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N.C. commercial fishermen landed less seafood last year

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A commercial fishing trawler cruises northeast off Topsail Island. Photo: Dylan Ray

Reprinted courtesy of Coastal Review Online

 CRO staff report

Commercial fishers sold to seafood dealers nearly 20% less fish and shellfish last year, while recreational landings remained roughly the same.

In 2020, 42.9 million pounds of fish and shellfish were sold, a decrease of 19% from 2019 and about a 23% decrease from the previous five-year average, according to the Division of Marine Fisheries.

Recreational anglers landed 53.5 million finfish weighing 24.9 million pounds from state coastal and estuarine waters last year. The total weight harvested was about 4.6% higher than 2019 and a 4% increase over the previous five-year average.

The decrease in commercial harvest was linked to a 41.3% decrease in hard blue crab landings from 2019, which may be related to COVID-19 impacts.

The Division of Marine Fisheries said several fishermen told officials that they found it difficult to move blue crabs at the beginning of the state’s stay-at-home order when many restaurants were closed. Hard blue crabs remained the state’s top commercial seafood in terms of pounds landed, while shrimp brought the most money to fishermen at the docks.

The division provided this list of top five species by weight landed commercially from state coastal and estuarine waters in 2020:

SpeciesPounds landedEstimate dockside value
Hard blue crabs13.1 million$19.1 million
Shrimp9.7 million$22.3 million
Summer flounder1.8 million$3.7 million
Spiny dogfish1.5 million$205,016  
Striped mullet1.3 million$651,104

The top five recreationally landed species from coastal and estuarine waters in 2020 were the following:

SpeciesPounds landedNumber of fish landed
Spotted seatrout3.6 million2.1 million
Yellowfin tuna2.4 million83,766
Dolphin2.1 million262,372
Bluefish2.1 million2.1 million
Spanish mackerel1.8 million1.3 million

Anglers took 16.4 million fishing trips in North Carolina coastal and estuarine waters in 2020, about 1.1 million fewer than in 2019.

The Division of Marine Fisheries’ Trip Ticket Program collects commercial fishing landings statistics through statutorily mandated reporting of all commercial fisher-to-dealer transactions.

The division estimates recreational fishing harvests through the Marine Recreational Information Program.

The data for the program is gathered by port agents talking to fishermen at recreational access sites such as piers, boat ramps and charter docks and on the beach. Data is also gathered through mail surveys to license holders. The estimates do not include recreational landings of shrimp, crabs and shellfish.

For the full landings report, see the 2020 Annual Fisheries Bulletin.

Two COVID-19 cases pop up in Hyde County

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The Hyde County Health Department reported Friday that the county has two new COVD-19 cases, up from zero cases in the last several weeks.

“This is a small number of cases, but also indicates that COVID is still in our community, and will transmit accordingly,” said Hyde County Health Director Luana Gibbs in a press release. “Now is the time to be extra vigilant, as indications are that COVID-19 will rise in our communities again.”

Testing inquiries are increasing as cases around Hyde are on the rise.

As of July 23, Hyde County has vaccinated 2,904 individuals with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, which is 59% of our population. 

There are 2,732 fully vaccinated individuals, which is 55% of the county’s population. 

Gibbs said that getting vaccinated will certainly protect people from getting severely ill or dying from COVID-19. 

However, “because the vaccine is not 100% effective, some people may continue to get COVID, but at a lesser degree of severity,” she said, “and many people who get vaccinated will not get the virus at all.”  

The Delta variant of the virus is prevalent throughout the country, Gibbs said, and because it’s so contagious, now is the time to take action by getting vaccinated

“Our kids will be entering school soon, which gives us even more reason to get vaccinated, and to vaccinate them if they are 12 years of age or older,” she said. 

To make an appointment, call the Ocracoke Health Center at 252-489-3622. Or the Hyde County Health Department at 252-926-4467 Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. 

