200th Anniversary of Marine Fisheries Management
Celebrating 200 Years of Marine Fisheries Management and Conservation
On December 30, 1822, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a law titled An Act to Prevent the Destruction of Oysters, and for Other Purposes, in the State that restricted oyster harvest gear and prohibited the export of North Carolina oysters to other states.
It was the first statewide law governing marine fisheries, and it was the beginning of state marine fisheries management in North Carolina. And, with numerous subsequent laws passed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it eventually led to the establishment of what is now the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries and the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission.
Presentations on the History of Fisheries
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is partnering with the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort to offer a series of presentations on the history of four different fisheries in North Carolina. The presentations are part of the Division’s celebration of 200 Years of State Marine Fisheries Management and Conservation in North Carolina. David Bennett, the Curator of Maritime History for the North Carolina Maritime Museum system, will lead the presentations.
Bennett, who also oversees the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center, holds a B.A. in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.A. in Maritime History from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. His research interests focus on North Carolina's commercial fishing industry as well as traditional workboats.
All presentations will begin at 11 a.m.
DMF Oral Histories
To commemorate the anniversary, the Division is capturing conversations with a variety of retired staff about their time working for the Division of Marine Fisheries.