N.C. shrimpers can apply for federal assistance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering financial and technical assistance to shrimpers in the Gulf of Mexico and along the eastern seaboard who saw their harvest reduced in the 2008 season.

North Carolina commercial fishing license holders who caught or harvested shrimp in 2008 will receive a letter this week outlining training options for refining and upgrading their practices and developing a business plan to shift into another industry.