According to the July 22 numbers posted online by the NC. Department of Health & Human Services:

  • 1,800 new cases were reported on July 22. As recently as the beginning of this month, there were days when less than 300 new cases were reported.
  • The percentage of positive COVID test results out of all tests administered was reported at 6.7% on July 22. Two weeks earlier, that percentage was 2.8%
  • 751 people are hospitalized with COVID in North Carolina as of July 22. As recently as July 5, the number of people hospitalized was under 400 (391).

For more information on NC COVID metrics visit https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/

On Wednesday, Gov. Roy Cooper announced that the updated Strong Schools NC Public Health Toolkit, which is aligned with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Academy of Pediatrics guidance, urges that everything possible be done to keep students in schools and emphasizes continued masking. 

The Toolkit says schools with students in kindergarten through eighth grade should require all children and staff to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status. 

Schools with students in ninth through 12th grades should ensure that anyone who isn’t fully vaccinated, including students, wear a mask indoors.

State health officials continue to urge unvaccinated people to follow CDC and NCDHHS guidance and wear a mask indoors, Cooper said in a press release.

When Executive Order 220 expires at the end of July, North Carolina businesses and other entities where masks are required will make their own decisions about requiring masks with strong guidance provided by NCDHHS.

Everyone, regardless of vaccine status, should still wear a mask in certain places such as public transportation and healthcare facilities, the release said.

Trial drone flight delivers supplies to Ocracoke

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A Volansi C-10 Gemini drone arrives at South Dock. Photo by NCDOT

To catch up on Ocracoke news and much more, click here

From our news sources

A trial drone flight on Thursday across the inlet from Hatteras to Ocracoke’s north end could lead to another way to deliver emergency supplies to this furthermost Outer Banks island.

NCDOT’s Division of Aviation, in partnership with the NCDOT Ferry Division and U.S.-based drone logistics company Volansi, completed two successful trial flights of a delivery drone from Hatteras to Ocracoke. 

“This is a tremendous first step in better connecting Ocracoke Island to potentially life-saving supplies and equipment,” said Secretary of Transportation Eric Boyette. “Today, Ocracoke Island is accessible only by plane or by boat. What we’re working on here is an entirely new, third method of serving the needs of Ocracoke’s people.”

For Thursday’s test flights, a the Volansi C-10 Gemini drone took off from the Hatteras Village ferry dock and landed at the South Dock on the north end of Ocracoke Island. The eight-mile round trip flights averaged only 18 minutes in flight time.

To simulate a real post-storm emergency delivery operation, both flights carried small payloads. The first delivered a small survival kit, space blankets and a chocolate muffin to Ocracoke, while the second delivered bottles of water.

The muffin got eaten but the rest of the items were flown back to Hatteras, said NCDOT Spokesman James Pearce in an interview. He said the flight and landing sites were automated.

A basket underneath the drone carried the items, he said, and that basket can be detached, and a camera installed, which would be helpful to the NC Ferry Division to monitor shoaling.

The drone is capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and fixed-wing horizontal flight and can carry a payload up to five pounds.

Pearce said that the flight landing sites were drones are not allowed to fly higher than 400 feet, above which aircraft fly.

The trial flights were possible by a waiver for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight granted under the Federal Aviation Administration’s BEYOND program, which enables select state and local agencies to conduct drone operations that test the future capabilities of the technology.

Typically, the pilot of a drone must keep it within sight at all times, according to FAA rules, Pearce said.

“But with the flight being four and a half miles, they could still see it,” he said.

Pearce said smaller drones can fly in 30- to 40 mph winds.

“This was just a small trial, but we hope to continue scaling this up to larger payloads and longer flights,” said NCDOT Unmanned Aerial Systems Program Manager Ben Spain. “Long-term, we could see deliveries coming to Ocracoke all the way from the mainland.”

The flights were conducted under NCDOT supervision by a team from Volansi, who also provided the aircraft.

The next test will involve flying a drone from Hatteras all the way to the village of Ocracoke but that date has not been set.

The Volansi C-10 Gemini drone in Hatteras prior to take off. NCDOT photo

Ocracoke events July 19 to 25

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Mural art adorns the outside of the Deepwater Theater where the Ocracoke Community Library has been housed since after Dorian hit in 2019. Artists’ work from left are Pattie Johnson Plyler, Christy Dagliesh, Katy Mitchell and Daisy O’Neal. Photo: C. Leinbach

To catch up on Ocracoke news and much more, click here

This post will be updated as more events become known.

