Editing Harkers Island, North Carolina (section)

==Economy==
Major industries on the island include fishing, boat building, tourism, and [[duck decoy (model)|waterfowl decoy]] carving. In 2013, the [[United States Census Bureau]] reported 22 business establishments on Harkers Island employing 107 people. A majority of the business fall into Retail and Food Services (9) or Construction, Manufacturing, and Warehousing (9). The businesses in the latter category are almost entirely associated with boat building, boat repair, and boat storage. Many island residents are self-employed in the fishing trade. A relatively large percentage of island residents are over the age of 65 and/or [[retirement|retired]].

Commercial fishing has always been an important component of the island economy. Historically, this trade included whaling and the hunting of [[dolphin]]s. Until ice became available in the 1920s, the primary commercial catch was mullet, which was caught near the beaches of Shackleford Bank and Core Bank and salted on shore. In the late 19th century, the Core Sound area produced 80% of the salted [[mullet (fish)|mullet]] sold on the United States east coast. An ice plant was built in nearby Beaufort in 1920, and fish houses were established on the island to process fish and shellfish. Some bay areas on the north side of the island have been developed for harvesting cultured shellfish. In addition to mullet, the commercial fishing industry of Harkers Island brings in oysters, clams, shrimp, [[scallop]]s, crabs, [[spot croaker|spot]], [[Sciaenidae|croaker]], trout, [[flounder]], [[bluefish]], and [[mackerel]].<ref name="prioli"/>

Tourism on Harkers Island is becoming a more important part of the local economy. The [[National Park Service]] operates the Cape Lookout National Seashore Visitors Center on Harkers Island. [[Ferry]] service from Harkers Island is one of the principal means of tourist access to [[Cape Lookout (North Carolina)|Cape Lookout]] and the Shackleford Banks. [[Big-game fishing]] operations cater to growing demand for sport fishing in the area. Other tourism related industries include gift shops, local artists, hotels, and restaurants. Despite growth in the tourist trades and the local effort to make the island a top destination for waterfowl enthusiasts, Harkers Island continues to have some of the least developed tourist facilities on the [[Crystal Coast]].

One of the fastest growing industries on the island is waterfowl enthusiast tourism. Founded in 1987 at the Harkers Island home of Wayne Davis, the Core Sound Decoy Carvers Guild organized the first of what would become an annual festival in December 1998.  The first Core Sound Waterfowl Festival attracted 1,800 attendees. Later renamed the Core Sound Decoy Festival, the event has attracted over 10,000 tourists to Harkers Island.<ref name="guild">Core Sound Decoy Guild (2007). [http://www.decoyguild.com/Our-History.htm "How the Carvers Guild Began..."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824084334/http://www.decoyguild.com/Our-History.htm |date=2007-08-24 }}.  Retrieved Mar. 20, 2007.</ref> The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum, operated by a separate board of directors from the Carvers Guild, is a major year-round tourist attraction for the island. The museum building is a {{convert|20000|sqft|m2|-2}} structure located on property leased from the National Park Service. In addition to telling the history of local waterfowl and the traditions of decoy carving, the museum operates exhibits of local historical interest. The museum also hosts events during Waterfowl Weekend, held on the same weekend as the Decoy Festival.<ref name="museum">Core Sound Waterfowl Museum (2006). [http://www.coresound.com/museum.htm "Core Sound Waterfowl Museum History: WHY?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070328204147/http://www.coresound.com/museum.htm |date=2007-03-28 }}. Retrieved Mar. 20, 2007.</ref> The festival weekend is the most important annual event for the Harkers Island tourism economy.