Update on Coastal Fisheries Trial: Week 4 Recap

February 10 – 13, 2026

Trial continued on last week in CCA NC’s lawsuit to hold the State accountable for failing to protect and preserve North Carolina’s once-abundant coastal fisheries. This past week, the state began its defense with presentation of testimony from a number of witnesses:

•  Michael Loeffler, Deputy Director of NC Division of Marine Fisheries.
•  Brandi Salmon, License and Statistics Section Chief, NC Division of Marine Fisheries.
• Kevin Brown, retired Gear Development Biologist with the NC Division of Marine Fisheries.
• Daniel Zapf, Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator with the NC Division of Marine Fisheries.

The State will continue presenting its witnesses this week.