The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission is expected to vote next week on an amendment that will evenly split the southern flounder fishery allocation 50/50 between commercial and recreational fishers.
If the commission adopts Amendment 4 to the state’s Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan, the new allocation would go into effect this year.
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Commissioners are also set during their Aug. 20-21 meeting in Raleigh to take a vote on setting the annual cap on standard commercial fishing licenses through the eligibility pool, and electing a vice chair.
The commission is expected to discuss draft Amendment 5 to the Southern Flounder management plan and hear a presentation on the current trends in the commercial and recreational sectors on the state’s sheepshead fishery and potential next steps for exploring changes to that fisheries management.
Presentations will also be made on the state’s black drum fishery, including current trends in the commercial and recreational sectors, along with a review of data pertaining to the striped bass harvest closure in the Neuse and Tar/Pamlico rivers within the central/southern management area.
The Aug. 20 meeting will begin at 1 p.m., with the public comment session to kick off at 6 p.m.
The public comment session will kick off the Aug. 21 meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
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The meetings will be held at the Hilton Raleigh North Hills, 3415 Wake Forest Road and it will be livestreamed on YouTube.
Anyone who wishes to speak in person may sign up for public comment prior to the start of the meeting. Speakers will be limited to 3 minutes for comment and will be asked to speak during only one of the public comment sessions. Anyone who would like to submit handouts to the commission during the public comment period should bring at least 12 copies to the meeting.
Written comments will be accepted via an online form on the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage or by mail to Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting Comments, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557. Written comments may also be dropped off at the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Morehead City Headquarters Office at 3441 Arendell St.
All written comments for the upcoming meeting must be submitted by 4 p.m. Aug. 18.
