The state Division of Marine Fisheries is working on potential management strategies for a coming amendment to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan and is holding a few public meetings this month to gather input from fishermen and other stakeholders.
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Comments should focus on the potential management strategies in the southern flounder fishery that have already been identified for development in Amendment 3. A scoping document can be found on the Southern Flounder Information Page. The issues are the following:
- Sustainable Harvest. Management measures such as quotas, slot limits, size limit changes, gear changes, and fishing days (other management strategies may also be examined and are outlined in the scoping document).
- Species Specific Management. Separating management of southern flounder, summer flounder, and Gulf flounder for the recreational fishery.
- Inlet Corridors. Designating no fishing areas to protect mature female southern flounder.
The following scoping meetings will include a presentation from division staff and a public comment period. speakers will be allotted three minutes each for comment on a first-come-first-served basis.
- Dec. 9: meeting will be at the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Central District Office 5285 Highway 70 West, Morehead City;
- Dec. 11: N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Wilmington Regional Office 127 Cardinal Drive Extension, Wilmington;
- Dec. 17: meeting is in the Dare County Government Complex Commissioners Meeting Room 954 Marshall C. Collins Dr., Manteo. The Wilmington meeting has been scheduled since the first announcement on Nov. 7.
Input can be provided input by either attending one of three scoping meetings or providing written comments through an online form that can be accessed through the Southern Flounder Information Page or submit comments by mail to Southern Flounder Amendment 3 Scoping Comments, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, N.C. 28557.
Comments should be posted online or postmarked by 5 p.m. Dec. 18. The division will not accept comments submitted by email.
