The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will decide later this month on speeding up the transition to a 50/50 split between commercial and recreational harvests of Southern flounder, moving the change up to this year instead of the 2026 target set in the current management plan.
The vote on Amendment 4 to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan is scheduled during the commission’s Aug. 20-21 meeting at the Hilton Raleigh North Hills.
If approved, the adjustment would mark a significant shift in the timeline outlined in Amendment 3, which staggered the allocation change over several years.
The meeting opens at 1 p.m. Aug. 20, with public comment at 6 p.m., and continues at 9 a.m. Aug. 21, beginning with another public comment period.
Written comment can be submitted through Aug. 18.
The commission will also vote on setting the annual cap for Standard Commercial Fishing Licenses available through the eligibility pool and elect a new vice chair.
Other agenda items include early discussion of issues for Draft Amendment 5 to the flounder plan, updates on the state’s sheepshead and black drum fisheries, and a review of striped bass harvest closures in the Neuse and Tar/Pamlico rivers.
A full agenda, briefing materials, and the livestream link are available on the Marine Fisheries Commission Meetings webpage.
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