Marine Fisheries Commission Revises Options for Draft Southern Flounder Fishery

The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission revised their preferred management options for the draft North Carolina Southern Fishery Management Plan at their meeting on December 2, 2004, at Atlantic Beach, NC.

The Commission selected the following measures concerning conservation of southern flounder:

1. A closed commercial fishing season from December 1 – December 31;

2. A 14-inch size limit, eight fish harvest limit for recreational fishermen;

3. A 14-inch size limit for commercial fishermen;

4. Persons using gigs recreationally must have a Recreational Commercial Gear License or other appropriate license;

5. Persons using large mesh gill nets (greater than or equal to 5 ½ inches stretched mesh) recreationally must attend their nets at all times;

6. Gill nets used to catch flounder must have a 5 ½-inch stretched mesh minimum size;

7. Flounder pound nets must have an escape panel 5 ½ inches or greater to let small flounder escape;

8. Commercial fishermen cannot use more than 3000 yards of flounder gill net;

9. Minimum distance of 1000 yards between old and new pound nets and a minimum distance of 500 yards between pound nets and gill nets in Albemarle Sound from August 15th – December 1st;

10. Minimum crab trawl tailbag mesh size of three inches in eastern Pamlico Sound and four inches in western Pamlico Sound;

11. Numerous research and habitat/water quality recommendations to address southern flounder.

The Commission also had voted to re-examine the status of southern flounder in three years rather than wait five years, which is allowed by law.

North Carolina develops fishery management plans for all commercially or recreationally significant species that occur in state waters. The plans specify what measures are needed to conserve North Carolina’s fishery resources. This is the first fishery management plan prepared for southern flounder in North Carolina. Development of the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan began in the year 2000. A 15-member advisory committee, composed of recreational and commercial fishermen and scientists, helped with the preparation of the plan. In addition, numerous public meetings were held to discuss the Draft Fishery Management Plan.

Marine Fisheries Commission Chairman, Jimmy Johnson stated, “You could see anxiety on the faces of every commissioner and hear it in their debate. This was a very difficult decision to make. Ultimately, the commissioner’s weighed the biological data and the socio-economic concerns and decided on a course that will rebuild the stock and, hopefully, maintain a viable commercial industry. The plan may not rebuild the stock quite as quickly as some would like, however, I believe the majority of the commission feel it is within the allowable legislative time frame.”

Southern flounder is North Carolina’s most economically valuable commercial finfish species, averaging approximately 4,000,000 lbs. annually and with an ex-vessel value up to $7,000,000 annually. The species is also a popular recreational fish. Southern flounder primarily inhabit brackish waters in North Carolina, but also occur in the ocean in the southern portion of our state.

The draft plan will be submitted to the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for review by the General Assembly.

Marine Fisheries Commission Revises Options for Draft Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan

The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission revised their preferred management options for the draft North Carolina Southern Fishery Management Plan at their meeting on December 2, 2004, at Atlantic Beach, NC.

The Commission selected the following measures concerning conservation of southern flounder:

1. A closed commercial fishing season from December 1 – December 31;

2. A 14-inch size limit, eight fish harvest limit for recreational fishermen;

3. A 14-inch size limit for commercial fishermen;

4. Persons using gigs recreationally must have a Recreational Commercial Gear License or other appropriate license;

5. Persons using large mesh gill nets (greater than or equal to 5 ½ inches stretched mesh) recreationally must attend their nets at all times;

6. Gill nets used to catch flounder must have a 5 ½-inch stretched mesh minimum size;

7. Flounder pound nets must have an escape panel 5 ½ inches or greater to let small flounder escape;

8. Commercial fishermen cannot use more than 3000 yards of flounder gill net;

9. Minimum distance of 1000 yards between old and new pound nets and a minimum distance of 500 yards between pound nets and gill nets in Albemarle Sound from August 15th – December 1st;

10. Minimum crab trawl tailbag mesh size of three inches in eastern Pamlico Sound and four inches in western Pamlico Sound;

11. Numerous research and habitat/water quality recommendations to address southern flounder.

The Commission also had voted to re-examine the status of southern flounder in three years rather than wait five years, which is allowed by law.

North Carolina develops fishery management plans for all commercially or recreationally significant species that occur in state waters. The plans specify what measures are needed to conserve North Carolina’s fishery resources. This is the first fishery management plan prepared for southern flounder in North Carolina. Development of the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan began in the year 2000. A 15-member advisory committee, composed of recreational and commercial fishermen and scientists, helped with the preparation of the plan. In addition, numerous public meetings were held to discuss the Draft Fishery Management Plan.

Marine Fisheries Commission Chairman, Jimmy Johnson stated, “You could see anxiety on the faces of every commissioner and hear it in their debate. This was a very difficult decision to make. Ultimately, the commissioner’s weighed the biological data and the socio-economic concerns and decided on a course that will rebuild the stock and, hopefully, maintain a viable commercial industry. The plan may not rebuild the stock quite as quickly as some would like, however, I believe the majority of the commission feel it is within the allowable legislative time frame.”

Southern flounder is North Carolina’s most economically valuable commercial finfish species, averaging approximately 4,000,000 lbs. annually and with an ex-vessel value up to $7,000,000 annually. The species is also a popular recreational fish. Southern flounder primarily inhabit brackish waters in North Carolina, but also occur in the ocean in the southern portion of our state.

The draft plan will be submitted to the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for review by the General Assembly.