Recognizing the need to both protect habitat and prevent overfishing, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Fisheries Reform Act in 1997. The law contains the directive to protect and enhance habitats supporting coastal fisheries. The law requires cooperation among three rule-making commissions: Environmental Management Commission (EMC), Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) and Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC).

The three Commissions unanimously adopted the North Carolina Coastal Habitat Protection Plan in December 2004. Working closely with their state Department of Environment and Natural Resources agencies, they have developed implementation plans to address the recommendations.

North Carolina’s Coastal Habitat Protection Plan was developed to:

1. Document the ecological role and function of aquatic habitats for coastal fisheries.
2. Provide status and trends information on the quality and quantity of coastal fish habitat.
3. Describe and document threats to coastal fish habitat, including threats from human activities and natural events.
4. Describe the current rules concerning each habitat.
5. Identify management needs.
6. Develop options for management action using the above information.