Restrictions will continue for extended period of time
North Carolina anglers, clear out some room in the freezer, sharpen your hooks, and get on the water. You need to stock up with flounder filets right now. Harvesting of flounder is about to end for the rest of 2019 for North Carolina anglers. During their upcoming management meeting in August, the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will vote on final approval of Amendment 2 to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan. If approved, which all signs indicate it will be, harvest of flounder will cease on Aug. 23.
Harvesting of flounder will open back up sometime in 2020, probably in late summer or early fall. That season will be open for approximately 10 weeks.
The move is in response to the 2019 South Atlantic Southern Flounder Stock Assessment. This study found that southern flounder are overfished, and that overfishing is taking place throughout the southeastern coast.
The goal is to reduce North Carolina’s 2019 southern flounder harvest by 62% over 2017’s numbers. The Commission looks to reduce it even further (72%) in 2020. Restrictions are being placed on commercial fishermen as well as recreational anglers.
Click here for more information on the impending closure from NCDMF’s website.
Click here to find out where the flounder bite is currently hot. It’s time to stock up the freezer before the season closes.