Monday, July 19
Friends of the Library Used Book Sale, Ocracoke Community Library (inside Deepwater Theater), 3 to 7 pm Monday through Friday; 9 am to 1 pm Saturday. Summer program: Family story & craft, 6 pm.

Tuesday, July 20
Ocracoke Preservation Society Porch Talk, 1 pm. NPS nature talk
Ocracoke Waterways Commission, 6 pm in the Ocracoke Community Center.  Open to the public with masks as required by NC State.  The meeting will also be broadcast via Facebook at Hyde County Public Information.
Coyote Music Den, 13 Cabana Dr.: Coyote Backyard Concert, 8 pm. All concerts are sliding scale “pay what you can” at the gate. No reservations. Walk, Bike, Taxi or Tram. NO ON-SITE PARKING but the venue has a lot nearby. Visit www.coyotemusic.net for details.
Ocracoke Oyster Company: Bryan Mayer, 7:30 pm.

Wednesday, July 21
Ocracoke Community Library (inside Deepwater Theater), Baby, Toddler & Preschool story time,
10 am.
Coyote Music Den, 13 Cabana Dr: Coyote + Martin Garrish Backyard Concert, 8 pm. All concerts are sliding scale “pay what you can” at the gate. No reservations. Walk, Bike, Taxi or Tram. NO ON-SITE PARKING but
the venue has a lot nearby. Visit www.coyotemusic.net for details.
DAJIO: Barefoot Wade, 7 pm
Ocracoke Oyster Company: Bryan Mayer, 7:30 pm.

Thursday, July 22
DAJIO: Raygun Ruby, 7 pm

Friday, July 23
Ocracoke Community Library (inside Deepwater Theater), Story and activity, 1 pm
Ocracoke Oyster Company: Barefoot Wade, 7:30 pm.

Saturday, July 24
DAJIO: Kate McNally, 7 pm
Ocracoke Oyster Company: Brooke & Nick, 7:30 pm.

National Park Programs on Ocracoke
The National Park Service Ocracoke Island interpretive programs on Ocracoke have begun with the following scheduled. Unless otherwise stated, these programs are outside the NPS Visitor Center at Pilot Town Road by the south end ferry docks.

Stories of Ocracoke Island
Monday to Friday from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Learn about the location and legacy of Ocracoke Island. From serving as an early port village and primary point of entry to North Carolina to Blackbeard’s final battle, Ocracoke Island possesses a unique heritage resulting from its continued remote setting.

Shaping these barrier islands:
Monday to Friday from 2 to 2:30 p.m.  Wars, hurricanes, winds and ocean currents have all had impacts on the shores of Cape Hatteras.

War Comes to Ocracoke
Every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 4:30 p.m. Learn about the role Ocracoke Island and the Outer Banks have played in shaping our country’s conflicts.

Ocracoke Island Lighthouse
Tuesday to Friday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit the lighthouse and discuss the details and history of this beautiful beacon. The base of the lighthouse will be staffed and open on dates and times listed above from June 2 through Aug. 13.

Banker Ponies
Every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 10 to 10:45 a.m. at the Pony Pen. Come meet the ponies who once roamed as a wild herd and learn about their living history on Ocracoke Island.

Explore the Shore
Every Wednesday from 9 to 9:45 a.m. Meet outside at the beach access parking area adjacent to the Ocracoke Campground. Take an easy beach walk with a ranger and learn about what calls the beach its home.

Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree set for Oct. 29 & 30; scenes from the 2018 event

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Ocracoke Island, like everyone else this year, is climbing out of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the island is also recovering from the flooding devastation wreaked by Hurricane Dorian in 2019.

So, Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree will go on Oct. 29 and 30 but will not be at the 2018 level, which was the 300th anniversary of Blackbeard’s demise.

This year, too, the festival will focus on history and colonial life and on family fun and patronizing Ocracoke’s bars and restaurants.

