Source: NCDEQ, 6/23/21 The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries has adjusted the
recreational and commercial flounder seasons for 2021 to ensure a sustainable
fishery. In 2019 the Division of Marine Fisheries recommended and the Marine
Fisheries Commission approved, substantial harvest reductions in the flounder
fishery to rebuild the southern flounder stock. These season adjustments are
necessary to meet that goal. The recreational flounder season will open Sept. 1 and close Sept.
14 in internal and ocean waters of North Carolina. The minimum size limit will
remain at 15 inches total length, and the creel limit will remain at four fish
per person per day during the open recreational season.
Since all species of flounder are managed under the same recreational
regulations, the recreational season applies to all recreational flounder
fishing. The commercial southern flounder harvest seasons will open on the
following schedule: =
Northern Area (waters north of Pamlico Sound) – Sept. 15 through Oct. 1. =
Central Area (Pamlico Sound and its tributaries) – Oct. 1 through Oct. 19. =
Southern Area (waters from Core Sound to the South Carolina line) – Oct. 1 through Oct. 21. All commercial gears that target southern flounder, such as large
mesh gill nets and flounder pound nets, must be removed from the water when the
season is closed (or made inoperable in the case of flounder pound nets). The
catfish and shad fisheries, which use large mesh gill nets, will be allowed in
areas where interactions with southern flounder are unlikely. The flounder fishery is currently managed under Amendment 2 to the
Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan. Amendment 2 included southern
flounder harvest reductions of 62% in 2019 and 72% beginning in 2020 for both
the recreational and commercial fisheries. The total removals allowed in both
years under these reductions were exceeded in both the commercial and
recreational sectors, resulting in the seasonal adjustments. Reductions in harvest are required because the 2019 South Atlantic
Southern Flounder Stock Assessment found that southern flounder is overfished
and overfishing is occurring throughout the region (North Carolina through the
eastern coast of Florida). Overfished means the population is too small.
Overfishing means the removal rate is too high. North Carolina is leading the
rebuilding effort with the Marine Fisheries Commission adoption of Amendment 2. The Division of Marine Fisheries is developing Southern Flounder
Fishery Management Plan Amendment 3, which examines more robust management strategies, such as quotas, slot
limits, size limit changes, gear changes, and species-specific management for
the recreational fishery. Draft
Amendment 3 is scheduled to be reviewed and potentially approved for public and
advisory committee review in November 2021. For more information about the southern flounder fishery, see the Division of Marine Fisheries’ answers to Frequently Asked Questions or the Southern Flounder Amendment 3 Information Page
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