Each November, the Division of Marine Fisheries updates its annual License & Statistics Report, which provides summaries of commercial landings and recreational harvest data. New this year is an interactive electronic version of what has traditionally been referred to as “The Big Book.”
Throughout the year, our Foundation works to update our FINDEX profiles with the latest stock assessment information, regulation changes, and landings data. We encourage you to explore the tool and let us know any additional types of information you would like to see.
As with any data summary effort, trends in landings data are shaped by numerous factors, including new regulations, changes in data collection processes, fluctuations in species abundance, and environmental conditions.
Currently in progress, and coming soon, are new FINDEX profiles for oyster and shrimp. Below is a preview of some of the information that will appear in the shrimp profile.
Brown Shrimp Landings & Dockside Value, 2000–2024
As shown below, the 2024 landings were nearly 1.9 million pounds with a value of $2.7 million. Brown shrimp are harvested primarily from Pamlico Sound and other internal sounds and waterways, with approximately 88% of the landings occurring inshore over the last 25 years. Average contributions from ocean waters show a steady decline across the time series:
- 2000–2007: <20%
- 2008–2021: <10%
- 2022–2024: <5%
White Shrimp Landings & Dockside Value, 2000–2024
White shrimp landings in 2024 totaled 5.8 million pounds with a dockside value of $11.9 million. Over the full time series, white shrimp harvest was evenly split between estuarine waters and the Atlantic Ocean, with 49% landed from the ocean. However, over the past six years (2019–2024), the majority of the harvest has come from ocean waters (~65%, range 43%–78%).
Please note that when breaking out the shrimp by species, landings categorized as “unclassified” shrimp, the omission of confidential data, and the absence of data from certain areas may influence the values reported above.
The primary gear used to harvest shrimp includes bottom trawls and skimmer trawls, as described here. In 2024, a total of 270 licensed commercial fishermen reported landing shrimp in North Carolina, making more than 3,800 trips.
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