry or someone within the industry 

would garner the trust and cooperation of that group and perhaps be able to gather information 

that could better characterize commercial activity near The Point. The North Carolina Fisheries 

Association — an industry trade group — has a Commercial Fisherman’s Auxiliary composed 

primarily of fishers wives. There is not an active group in the Manteo/Wanchese area (Susan 

West, personal communication). However, the group from the Hatteras/Ocracoke area could be 

helpful in a future survey of the commercial users. The Auxiliary might be approached about 

conducting a study. 

5. We strongly recommend additional scientific research that can elucidate the 

mechanisms controlling productivity at The Point. Mechanisms that aggregate fish, that in 

turn attract fishers on a daily basis, are poorly understood. Studies of biological productivity and 

oceanography could provide insight to the biological and physical interactions that are 

responsible for aggregations of fishes. Such data might also be invaluable in evaluating whether 

(or how) this area should be protected or preserved. 
32 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

REFERENCES 

Cleveland, J.M. 1984. The Albatross fleet. NCMC. 69 pp. 

Diaby, S. 1998. An economic profile of the commercial fishing industry in coastal North 

Carolina. NC-DMF Report. 47 pp. 

ESPR. 1992. Report of the Environmental Sciences Review Panel to the Secretary of the 

Department of the Interior. 

Maharaj, V. and J.E. Carpenter. 1997. The 1996 economic impact of sport fishing in North 

Carolina. American Sportfishing Asssociation, 1033 N. Fairfax St, Ste. 2000, Alexandria, 

VA 22314. 

Minerals Management Service. 1990. Final environmental report on proposed exploratory 

drilling offshore North Carolina. Vol. 1. USDI, MMS, Atlantic OCS Region, Herndon, VA 

22070-4817. 

Mobil Oil Company. 1989. Draft Exploration Plan, Manteo Area Block 467, offshore Atlantic. 

Vols. I and II. Mobil Exploration and Producing, Inc., 3000 Pegasus Park Dr., Dallas, TX 

75247. 

Ross, S.W., E. Aschenbach, and J. Ott. In prep. Data inventory related to the Hatteras middle 

slope (“the Point”) area. 

Shepard, A. and A. Hulbert. 1993. Present and future research initiatives on the upper Hatteras 

slope of North Carolina. Final draft report funded by NOAA Grant #NA36RU0060. 26 pp. 

Sulak, K.J. and S.W. Ross. 1996. Lilliputian bottom fish fauna of the Hatteras upper middle 

continental slope. Journal of Fish Biol. 49(suppl. A):91-113. 

Vigil, D. 1998. North Carolina/Minerals Management Service technical workshop on the 

Manteo Unit Exploration. February 4-5, 1998. U.S. Department of Interior, Minerals 

Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, New Orleans, LA. OCS Report MMS 

98-0024. 167 pp. 

Wescott, W. 1996. The Wanchese green stick tuna rig. UNC-SG-96-04. 16 pp. 
 

APPENDIX I 

Charter Boat and Commercial User 

Survey Instruments 
Charter Boat and Commercial User Survey Instruments — 35 

No._________ 

TO: Charter Boat Captains 

FROM: Mac Currin 

801 Westwood Drive 

Raleigh, NC 27607 

(919) 881-0049 

SUBJECT: CHEVRON and a Survey of the Users of the Area Known as “The Point.” 

DATE: July 20, 1998 

You are no doubt aware that CHEVRON has proposed to drill an exploratory well near the 

area known as “The Point.” This area is the site of important charter, recreational and 

commercial fishing. Up to now, exactly who and how much people use this important fishing 

area has not been documented. The state of North Carolina (Division of Coastal Management) is 

funding a study to characterize and document the major users of “The Point.” I am a under 

contract to gather and analyze information about the users. 

As a user, your cooperation and input can finally provide information that our state has been 

requesting since MOBIL Oil proposed to drill an exploratory well back in the1980’s. 

Please take the time to answer as accurately as possible, the 14 questions on the enclosed 

survey. You DO NOT have to sign your name and your identity will not be revealed to either 

the state or other potential users of this information. This survey is NOT DESIGNED TO 

EITHER PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR OR AGAINST SITING A WELL OFF NORTH 

CAROLINA. I hope only to fill in a large gap in the information our state needs to determine 

whether oil drilling is “consistent” with our Coastal Management Plan and good for the future of 

our state. 

If you have questions, comments or concerns about the survey, please call me collect at the 

above telephone number — 7 am to 10 pm. I hope you will take the short amount of time 

needed to help your state gather information about the importance of “The Point” to North 

Carolina. 

