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Vote on releasing draft Coastal Habitat Protection Plan for public review pulled from marine Fisheries agenda

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published August 18, 2026 at 6:35 AM EDT
File photo: A new study by the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership reveals that high-salinity seagrass meadows shrank by 16.2% between 2006 and 2020. That is a loss of more than 16,000 acres of vital habitat.
Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership
File photo: A new study by the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership reveals that high-salinity seagrass meadows shrank by 16.2% between 2006 and 2020. That is a loss of more than 16,000 acres of vital habitat.

A scheduled vote to advance new protections for North Carolina's coastal fish habitats has been pulled from this week’s Marine Fisheries Commission agenda.

The Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina reports that commissioners will no longer vote on releasing the draft Coastal Habitat Protection Plan amendment for public review. The proposal is designed to safeguard underwater grass beds in the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds.

An updated state agenda reveals the item has been downgraded to a standard presentation, with no reason given for removing the vote. The commission's two-day meeting begins Wednesday in Raleigh.
Annette Weston
Annette is an award-winning journalist based in Eastern North Carolina. Her career includes professional stops across the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Southeast, recently culminating in a 2026 Region 8 Edward R. Murrow Award for Small Market Radio Best News Series for her work on the Camp Lejeune Justice Act Series. Guided by a passion for human-interest storytelling, she focuses on narratives that touch hearts and connect communities. A mother of four and grandmother of two, Annette enjoys reading and creating epic Halloween costumes in her spare time. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston