Anglers in North Carolina are fighting to restore southern flounder stocks, a mainstay of the state’s recreational fishery and the most popular catch among inshore saltwater anglers. According to state biologists, however, the species has been overfished for 13 years.

If southern flounder stocks are to be restored, North Carolina's Marine Fisheries Commission needs to reduce the state's commercial catch allowance. Photo by Scott Sommerlatte

Recent actions by the state’s Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) to develop a management plan haven’t provided much hope for the future. Ignoring recommendations from a flounder advisory committee, a finfish committee and the state’s Division of Marine Fisheries, the MFC adopted a management plan in October that, according to leading marine scientists, regional fisheries managers and the Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina, has no possible chance of restoring the fishery within the 10 years required by state law.

“Stock assessments clearly showed that they’re badly overfished,” said Dr. Doug Radar, a senior scientist for Environmental Defense, and chair of the habitat advisory panel for the South Atlantic Marine Fisheries Commission. “MFC went nowhere near far enough to foster a recovery,” Radar continued, “and given the species’ value in North Carolina, the status quo just isn’t acceptable.”

Under the plan, little more than half of the estimated 24 percent reduction required to recover the species would be achieved, and what’s even more onerous is that the more drastic reduction was foisted on recreational anglers, who catch only 15 percent of the flounder. The commercial take accounts for the other 85 percent—about four million pounds annually.

“The commercial catch was reduced by about 11 percent whereas recreational catch was reduced an estimated 35 percent,” said Chris Elkins, a member of CCA North Carolina’s Fisheries and Communications committee, “which makes little sense since recreational anglers have had little to do with the current level of unsustainable fishing.”

There are also grave concerns about the present size limit, which biologists say allows fishers to kill southern flounder before they’ve had a chance to reproduce.

CCA North Carolina protested the plan and mobilized anglers with a public petition. “E-mails and fishing websites erupted,” said Elkins. “It really hurts the whole regulatory process when they ignore advisory committees, and makes it hard to get quality people to serve on the committees.”

In this case, the outcry was loud enough for the MFC to stop the rule process, and pull the plan back onto the table for reconsideration. No decision has yet been made on a new plan, but conservationists were following the process closely. For more information on the North Carolina southern flounder issue go to www.ccanorthcarolina.org.

Flounder Hatchery in the Works

“Flounder are very important to North Carolina anglers,” explained Tim Barefoot, a fishing guide and lure manufacturer in Wilmington. “Anybody with a small boat can bring a couple kids to the coast for some wholesome flounder-fishing entertainment—and they’re delicious to eat.”

Economically, flounder have an even greater importance to the coastal communities that receive the influx of weekend fishermen. Anglers need to have confidence that they will catch a few fish when driving to the coast, where they book motel rooms, eat dinner, buy bait and tackle and fuel their rigs. But the days of easy catches are long gone, to the point that it has become somewhat of a status symbol to be able to catch flounder with any regularity.

Barefoot, who talks of a time years ago when there was a “flounder carpet” out there, has been working toward the creation of a flounder hatchery. So far, the CCA-backed project has been allotted enough money from the state legislature to start a pilot program at South Brunswick High School, which conveniently has a nationally acclaimed aquaculture department already in place.

“Five years ago this couldn’t be done,” said Barefoot. But with achievements in research into spawning habits and dietary needs of the newly hatched fish, along with the help of North Carolina’s educational system, he’s confident that a hatchery is at least part of the answer to restoring the species.

“By this time next year we hope to apply for the money for a full-scale hatchery,” said Barefoot. “I have children, and they’re going to see that flounder carpet again.

SWA