Central Coastal NC Whirlwind Tour: Part 1

Last week, RCP interns, Catesby and Dayson, and RCP vice president Mikki Sager went on a whirlwind tour of Down East, NC to learn about the current issues affecting costal communities and identify how RCP could better serve the region’s entrepreneurial endeavors while still promoting the triple bottom line.

Led by Karen Amspacher, executive director at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum, the three-day tour began Sunday evening with the opportunity to enjoy a delicious, locally caught seafood dinner at Beaufort’s Net House Restaurant & Oyster Bar.

Joining the RCP staff were members of Carteret Catch, a program dedicated to sustaining the livelihood and heritage of the Carteret County fishing industry through public marketing and education. They shared with RCP staff their goal to preserve the fishing culture and lifestyle that has come to be a staple of NC’s central coastal region and discussed the state of fishing today, the many troubles surrounding imported seafood, and the importance of maintaining a local seafood industry.

Early Monday morning, the journey continued with a stop at Harker’s Island to visit Eddie Willis, a fisherman and owner of the full-service Mr. Big Seafood. With a business model in charge of everything seafood, from catching to selling and all the steps in-between, Eddie says he runs his business this way to help sustain the job he loves and provide Harker’s Island with the freshest local seafood available. Those nearby are highly recommended to stop by and pick up some fresh and local seafood from Mr. Big.

After a stop in Ocracoke Island, the group headed north to Hatteras Island where they paid a visit to Vikki Harrison, owner of the Harbor House Seafood Market. Along with her husband and son, both commercial fishermen, this family is in business to provide coast residents and visitors with fresh NC coast fish. Vikki says, “there is definitely a demand for local North Carolina seafood and its really a shame that 80% of the seafood in the U.S. is imported." The company hopes to expand one day and be able to ship orders farther inland so that more people can experience the benefit of locally caught seafood.

At the docks of The Albatross Fleet boathouse, Hatteras’ boat history and dependence on the sea becomes even more apparent. Since 1937, The Albatross Fleet, which has been run by the Fosters family for three generations, has been an intricate part of this community; being the first to bring charter fishing to Hatteras and starting one of the town’s great events - Day at the Docks. The event brings together local fisherman, their families, along with tourists on the Hatteras waterfront to join together in honoring and learning more about the NC coast’s oldest industry.

The final stop of the tour was at the Peele Family Net Field, where RCP staff met with Claudia and Michael Peele and discussed the importance of saving local fish houses. RCP staff also got a chance to witness the repair of a pound net, a very historic fishing tool that they came to realize involves ample time dedicated to its repair and upkeep.

To learn more about North Carolina’s central coastal communities or to find out more about the businesses discussed, please check out the websites below:

http://www.coresound.com/

http://www.downeasttour.com/

http://www.carteretcatch.org/

http://www.ocracokewatermen.org/

http://www.ncagr.gov/ncproducts/ShowSite.asp?ID=100704

http://www.albatrossfleet.com/Introduction.html

http://www.dayatthedocks.org/

RCP likes to hear from you! Those who know of exciting entrepreneurial projects or opportunities that incorporate the triple bottom line in NC’s central coastal region are encouraged to comment below.