All events are free and will kick off Friday evening with a showing of the 1968 Disney film “Blackbeard’s Ghost,” a film for the whole family, followed by a discussion with historian Kevin Duffus about “Pirates and Fake News in 1718.”

Saturday (Oct. 30) will again feature a colonial village on the grounds of the Berkley Manor along with artisan vendors.

Saturday (Oct. 30) will again feature a colonial village on the grounds of the Berkley Manor along with more than a dozen artisan vendors in Brigands Bazaar from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All are welcome to join in the Pirate Parade at 10 a.m. from Ride the Wind to Community Square.

Other events will include a pirate ship invading Silver Lake, a three-ship battle, sword-fight demonstrations, sea chanteys and tavern songs, historical displays, a vendor fair and several historical talks.

The event will conclude at 5 p.m. with a memorial service honoring the fallen sailors for both Blackbeard and Lt. Robert Maynard during their fateful battle on Nov. 22, 1718.

See event details here.

The following are scenes from the 2018 event commemorating the 300th anniversary of Blackbeard’s demise.

Lt. Robert Maynard and Blackbeard fight their historic battle on land as high winds canceled the three-ship battle on Silver Lake. Blackbeard kept his head in this battle. Photo by Natasha Jackson
BOOM! ‘El Jefe,’ a historic cannon built by gunfounder Lawrence Campbell, added some big booms to the festival. Photo by Natasha Jackson
Inside the Berkley Barn, where the living history displays were relocated due to inclement weather, Michelle Murillo of ‘Presenting the Past’ explains her artifacts from the infamous pirate town Port Royal. Photo: C. Leinbach
Former Hyde County Commissioner Dick Tunnell, right, meets ‘Jack Sparrow,’ a visitor who declined to reveal his real name. Photo: C. Leinbach
Tom Mason and the Blue Buccaneers sing rowdy pirate songs with the Motley Tones in the Community Center. Photo: C. Leinbach
The memorial service on Springer’s Point on Sunday, led by historian Kevin Duffus, center, honors the fallen sailors for both Blackbeard and Lt. Robert Maynard. Photo: C. Leinbach
Pirate ships fire cannons during the memorial service. Photo: C. Leinbach
decked out Jamboree-goers. Photo: C. Leinbach

The Ocracoke Island Discovery Center opens

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Dave Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Mike Barber, public affairs specialist officially open the Ocracoke Island Discovery Center on Ocracoke, NC. Photo: C. Leinbach
Dave Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and Mike Barber, public affairs specialist officially open the Ocracoke Island Discovery Center. Photo: C. Leinbach

To catch up on Ocracoke news and much more, click here

Ocracoke Observer staff report

The National Park Service Visitor Center, managed by the NPS Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CAHA), has a new look and feel and on Tuesday it was officially renamed the Ocracoke Discovery Center.

Up until Hurricane Dorian, which struck in the island in September 2019, the center, at Irvin Garrish Highway and Pilot Town Road across from the soundside ferry docks, was a hub for those seeking off-road vehicle (ORV) permits, aka beach access permits and information. The center also included an Eastern National park store.

But the hurricane caused severe structural damage shutting the center down for an extended period while it underwent repair work and updated renovations.

Today, the center no longer issues the ORV permits in person because this is done solely online and the store has been closed.

An interactive exhibit. Photo: C. Leinbach

Now, the Discovery Center has a staffed information desk, some exhibits, a slideshow of historic photographs on a large-screen TV, a children’s activity corner and a touch-and-feel table that includes bone replicas of some of the wildlife found on Ocracoke. Some of these are 3-D models that can be handled, and two real items  —  a dolphin skull and a green turtle carapace – cannot be handled.

Permanent interactive exhibits and displays are being created and expected to be installed over the next two years, said David E. Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

“We’re really trying to focus on this idea of barrier island ecology and dynamics,” Hallac said.

Photo: C. Leinbach

Other exhibits are expected to be changed periodically.

Although purchasing beach permits is online only, Hallac said those having trouble getting permits printed can come by and pick up a self-certification dashboard sign.

The Ocracoke Island Discovery Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.

This summer the NPS is providing additional educational activities.

