Summary — HB 441: Shrimp Trawl Transition Program / Coastal Fishing License Fees
Status: Passed 3rd Reading (NC General Assembly, 2025)
Primary subject: fisheries management; commercial fishing licenses; fees; transitional payments
Main purpose
HB 441 (2025) creates a temporary Shrimp Trawl Transition Program to provide annual transition payments to certain commercial fishers who reported sales of shrimp caught with a trawl net during the period Jan 1, 2023 – June 30, 2025. The bill also raises several coastal fishing license and vessel registration fees to increase revenue for marine resource programs.
Key provisions
Shrimp Trawl Transition Program (within DEQ Division of Marine Fisheries)
- Eligibility:
- Held a Standard Commercial Fishing License (SCFL) or Retired SCFL at any time between Jan 1, 2023 and June 30, 2025.
- Reported sales (via trip tickets submitted to the Division) of brown, pink, or white shrimp caught in inshore waters with a trawl net during that same period.
- Applicants who currently harvest shrimp with legal gear inside certain inshore areas (G.S. 113‑187(d)(3a)) or with any gear outside that area may still qualify if they meet the criteria above.
- Documentation and deadline:
- Applicants must submit copies of all eligible trip tickets to the Division by December 1, 2025.
- Payment formula (Third Edition / enrolled language):
- Annual payment = (average monthly value of the applicant’s eligible shrimp trip tickets × 12) + $180.
- For applicants holding multiple licenses, calculation uses the license with the highest reported shrimp landings.
- Trip tickets where most catch occurred in the ocean are excluded from “eligible” value.
- Fund allocation and shortfalls:
- Program funded from the North Carolina Commercial Fishing Resource Fund and the North Carolina Marine Resources Fund.
- Division may use up to $2,000,000 annually from the cash balance of the North Carolina Marine Resource Endowment Fund to address shortfalls.
- If total calculated payments exceed available funds, payments are allocated pro rata to eligible applicants.
- Reporting and sunset:
- DEQ must report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources and the Fiscal Research Division by Oct 1, 2025 and annually thereafter while funds remain.
- The Program expires Oct 1, 2028.
- Effective date for the Program section is conditional on HB 442 becoming law (it becomes effective when HB 442 does, per the bill text).
License and fee increases (selected items)
- Standard Coastal Fishing License (SCFL) — resident annual fee raised from $400 to $580; nonresident fee set by reciprocal state but minimum increased (text indicates minimum not less than $2,000).
- Reduced SCFL (age 65+) — resident fee raised from $200 to $290; nonresident from $260 to $475.
- Commercial vessel registration (annual, per-foot rates) — increased across vessel sizes (examples in bill: ≤18 ft $1.25 → $1.80/ft; >18–38 ft $1.90 → $2.75/ft; >38–50 ft $3.75 → $5.50/ft; >50 ft $7.50 → $11.00/ft).
- Shellfish license (resident) — $50 → $75 (annual).
- Other dealer/license application fees are increased (details partially truncated in provided text).
Who is affected
- Primary: commercial fishers who used trawl nets to land shrimp in inshore North Carolina waters between Jan 1, 2023 and June 30, 2025 (eligible license-holders).
- Secondary: all coastal commercial fishers and industry participants due to higher license, vessel registration, and dealer fees; state marine resource funds (sources and uses changed by the Program and fee increases).
Fiscal and administrative notes
- Funding drawn from existing marine resource funds; Division authorized to use up to $2M/year from the Endowment Fund cash balance to cover shortfalls.
- If applicant payments exceed available funds, payments will be reduced proportionally.
- The Department must track applicants, payments, and fund balances and report annually until the Program ends or funds are exhausted.
Timeline / procedural points
- Trip ticket submission deadline for applicants: December 1, 2025.
- First required report due Oct 1, 2025; annual reporting thereafter.
- Program sunset date: October 1, 2028.
- Effective timing of the Program section is tied to enactment of HB 442 per bill language.
This summary highlights the bill’s purpose, eligibility and payment mechanics, funding sources and caps, fee increases, affected parties, and reporting/sunset timelines.
