The Water Is Home

FACES OF THE CRYSTAL COAST: ANTHONY PITTMAN

A third-generation commercial fisherman carries forward his family’s lessons while navigating the beauty, danger and uncertainty of life on Eastern North Carolina’s waters. 

By Coastal 55+

A Heritage Passed Down 

Anthony’s father, William Earl Pittman, fished for scallops out of Port Canaveral, Florida, and captained several boats for Bill Lambert. He also captained the My Joy for Homer Smith, shrimping out of Beaufort.

From his father, Anthony learned more than the mechanics of boats and fishing. He learned the perseverance required to build a life on the water.

“The main thing my dad taught me was that failure is not an option,” Anthony says. “Never give up.”

Anthony received his first fishing license at just 8 years old while living in Cape Canaveral. By the time he was 10, he was certified to scuba dive.

He attended East Carteret High School through the 10th grade, but his education on the water had begun years earlier. Through his father and a lifetime of firsthand experience, Anthony learned to understand boats, changing weather, currents, tides and the responsibility that comes with earning a living from what the water provides.

A Life Few People See 

Anthony’s workday begins well before he reaches his boat.

A typical morning starts with feeding his two dogs, five ducks and 10 chickens. From there, he drives approximately 40 miles to Cedar Island, gets into his boat and travels another 30 miles across the water to work near Ocracoke.

That is roughly 70 miles by road and water just to reach his workplace, followed by the return trip at the end of the day.

Weather, fuel, boat maintenance and the condition of the catch can all affect what that day ultimately brings. There are no guarantees, but the uncertainty is part of the life Anthony knows and loves.

“Every day fishing is another day of an adventure for me,” he says.

Anthony wishes more people understood that commercial fishing here is not simply an industry. It is part of Eastern North Carolina’s heritage, carried forward by families who have worked these waters for generations.

“This is a heritage we were born into, and we’re a dying breed,” he explains. “We’re not trying to overharvest what the good Lord has provided. We’re just trying to bring fresh seafood to the people who enjoy eating fresh food.”

Commercial fishermen landed approximately 41.7 million pounds of seafood in North Carolina during 2025, with an estimated dockside value of $84.4 million. However, the amount landed was 9.1 percent lower than in 2024, while its estimated value increased by only 1.1 percent. North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

That dockside value does not reflect what an individual fisherman takes home. Boats must be fueled and maintained, gear repaired or replaced and catches properly handled and transported. Fishermen also face the possibility that weather, changing conditions or a disappointing catch may leave them with little to show for a long day.

North Carolina Sea Grant researchers have identified competition from imported seafood, increasing operating costs, labor shortages, harvest restrictions, regulatory expenses and the loss of working waterfronts, including docks and fish houses, among the pressures affecting the state’s commercial fishing industry. North Carolina Sea Grant

When fishermen leave the water and working waterfronts disappear, coastal communities risk losing more than jobs. They also risk losing generations of knowledge about the tides, weather, seasons, species and waterways that help define Eastern North Carolina.

When the Weather Changes 

Commercial fishing can also be dangerous work. Fishermen operate around moving lines, heavy equipment, slippery decks, changing weather and unpredictable seas, sometimes many miles from immediate assistance.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 288 commercial fishing workers died from traumatic injuries along the East Coast between 2000 and 2019. Vessel disasters accounted for half of those deaths, while falls overboard accounted for another 27 percent. Drowning was the cause in 81 percent of the recorded fatalities. (NIOSH East Coast Commercial Fishing Safety)

Anthony’s recent encounter with waterspouts offers a glimpse of how quickly conditions can change.

On that particular day, Anthony was clamming off Portsmouth Island. When it was time to leave so the clams could be returned to market on schedule, he spotted storms moving across the sound.

Waterspouts had formed near Hodges Reef. As Anthony traveled through the area, he headed closer so he could capture better photographs and videos of the remarkable sight.

The wind was not especially strong on the eastern side of the storm, but on its western side, Anthony could see larger seas building outside Pamlico Sound. He watched until the waterspout dissipated. Then the wind shifted out of the northwest, and they headed quickly back toward shore.

The resulting photographs and videos are extraordinary, but they also document the rapidly changing conditions commercial fishermen must recognize and respond to while doing their jobs.

“This Is the Spot for Me” 

For Anthony, the waters that can be difficult and unpredictable are also home.

His connection to this area reaches back through his family. His father was born and raised here, and although Anthony has traveled through much of the United States, nowhere else has held the same pull.

“Living in this area, personally, is home,” he says. “I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. This is the spot for me.”

Anthony remains thankful for the help that allows him to continue doing the work he loves. Through good days, difficult days and everything the water may bring, he continues carrying the lesson his father taught him.

Failure is not an option. Never give up.

Anthony Pittman’s story represents a way of life sustained by long days, inherited knowledge, deep respect for the water and families determined to carry Eastern North Carolina’s commercial fishing heritage forward.

The next time fresh local seafood reaches a family’s table, it is worth remembering the people behind it, the miles they traveled, the risks they faced and the generations of knowledge that helped bring it safely to shore.