Those taking the passenger ferry to Ocracoke have an opportunity to hear a presentation by a park ranger on the island’s history and an overall introduction, said Matthew Hall, supervisor of interpretation.

Photo by the NPS

Outside of the center, NPS staff presents a series of interpretive programs on Ocracoke. Here is the schedule:

Stories of Ocracoke Island
Monday to Friday from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Learn about the location and legacy of Ocracoke Island. From serving as an early port village and primary point of entry to North Carolina to Blackbeard’s final battle, Ocracoke Island possesses a unique heritage resulting from its continued remote setting.

Shaping these barrier islands:
Monday to Friday from 2 to 2:30 p.m.  Wars, hurricanes, winds and ocean currents have all had impacts on the shores of Cape Hatteras.

War Comes to Ocracoke
Every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 4:30 p.m. Learn about the role Ocracoke Island and the Outer Banks have played in shaping our country’s conflicts.

Elsewhere on the island:

Ocracoke Island Lighthouse
Tuesday to Friday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit the lighthouse and discuss the details and history of this beautiful beacon. The base of the lighthouse will be staffed and open on dates and times listed above from June 2 through Aug. 13.

Banker Ponies
Every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 10 to 10:45 a.m. at the Pony Pen. Come meet the ponies who once roamed as a wild herd and learn about their living history on Ocracoke Island.

Explore the Shore
Every Wednesday from 9 to 9:45 a.m. Meet outside at the beach access parking area adjacent to the Ocracoke Campground. Take an easy beach walk with a ranger and learn about what calls the beach its home.

Ocracoke to celebrate ‘A Day for Phyllis’–updated

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Phyllis Wall, right, with her best friend the late Vickie Cobb. Photo by Candice Cobb

Update: Due to the rain, this remembrance has been moved to the Community Square dock

Ocracoke will remember former island resident Phyllis Ann Wall, 85, who died on Sunday, July 18, in Winchester, Virginia, in the evening of Wednesday, July 28.

“A Day for Phyllis” will start at 6 p.m. with a gathering on the lawn Books to Be Red where all are invited to share a favorite
story or a song. Bring your own seating.

Immediately following the gathering will be a procession of golf carts/bikes to the second bridge on Oyster Creek where you are invited to throw flower petals into the canal in front of the house that was Phyllis’
home for over 40 years.

Further details are in the flyer below.

Former islander Phyllis Wall: 1936 to 2021

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Phyllis Wall: 1936 to 2021. Photo courtesy of the family.

Former islander Phyllis Ann Wall, 85, died on Sunday, July 18, in Winchester, Virginia.

Born Feb. 11, 1936, in Minnesota, Phyllis was a daughter of the late Allen and Josephine Gow. After marrying John Wall in college, they eventually settled in New Jersey with their two children Craig and Claudia. There, Phyllis thrived in community theater and off-Broadway productions. Tennis and golf rounded out her favorite activities.

When John retired in 1991, they moved to their summer home on Ocracoke Island. Phyllis became involved in many activities and island events, weaving herself into the hearts of the islanders.

A gregarious soul, Phyllis never met a stranger, only new friends.

Her Ocracoke friends recall her riding around the village in the firetruck enthusiastically announcing Bingo nights, always being one of the first in line at any community gathering, and she never forgot to send villagers a card on their birthdays. 

Phyllis also is one of the voice-overs you frequently hear on the island radio station WOVV 90.1 FM.

Her best friend was the late Vickie Cobb, who famously ran the “Cobb House,” a boarding house for young women who came to the island to work in the summers. 

Phyllis and Vickie loved to sit on the porch and giggle at the stories the girls would relay to them about their wild nights. 

A long-time board member of the Ocracoke Friends of the Library, Phyllis was a generous patron to the many nonprofits and art efforts on the island.

She was a faithful attendee of the Ladies-who-Lunch group.

“We will certainly miss so many things about Phyllis,” said Leslie Monticone. “Her smile was contagious. Her laugh, unforgettable and her heart was as big as the ocean!  How lucky we all are to have had her in our lives.”

