SEAFOOD TRADITIONS
Rob Mayo (RM), President of Carolina Classics Catfish, Inc. of Ayden, NC talks with David Green (DG) about the types of products and market opportunities for North Carolina grown catfish. 
DG: How long has your company been in the catfish business?
RM: We opened Carolina Classics Catfish in October 1985, 25 years ago.
DG: What type of products do you offer consumers?
RM: We sell fresh and frozen boneless catfish fillets, strips, portions, nuggets and traditional whole dressed fish. We used to sell 40 percent whole dressed fish when we first opened. Today this form makes up only 10 percent of our sales and the boneless forms make up the majority.
DG: What is your most popular product form today?
RM: We sell an “all natural” boneless fillet in Whole Foods Markets nationwide that contains no additives, no farm chemicals, and no land animal proteins in the fish feed. This is as close to organic as you get without a USDA definition for “organic fish.”
DG: What new market opportunities do you foresee for catfish in the future?
RM: The recent economic situation has shifted industry efforts away from high priced value-added products such as lobster and crabmeat stuffed catfish back to more easy-to-prepare, convenience items that give consumers the good value they look for today.
For more information on Carolina Classics Catfish, go to NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Markets Division.
Contributed by David Green
SEAFOOD TRADITIONS
Eddie Willis (EW) a soft crab harvester and fish dealer talks to Pam Morris (PM)
PM: Where do you live and how long have you been a commercial fisherman?
EW: I’m a fourth generation commercial fisherman from Harkers Island and have been fishing all of my life.
PM: What do you do with the crabs after you land them? How do you shed them?
EW: We remove them from our crab pots and dump them into a cull box. Shedding tanks are 4’ x 8’ plywood boxes that are 10 to 12 inches deep and have salt water circulating in them. Crabs that are close to shedding are placed in one tank and the crabs that will shed in three to four days are placed in another tank. That reduces both time in handling and crab mortality.
PM: How do you know which stage of molt the crabs are in?
EW: They show a line, a separation in their back paddle fin. As it progresses, it starts out as fine black line that separates a little every day. Between the line and the actual fin, it starts filling in with a light pink color that darkens every day until it becomes red. At that point, we know the crab is ready to shed its shell. Within several hours or half a day, the crab will crack and back out of its shell. When a blue crab crawls out of its shell, it is known as a “Buster.” That is when the crab is the softest. We leave them in the shedder tanks for several hours so the wrinkles will smooth out and firm up. Soft shell crabs will keep for a week at 45-47 F.
PM: How important is the soft crab fishery to your business?
EW: It’s 50 percent of our income. We sell a variety of seafood in our market, but soft crabs are the backbone of our business.
Contributed by Pam Morris.
Seafood Traditions
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Our state’s Atlantic blue crab processing industry is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. Over forty processors operated in coastal North Carolina in 1995. Today that number is 14.
Imported crab meat from Asia and South America has taken a great deal of market share from domestic businesses during the last decade. Price has been a deciding factor among consumers as the cost of imported crab meat can be cheaper by $4 or more a pound.
Picking crabs is very labor-intensive and legal immigrants on temporary visas comprise the major of the workforce in this seafood sector; however, temporary visas have been extremely hard to come by for our industry the last two years.
Inconsistency in the supply of picking crabs during the summer and fall seasons impacts processors’ bottom line as well. To remain competitive, processors ship live hard crabs to the “basket market” in the northern Virginia and Maryland where there has been an established tradition of eating fresh-cooked, whole crabs in restaurant trade.
Due to natural supply fluctuations, you will find fresh, hand-picked Atlantic blue crab meat in coastal retail seafood outlets and restaurants in-season. Processors pasteurize Atlantic blue crab meat during the summer months for sale in the winter and spring.
Be sure to check your supplier’s state certification number to identify the vendor and origin of your crab meat. Cherish your fresh, hand-picked North Carolina crab meat whenever available.
Contributed by Barry Nash
Based on interviews with Don Cross of Pamlico Packing Company and Steve Murphey of NC Shellfish Sanitation – Morehead City office
Seafood Traditions:
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How did you get into commercial fishing? “I was born in Charlotte but my family owned a camp to the banks. We came here every summer when I was a kid. I started raking clams, and paid attention to the Old Salts – Carroll Willis, Milton Styron.
Are you glad you became a fisherman? “Absolutely. I get to be my own boss; come and go as I please. I can spend afternoons with my kids and go to their ball games.”
How many people go shrimping with you? “I go by myself. I’m a one-man operation. Several of us tow together in a circle, so I’m not really alone. Until the last couple of years fifteen of us trawled just off Davis Shore – now there’s only about four.” 
Why are fewer people shrimping nowadays? “Some of the fellas have aged out, and the younger generation isn’t getting in. The youngest in Davis today is 38. Lots of fishermen were forced to find other jobs, because market conditions are so bad. The price of shrimp is low because of imports, and the cost of fuel goes up and up. The resources are there, but the take-home pay is not!”
Is there any hope in the future for fishermen? “Yes. Conditions will turn around directly. I’m sure of it. If you can stick out these hard times, things will get better. Have you heard the commercial on the radio encouraging people to eat local shrimp? We just need to keep our water quality healthy. We could use more political support too!”
What’s your claim to fame? “I feel good about the work I did helping with the red drum fisheries management plan, like explaining how we can continue to set nets on this side of the sound for spots, while protecting red drum too.” NC Division of Marine Fisheries invites fishermen and others to participate in designing management plans – you can do it too! Chip’s other claim to fame is that he was the first fisherman to tie up at the NC Seafood Festival dock to talk to visitors and demonstrate how a trawl works. “I enjoyed that! I got to meet a lot of nice people.”
What are the strangest things you’ve caught? “An octopus. An old Indian pipe.”
Dr. Barbara Garrity-Blake, On behalf of Carteret Catch
