Fishermen will get a chance to comment on the future of southern flounder fishing in North Carolina at a series of public meetings to be held in the coming weeks.
The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will hold six meetings to receive public comments on a draft amendment to the N.C. Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan. The draft amendment includes proposals to increase the size limit, decrease the recreational bag limit, implement season closures and stiffen commercial gear restrictions.
The meetings will be held in conjunction with Marine Fisheries Commission advisory committee meetings during September and October, 2010.
Comments may also be submitted in writing until 5 p.m. Oct. 8. Send written comments by mail to Chris Batsavage, N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, 5285 Highway 70 West, Morehead City, N.C. 28557 or by e-mail to Chris.Batsavage@ncdenr.gov.
The draft amendment is an update to the N.C. Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan adopted by the Marine Fisheries Commission in 2005. That plan was developed after a 2004 southern flounder stock assessment found the stock was overfished and overfishing was occurring.
While the terms “overfished” and “overfishing” are similar, they have distinctly different meanings in fisheries management. “Overfished” refers to the actual condition of the stock when the population falls below an acceptable level. “Overfishing” means that fish are being removed from the fishery at a rate that the fishery cannot sustain or rebuild itself.
source: NC DMF
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