On the OBX Seafood Competition, industrial fishing takes middle stage
By Kip Tabb | Outer Banks Voice on October 16, 2022
With vibrant sunshine and temperatures within the low 70s, it will be exhausting to think about higher circumstances for the tenth Annual Outer Banks Seafood Competition on Saturday, Oct. 15. Held on the Nags Head Occasion Web site, the competition appeared to convey out a lot of what’s finest concerning the Outer Banks.
There are all the time a great variety of native residents on the Seafood Competition, however even in informal dialog, it was obvious that a lot of these available had been from outdoors the realm— a quantity from the from Richmond space or Hampton Roads, VA. There have been additionally {couples} from Maryland and South Carolina. Quite a few the out-of-town guests indicated that the competition had develop into an annual cause to go to.
The meals from the 9 taking part eating places was excellent, the music nice and there have been extra artist and craft distributors than ever earlier than. However most significantly, it was a day to rejoice the historical past and traditions of the industrial fishing fleet and the way generations of households have introduced contemporary seafood to eating places and household tables for greater than 150 years.
Captain Ben Brown of Wanchese was standing in entrance of his restored shad boat, Miss Marsha. “I named her after my grandmother,” he stated. “Her household grew up throughout the sound and so they used these boats so much.”
The shad boat is the official state boat of North Carolina. First constructed within the 1870s by Manteo boatbuilder George Washington Creef, with its sharp prow and extensive backside, it was the perfect fishing craft for the shallow waters of the state’s sounds.
There are only a few, if any, shad boats nonetheless getting used for industrial fishing. Brown’s Miss Marsha was inbuilt Hatteras within the Nineteen Eighties and was used for industrial fishing for quite a few years. He restored the boat and is hoping to take individuals out on the sounds in it to provide them a chance to take part in a hands-on expertise of the historical past of the Outer Banks.
“I exploit it just about to place an illustration on the market of the historical past of the sounds and historical past of economic fishing,” he stated.
Over within the interview tent, the crews of the fact fishing present, Depraved Tuna, had been on the stage, explaining a range course of that’s considerably of a thriller — noting that they usually didn’t know till three weeks earlier than filming begins who can be a part of the present.
Whereas there have been 9 eating places taking part on the occasion, Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Richard Hess stated they had been hoping for a number of extra, and he cited a well-known cause why some eating places couldn’t make it. “We needed twelve this yr and we received 9,” he stated. “They’re simply scuffling with staffing.”
Regardless of staffing issues, the cooks had been capable of creates some excellent and revolutionary dishes. The Chef’s Selection went to MahiMahi’s shrimp empanada and Noosa Seashore Grill took residence the Folks’s Selection award for a seafood bruschetta.
For the Chamber of Commerce, which organized the occasion, issues turned out the way in which they’d hoped. The structure for the occasion was modified from earlier years, with extra room for the artisan distributors, which Hess stated was mandatory, noting that, “We had much more distributors than final yr.”
Hess added that some of the necessary adjustments was placing the industrial fishing demonstration by the gate in order that as quickly as individuals got here in, they’d see somebody engaged on a pound internet, or have an opportunity to talk to somebody about what it’s prefer to earn a dwelling on the water.
The Chamber additionally created a brand new method to assist the industrial fishing trade, one thing Chamber of Commerce President Karen Brown drew explicit consideration to.
“We started an endowment on the [Outer Banks] Group Basis this yr, and the proceeds from the competition will go into that fund for the…entire trade,” she stated.
