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N.C. Conservationists To Begin Coastal Cleanup Project in 2014

NC DENR

Conservation groups will begin an effort next year to clear debris from North Carolina waterways.  Fishermen have told coastal organizations that many spots where they drop lines are littered with old crab pots and debris hidden deep in the water. 

The North Carolina Coastal Federation is leading a two-year project to clean up state waters from StumpyPoint to the Virginia line.  Ladd Bayliss is one of the federation's coastal advocates.

"Marine Patrol does this every year during the no-potting period which is around typically the middle of January to early February," Bayliss says.  "We thought that we could design some sort of collaborative effort where we could pay commercial fishermen to help Marine Patrol accomplish this effort."

The project is being funded with grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the North Carolina Sea Grant. 

Debris such as old nets and fishing line will be trashed.  If pots are still set, the owners could be cited for illegal fishing.  Bayliss says some of the unclaimed pots will be re-purposed as reefs for oyster beds.

Gurnal Scott joined North Carolina Public Radio in March 2012 after several stops in radio and television. After graduating from the College of Charleston in his South Carolina hometown, he began his career in radio there. He started as a sports reporter at News/Talk Radio WTMA and won five Sportscaster of the Year awards. In 1997, Gurnal moved on to television as general assignment reporter and weekend anchor for WCSC-TV in Charleston. He anchored the market's top-rated weekend newscasts until leaving Charleston for Memphis, TN in 2002. Gurnal worked at WPTY-TV for two years before returning to his roots in radio. He joined the staff of Memphis' NewsRadio 600 WREC in 2004 eventually rising to News Director. In 2006, Raleigh news radio station WPTF came calling and he became the station's chief correspondent. Gurnal’s reporting has been honored by the South Carolina Broadcasters Association, the North Carolina Associated Press, and the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas.
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