Hello from Surf City!
Here is the latest from The North Carolina Fishing Pier Society on the sale of Yaupon Pier. The pier will go on the auction block at the end of March this year. Please take time to read this post, as it is important to save the vanishing fishing pier in North and South Carolina. Thank you for your time.
(quote)
Update on Yaupon Pier
In what amounts to one of the best kept secrets the Town of Oak
Island has set up a trust fund to obtain the Yaupon Pier. The fund
was established on December 11, 2007. To make a contribution you can
send your tax exempt donation to:
Town of Oak Island Pier Trust Fund
4601 E. Oak Island Drive
Oak Island, NC 28465
The Yaupon Pier is set to go to auction at the end of March. I have
not heard yet whether the Town of Oak Island plans on participating
in this auction or not. I do know that they have been applying for
matching funds from CAMA and several others so I think that it is
likely they are going to try and buy it.
The Town Council voted down the pier 3-2 last November. Since then
Representative Bonner Stiller has been working with Mayor John Vereen
to try and secure funding to obtain the pier.
Importance of Yaupon Fishing Pier
North Carolina Fishing Piers provide an easy and affordable access to
the fishing along the coast for people with disabilities and others
that cannot afford a boat to pursue the sport of fishing. Fishing
piers are also the gateway to the next generations of North Carolina
anglers. A majority of saltwater license holders were introduced to
fishing along the NC coast from the deck of a fishing pier.
Last year fishing piers purchased blanket licenses that generated
over $60,000 to Coastal Saltwater Recreational License Fund. Yaupon
Pier contributed $3600.00 to the fund. In addition to that the 45% of
the fisherman that fished Yaupon last season were holders of a
Coastal Saltwater Recreational License.
In most coastal communities fishing piers were among the first
structures built in the community and were the main attraction. The
pier was built in 1955 after Hurricane Hazel nearly wiped out the
island. It was the first pier constructed on Oak Island. Tourism
returned to the area very quickly in part due to attraction of the
fishing piers. The towns of Long Beach and Yaupon were incorporated
the same year. Long Beach Pier was built the following year in 1956.
Yaupon was one of 3 piers on Oak Island. The Long Beach Pier was sold
and torn down in 2005 to build oceanfront housing. The land still
remains vacant.
Yaupon Pier is legendary among fisherman for its outstanding catches.
Last year alone it produced 244 King Mackerels and led all North
Carolina fishing piers in that category. In 1966, Walter Maxwell,
caught a 1150 pound Tiger Shark that is the largest fish ever caught
off of North Carolina Pier.
The North Carolina Fishing Pier Society will open up a website this
weekend to promote the Save Our Pier Project started by Oak Island.
(end quote)
Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny
Topsail Island Fishing Blog Message Board
72761
No comments:
Post a Comment