After becoming widowed in 1997, Phyllis traveled the world with some close friends, visiting Italy, Ireland and snorkeling in Jamaica.

Craig moved in with her in 2012 in poor health, and she devoted her life to caring for him. The island had surrounded her with love when she mourned John and did so again after her son died in 2018.

In February 2021, as her health declined, Phyllis moved to a retirement community near her daughter in Winchester, Virginia. She enjoyed lunches out, trivia with other residents, and seeing her grandchildren. After a brief illness, she passed peacefully.

She is deeply missed by her daughter Claudia and husband Michael Stacey; her grandchildren, Marcel Lachance, Beau Lachance, Aline Dias, and their spouses; and Megan Wall. She is also survived by one great-grandchild, Bella Lachance.

Donations may be made in Phyllis’ name to the National Adrenal Diseases Foundation.

There’s magic in these felt creations

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Carol Bullard with her ‘wee beasties,’ an elephant and a frog lost-tooth holder. Photo: C. Leinbach

Text and photos by Connie Leinbach

Ocracoke is magical to many and now it has fairies to prove it.
These are “Fairy Stitches,” small, hand-sewn felt creations by islander Carol Bullard, who also wears other hats as many do on Ocracoke.
Bullard, who studied art in college, is known for her photography skills. She and her husband, John, are the assistant innkeeper and innkeeper, respectively, of the Castle B&B.
Bullard, one of several island artists, hails from Whitburn, Scotland.
In her still thick but charming Scottish accent, she related how she creates her “wee beasties” out of felt.
An artist who felt insecure about her drawing and painting, Bullard got into photography at college in Manchester, England. She participated in the exchange program the school offered and chose ECU, where, during the first week, she met John.
“It was love at first sight,” she said about the couple, who with their son, Tommy, for seven years lived on a houseboat docked at Community Square.
She did bead jewelry to feed her artistic need prior to living on the boat. A few years after moving to Ocracoke, she dis- covered the Ocracoke Needle & Thread Club and learned quilting from them. That led her to making felt items, which phased out the beading.
One day she saw a bunch of felt on sale in an Avon pharmacy and bought all of it.
“It could be a convenient little hobby on a boat,” she said about the impulse.
Using three stitches -– blanket, back and running stitches — she started first with owls and then “animals that are cute,” such as “teddy cats,” as she calls them.

“Teddy Cat” pins. Photo: C. Leinbach

“I’m obsessed with owls,” she said. “When I was a kid, collecting owls was my mum’s hobby.”
Barn and snowy owls are Bullard’s favorites.
These days, Whitburn, along the River Almond in Scotland, has an owl center, which Bullard visits whenever she goes back to see her family.
She does drawings first of her ideas, many of which she posts on her Instagram account “Fairy Stiches,” but she doesn’t yet do online sales. She has sold her work in island shops and other times at local vendor fairs, such as Ocrafolk and the holiday gift bazaar.
Now, she’s in her tenth year creating felt Christmas ornaments, pins, lost-tooth holders and more.
A new twist two years ago was the creation of “dollies,” as she calls them.
“And it came out right the first time,” she said. “OK. I love these.”
Her latest doll creations take after medieval upper class and royalty.
“I spent a good deal of time this winter researching medieval costume,” she said, as she pointed out a white headdress, called a hennin, on one of her dolls.
“They were in fashion in the 1400s across Europe,” she said.
If she’s not creating art, Bullard gets depressed, she said, and her “fairy stitches” fill that need.
“I really like tiny, tiny things,” she said about her work.
Others do, too, as evidenced by how quickly she sold almost all of her wares during this year’s Ocrafolk Festival in June.
“They’re so fun,” said customer Erica Fedor of Winston-Salem, who with her boyfriend Max Messinger sported Bullard’s felt pins. “They make my heart happy.”

Bullard’s ‘dollies’ are fashioned after medieval ladies. Photo: C. Leinbach

Schedule for Fig Festival on Ocracoke Aug. 5 to 7 announced

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The following is the schedule of events for the Fig Festival on Ocracoke Aug. 5 to 7 at the Ocracoke Preservation Society museum and the Berkley Barn.

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