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. 

Please return the survey in the post-paid envelope Before September 1, 1998. 

Mac Currin 801 Westwood Drive Raleigh, NC 27607 (919) 881-0049 
36 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

SURVEY OF CHARTER FLEET CAPTAINS 

CHARACTERIZATION OF FISHERIES AT “THE POINT” 

1. Please provide either the Loran Coordinates or LAT / LONG that you use to identify, locate 

or navigate to “The Point.” . 

Loran coordinates: _________________________. 

GPS coordinates: _________________________ 

2. Using the attached map (Figure 1.) estimate the number of days per year that you either 

charter fish or commercially fish in: 

Zone A (within 5 miles of “coordinates”) _______________ 

Zone B (within 10 miles of “coordinates”) _______________ 

Zone C (outside 10 miles of “coordinates) _______________ 

3. Please estimate the number of days in each month that you on average fish in either Zone A 

or Zone B in a typical year. 

JAN___ FEB___ MAR___ APR ___ MAY ___ JUN ___ JUL ___ AUG___ SEP___ 

OCT___NOV___ DEC___. 

4. What factors determine whether or not you will fish in the Zones A and B versus elsewhere. 

Please rank these factors 1 to 5, 1 being most important to 5, being least important. 

a. Season (month)- ____ 

b. Species available/sought ____ 

c. Oceanographic conditions ____ 

d. Wind direction ____ 

e. Others (please list) _____________________________________________________ 

5. Estimate the average number of days each year you spend at sea charter fishing. 

____days. 

6. Do you spend additional days at sea commercially fishing? ____ Yes. ____ No. 

If so on average, how many days do you commercially fish in either Zone A or Zone B. 

____days 

7. Estimate the number of days that you will on average suffer charter cancellations due to 

weather. ____days. 
Charter Boat and Commercial User Survey Instruments — 37 

SURVEY OF CHARTER FLEET CAPTAINS 

Page 2. 

8. Please characterize your typical catch in each month and its seasonal variation. If you can, 

estimate the average number of each species caught PER TRIP during each month. 

MONTH SPECIES 

Yellowfin tuna Dolphin Wahoo Billfish Bluefin tuna 

January ________________________________________________________________ 

February ________________________________________________________________ 

March ________________________________________________________________ 

April ________________________________________________________________ 

May ________________________________________________________________ 

June ________________________________________________________________ 

July ________________________________________________________________ 

August ________________________________________________________________ 

September ________________________________________________________________ 

October ________________________________________________________________ 

November ________________________________________________________________ 

December ________________________________________________________________ 

9. During an average year, how many fishing trips will you run (charter & fun)? 

______trips. 

10. Estimate the average number of charter customers you serve per trip. _______ people 

11. Do you fish any tournaments from your home port? ____ Yes. ____ No. 

If Yes on average, how many days a year do you tournament fish? _____ days 

12. If you fish in tournaments, how many days will you fish during tournaments in either Zone A 

or Zone B? ____ days 

13. Do you take charters for bird-watching ( ____ Yes) or marine marine mammal-watching 

(____ Yes)? If so on average, how many bird (____) or mammal-watching (____) trips will 

you take per year? 

14. Are you aware of recreational or commercial users other than fishers, who spend time in 

Zones A or B? If so, please list. _______________________________________________
38 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

No._________ 

TO: Commercial Fishing Captains, Fishing Offshore Waters 

FROM: Mac Currin 

801 Westwood Drive 

Raleigh, NC 27607 

(919) 881-0049 

SUBJECT: CHEVRON and a Survey of the Users of the Area Known as “The Point.” 

DATE: July 20, 1998 

You are no doubt aware that CHEVRON has proposed to drill an exploratory well near the 

area known as “The Point.” This area is the site of important charter, recreational and 

commercial fishing. Up to now, exactly who and how much people use this important fishing 

area has not been documented. The state of North Carolina (Division of Coastal Management) is 

funding a study to characterize and document the major users of “The Point.” I am under 

contract to gather and analyze information about the users. 

As a user, your cooperation and input can finally provide information that our state has been 

requesting since MOBIL Oil proposed to drill an exploratory well back in the1980’s. 

Please take the time to answer as accurately as possible, the 10 questions on the enclosed survey. You 

DO NOT have to sign your name and your identity will not be revealed to either the state or other 

potential users of this information. This survey is NOT DESIGNED TO EITHER PROVIDE 

SUPPORT FOR OR AGAINST SITING A WELL OFF NORTH CAROLINA. I hope only to fill in a 

large gap in the information our state needs to determine whether oil drilling is “consistent” with our 

Coastal Management Plan and good for the future of our state. 

