The Clean Water Act and the state's tidal wetlands act have slowed the state's loss of tidal wet- lands, but loss of inland wetland is still occuring. Strong wetland conservation is essential to the protection of the bay and its Virginia tributaries, the fisheries that depend on the wetland habitats, and the Virginia communities that depend on the areocs fisheries. Brady, S.J. and Flather C. H., 1994. Changes in wetlands on nonfederal rural land of the conterminous United Statesftom 1982 to 1987. Carteret County Economic Development Council Inc., 1992.
Commercial fishing remains significant in county's economy.
Coastal degradation and fish population losses. In Stroud, ed. Stemming the Tide of Coastal Fish Habitat Loss. Wetlands Losses in the United States 1780's to 1980's. Heimlich, R. and Melanson, J, 1995.