. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. Murray Bridges has been tending peelers for more than 25 years. 1999 to 2000, the value of soft shell crabs jumped from about $ million to $ million, according to the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). The price per pound increased from $ to $ In the early part of this season, soft crabs were bringing a hefty price — from $20 a dozen for small "hotel" crabs to $36 a dozen for jumbo crabs. SEA GRANT EXTENSION EFFORTS When Bridges first started in the crab business, he learned
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. Murray Bridges has been tending peelers for more than 25 years. 1999 to 2000, the value of soft shell crabs jumped from about $ million to $ million, according to the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). The price per pound increased from $ to $ In the early part of this season, soft crabs were bringing a hefty price — from $20 a dozen for small "hotel" crabs to $36 a dozen for jumbo crabs. SEA GRANT EXTENSION EFFORTS When Bridges first started in the crab business, he learned how to operate an electric pot puller from the late Hughes Tillett, a North Carolina Sea Grant extension agent. "The pot puller has cut my time 75 percent," he says. "I used to pull 120 pots by hand in one day. Now I pull 200 to 250 pots a day with the pot ; Through a Sea Grant demonstration, Bridges also learned how to operate a hydraulic net reel that allows fishers to reel in a net with the push of a button. "The reel was new on the East Coast," says Bridges. "Sea Grant brought the idea from the West Coast. The hydraulic net reel has improved fishing 1,000 per cent. It has created a lot of income for fishermen and saved a lot of ; After Bridges learned to use the reel, he helped North Carolina Sea Grant with demonstrations onboard a boat. "The net reels caught on good," says Bridges. "Now, more than 250 fishing boats on the Outer Banks have net reels. Sea Grant has been a godsend to commercial ; provided demonstrations in a number of North Carolina Sea Grant shedding work- shops. "Murray is an innovative man with a lot of knowledge," says Wescott. "He is willing to take new ideas and equipment and modify them until they work efficiently enough to improve his fishery. Murray also is willing to share with ; By sharing his hands-on experience, Bridges gives a different p
Size: 1431px × 1746px
Photo credit: © The Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionunclibra, booksubjectoceanography
