Fishermen often pay the brunt of development costs in the areas they fish in frequently. Have you ever wondered where your fishing license fees go? In some cities, they go directly into the costs of creating artificial reefs, cleaning up fishing holes and more. In North Carolina, more than $750,000 in license fees is being funneled into cleanup projects, including several that involve concrete. Let’s look at this concrete project in NC.

David Brinkley, head of the development project, is barging more than 250,000 pound loads of concrete out of the area. These concrete pipes were donated by manufacturers in the Dunn and Fayetteville areas. These defective concrete pipes will help create artificial reefs and structures underwater, which will help promote sea life. Brinkley says that one of the best reasons for using concrete for a project like this is because it doesn’t have to be cleaned up, whereas ships have a variety of structure that has to be cleaned up to save the environment.

While this may seem like an odd use of fish license fees, these artificial reefs help encourage and protect seal life, which in turn gives the fishermen something to fish up when they hit the water. It’s a cycle that’s worked well in North Carolina and other fishing friendly areas across the nation. This helps brings in tourism and more to areas in North Carolina where the fishing is good.

This is a case where license fees are being put to good use. More communities at the local and state level could learn from North Carolina to help truly put fees to good use in a way that’s environmentally friendly and helps those who pay the fees in the first place. We’ll keep an eye on other projects across the nation that utilize concrete in unique and eco-friendly ways.