If you have questions, comments or concerns about the survey, please call me collect at the 

above telephone number — 7 am to 10 pm. I hope you will take the short amount of time 

needed to help your state gather information about the importance of “the Point” to North 

Carolina. 

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. 

Please return the survey in the post-paid envelope Before September 1, 1998. 

Mac Currin 801 Westwood Drive Raleigh, NC 27607 (919) 881-0049 
Charter Boat and Commercial User Survey Instruments — 39 

SURVEY OF COMMERCIAL FISHING 

CHARACTERIZATION OF OF FISHERIES AT “THE POINT” 

1. Please provide either the Loran Coordinates or LAT / LONG that you use to identify, locate 

or navigate to the area known as “The Point” offshore of Salvo. . 

Loran coordinates: _________________________. 

GPS coordinates: _________________________ 

2. Using the attached map (Figure 1.) please estimate the number of days per year that you fish 

in: 

Zone A (within 5 miles of “coordinates”) _______________ 

Zone B (within 10 miles of “coordinates”) _______________ 

Zone C (outside 10 miles of “coordinates) _______________ 

3. Please estimate the number of days in each month that you on average fish in either Zone A 

or Zone B in a typical year. 

JAN_____ FEB_____ MAR_____ APR _____ MAY _____ JUN _____ JUL _____ 

AUG_____ SEP_____ OCT_____ NOV_____ DEC_____. 

4. What factors determine whether or not you will fish in the Zones A and B versus elsewhere. 

Please rank these factors 1 to 5, 1 being most important to 5, being least important. 

a. Season (month)- ____ 

b. Species available/sought ____ 

c. Oceanographic conditions ____ 

d. Wind direction?? ____ 

e. Others (please list) _____________________________________________________ 

5. Estimate the average number of days each year you spend at sea commercial fishing. 

 ____days. 

6. Do you spend additional days at sea fishing recreationally? ____ Yes. ____ No. 

If so on average, how many days do you recreationally fish in either Zone A or Zone B. 

____days 

7. Estimate the number of days each year that you lose commercially fishing due to weather. 

days. 
40 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area

SURVEY OF COMMERCIAL FISHING 

Page 2. 

8. Please characterize your typical catch in zones A and B each month that you might fish there. 

Please list the species that you typically target or catch during each month — Order most to 

least. 

MONTH SPECIES 

MOST— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — ->LEAST 

January __________________________________________________________________ 

February __________________________________________________________________ 

March __________________________________________________________________ 

April __________________________________________________________________ 

May __________________________________________________________________ 

June __________________________________________________________________ 

July __________________________________________________________________ 

August __________________________________________________________________ 

September __________________________________________________________________ 

October __________________________________________________________________ 

November __________________________________________________________________ 

December __________________________________________________________________ 

9. Do you take charters for recreational fishing ( ____ Yes), bird watching (____Yes) or marine 

marine mammal-watching (____ Yes)? If so on average, how many fishing (____) bird 

watching (____) or mammal-watching (____) trips will you take per year? 

10. Are you aware of recreational or commercial users other than fishers, who spend time in 

Zones A or B? 

If so, please list. ___________________________________________________ 
APPENDIX II 

Comments from Fishers 
Comments from Fishers — 43 

SUMMARY OF COMMENTS FROM SURVEY RESPONDENTS 

1. Commercial Fisher. Bottom structure is what keeps the bait and habitat conducive to good 

fishing. 

2. Commercial fisher. Many boats fish in the area. With an oil rig, it would not be the same. 

Expressed concern about changed asthetics and possible accidents. 

3. Charter fisher. Concerned about spills and amount of current affecting safe operation. 

Statement about the uniqueness of the area. Expressed that public trust waters should not be 

subject to private company exploitation. 

4. Charter fisher. Serious concern about bird life. Arguments for or against drilling need to 

be factually based. Opposition to having a platform there is illogically based from a fishing 

perspective. Feels an oil platform would result in better fishing — operating like a FAD (fish 

attracting device). 

5. Charter fisher. Keep oil rigs out of the area. Pollution is bad enough. This is the best 

fishing location on the east coast and a breeding area for small fish. 

