. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. Crab, Shrimp Harvests Decline In 2004, North Carolina's two largest commercial fisheries — blue crabs and shrimp — experienced declines in harvests while oyster harvests increased, according to the Division of Manne Fisheries (DMF). The 2004 commercial harvest offinfish and shellfish totaled 134 million pounds, valued at $ million — an 11 percent decrease from the previous five-year average of 149 million pounds, DMF reports. Landings fluctuate for a variety of reasons — availability of wild
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. Crab, Shrimp Harvests Decline In 2004, North Carolina's two largest commercial fisheries — blue crabs and shrimp — experienced declines in harvests while oyster harvests increased, according to the Division of Manne Fisheries (DMF). The 2004 commercial harvest offinfish and shellfish totaled 134 million pounds, valued at $ million — an 11 percent decrease from the previous five-year average of 149 million pounds, DMF reports. Landings fluctuate for a variety of reasons — availability of wild stocks, weather, market demand, prices, low-cost imports, the number of people fishing and harvest restrictions, according to DMF. The top species was blue crab, valued at $ million, followed by shrimp at $ million, the report says. The state's oyster harvest was 69,479 bushels — 24,814 bushels more than the previous five-year average of 44,666 bushels, according to DMF. The increase in oysters is likely attributed to higher levels of rainfall than in previous years, which created better growing conditions. In 2004, the number of recreational fishing trips in coastal waters continued to expand, resulting in a record high catch. The number of estimated hook-and-line fishing trips in North Carolina coastal waters increased to 7 million in 2004, a 7 percent increase over 2003. The additional trips contributed to increased catch estimates totaling million pounds — the highest recreational catch estimate on record. For more information on harvest statistics by species, visit the DMF Web site: — COASTAL TIDINGS Possible Blackbeard Shipwreck Opens to Diving. Be beginning this summer, the state will permit limited recreational scuba diving on what many believe is the wreckage of Blackbeard's famous pirate ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, sunk in 1718. The "Dive Down" program will allow 320 divers per year to v
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