2021 NC flounder season details now being reconsidered

MFC chairman has called for special meeting March 31

Details of North Carolina’s 2021 flounder season, which was announced in February, is now under reconsideration. The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Chairman Rob Bizzell told commission members that he has decided to revisit certain aspects of the flounder season, which is currently scheduled to open Aug. 16, 2021.

One part of the season that Bizzell wants to take another look at is the 70/30 allocation. The February announcement stated the overall flounder harvest would be split 70% for commercial fishermen and 30% for recreational anglers. That allocation is based on historical data, but it’s a controversial detail. A meeting, which was scheduled for this week, has been postponed until March 31 to discuss that.

MFC could change the allocations to a different percentage

Before announcing the allocation for the upcoming season, NCMFC considered other allocations, including 65/35, 60/30 with a 10% allotment for gigging, 60/40, and a 50/50 split.

Also scheduled to be discussed at the March 31 meeting is a draft of the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 3, which could bring more changes to the upcoming season even before it starts.

The NCMFC will provide other information about the March 31 meeting, including how to listen in, before the meeting.

Aside from a possible change in the allocation numbers, Amendment 3 could bring any number of other changes. When announcing the 2021 flounder season, NCMFC acknowledged that Amendment 3’s final draft would likely come into play before Aug. 16. It’s not likely that all those changes will be known at the end of the March 31 meeting, but it looks like anglers will have a better look at what changes — if any — will be made to the allocation percentages then.