With a vote last fall, the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission approved regulations to help rejuvenate southern flounder by amending season lengths and removing gill nets from inside waters.
Commissioners defied warnings from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, legislative threats by a legislator and harangues by commercial fishermen by passing a rule that will reduce southern flounder harvests.
The Commission voted to remove large-mesh gill nets and trammel nets from inside waters between Oct. 15 and Dec. 31, raised the commercial size minmimum for southern flounders to 15 inches, increased the minimum-mesh size for anchored large-mesh gill nets to 6 inches; removed pound nets from the water; ended commercial flounder gigging after the pound-net quota had been met; and required pound nets to have 5 ¾-inch mesh escape panels.
The agency also closed recreational fishing for southern flounder in inside waters from Oct. 16-to Jan. 1 annually without changing daily creel limits or size minimums.
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