The North Carolina recreational flounder season will not open for harvest this year “in order to preserve the southern flounder resource,” the Division of Marine Fisheries announced Thursday.
During today’s quarterly business meeting in Beaufort, the Marine Fisheries Commission received an update on the quota available for a recreational flounder season.
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After subtracting the recreational overage from 2023, the recreational quota remaining for 2024 is not large enough to allow for a season opening, according to the division. The leftover quota will be used to account for the anticipated dead discards that will occur due to incidental catch and release, officials said.
The commission considered holding a special meeting to consider alternatives to no recreational season this year, but did not move forward with that approach.
The state’s southern flounder, which are overfished and overfishing is occurring, are managed under the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 3 the Marine Fisheries Commission adopted in 2022.
Estimates from 2023 indicate the recreational catch exceeded the quota allowed under a stock rebuilding plan in amendment 3. The plan sets quotas for the recreational and commercial fisheries, based on scientific data, to end overfishing and rebuild the stock. There is a pound-for-pound payback if either sector goes over its quota.
“Following Amendment 3 and not opening the 2024 recreational flounder season, combined with the increased recreational quota in 2025, should allow enough quota for a recreational season next year,” officials said.
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