6. Charter fisher. Please leave the Point alone. It is a major fishing ground for charter, 

commercial and recreational fishers. Fishers deserve such an area free of potential 

environmental disasters. Concerned that structure could change the nature of fish (use) patterns. 
APPENDIX III 

Marine Recreational Fishing Statistics Survey Form 
Marine Recreational Fishing Statistics Survey Form — 47 
48 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area
Marine Recreational Fishing Statistics Survey Form — 49 
APPENDIX IV 

NC-Department of Marine Fisheries 

Commercial Fishing Trip Ticket Form 
NC-Depart NC-Department of Mari ent of Marine Fisheries Commercial Fishing Tr ne Fisheries Commercial Fishing Trip Ticket For ip Ticket Form — 53 
54 — Literature and Data Inventory Related to the Hatteras Middle Slope Area
NC-Depart NC-Department of Mari ent of Marine Fisheries Commercial Fishing Tr ne Fisheries Commercial Fishing Trip Ticket For ip Ticket Form — 55 
APPENDIX V 

Table of Seasonal Commercial Catch 
Selected Commercial Landings 1995 – 1997 - from TTP (Dare County – Outside 3 Miles North of Cape Hatteras) 

1995

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV 

DOLPHIN * * * * * * * 7970 3903 2690 977 YF TUNA * * * * * * * 124911 183124 177840 146027 TUNA * * * * * * * * 11113 2687 39872 WAHOO * * * * * * * 616 971 2751 1097 KING MAC * * * * * * * * 884 89513 115058 SWORDF. * * * * * * * * 14458 4041 * BLUF. * * * * * * * * * 682 1952 MAKO * * * * * * * * * * * GRD. FISH * * * * * * * * * * 2451 1996 

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV 

DOLPHIN * * * 157 4787 13623 10945 3634 775 735 454 YF TUNA 179834 59351 12905 29797 96274 107219 41381 94992 139138 223774 85334 TUNA * 355 882 * 3184 11684 * 15697 942 1593 8445 WAHOO * * * 244 369 226 403 141 610 1262 337 KING MAC * * * 7084 232 507 * * 4983 86432 98394 SWORDF. * * * * 10965 4367 * 10353 * * 14423 BLUF. 203311 405831 258810 262630 22708 * 0 * * 1073 56914 MAKO 0 * 14064 * 10846 3827 2027 1888 * 4330 2526 GRD. FISH 15344 52873 24932 10144 38407 8247 1390 5543 404 1069 2080 1997

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV 

DOLPHIN 0 * 159 1697 15175 52881 8179 5359 5088 756 121 YF TUNA 3857 40609 19085 10374 31546 119038 68134 41791 85883 66695 95964 TUNA 15188 25042 11224 1598 6644 14967 9594 1202 309 24504 16032 WAHOO 0 * 154 288 509 309 192 700 207 91 906 KING MAC 1692 21575 60965 8088 6099 945 742 260 976 83520 83520 SWORDF. * 566 * 12434 22018 * * * 5798 * BLUF. 147864 214334 228910 193345 3187 133 0 * 1678 1324 245826 MAKO * 9248 68280 5684 32056 11758 925 * * 2828 1866 GRD. FISH 16856 15910 23479 28993 46399 16508 16391 31952 8444 4514 6286 * = Confidential data bold = confidential data not included in value
The Department of the Interior Mission

As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility 

for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering 

sound use of our land and water resources; protecting our fish, wildlife, and biological diversity; 

preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places; 

and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses 

our energy and mineral resources and works to ensure that their development is in the best 

interests of all our people by encouraging stewardship and citizen participation in their care. 

The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities 

and for people who live in island territories under U.S. administration. 

The Minerals Management Service Mission 

As a bureau of the Department of the Interior, the Minerals Management Service's (MMS) 

primary responsibilities are to manage the mineral resources located on the Nation's Outer 

Continental Shelf (OCS), collect revenue from the Federal OCS and onshore Federal and Indian 

lands, and distribute those revenues. 

Moreover, in working to meet its responsibilities, the Offshore Minerals Management Program 

administers the OCS competitive leasing program and oversees the safe and environmentally 

sound exploration and production of our Nation's offshore natural gas, oil and other mineral 

resources. The MMS Minerals Revenue Management meets its responsibilities by ensuring the 

efficient, timely and accurate collection and disbursement of revenue from mineral leasing and 

production due to Indian tribes and allottees, States and the U.S. Treasury. 

The MMS strives to fulfill its responsibilities through the general guiding principles of: (1) being 

responsive to the public's concerns and interests by maintaining a dialogue with all potentially 

affected parties and (2) carrying out its programs with an emphasis on working to enhance the 

quality of life for all Americans by lending MMS assistance and expertise to economic 

development and environmental protection.