North Carolina 2024 Recreational Fluke Season Canceled

[hartattack]

State officials: No NC recreational flounder season in 2024
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries announced the recreational flounder season will not open this year “in order to preserve the southern flounder resource."

Citing continuing pressures on the fishery, state officials announced Thursday that there will be no recreational flounder season in 2024.

The move comes after years of smaller and smaller windows for recreational fishermen to catch the popular fish, culminating in last year's short two-week harvest window.

But officials said even that short fishing period was too much for the already depleted flounder fishery.

"Estimates from 2023 indicate the recreational catch exceeded the quota allowed under a stock rebuilding plan that was included in Amendment 3 to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan and adopted by the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission," stated a release from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries.

Here's my 2 cents: NC commercial regs and practices must be looked at by folks outside NC!

 

[Snapprhead27]

State officials: No NC recreational flounder season in 2024
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries announced the recreational flounder season will not open this year “in order to preserve the southern flounder resource."

Citing continuing pressures on the fishery, state officials announced Thursday that there will be no recreational flounder season in 2024.

The move comes after years of smaller and smaller windows for recreational fishermen to catch the popular fish, culminating in last year's short two-week harvest window.

But officials said even that short fishing period was too much for the already depleted flounder fishery.

"Estimates from 2023 indicate the recreational catch exceeded the quota allowed under a stock rebuilding plan that was included in Amendment 3 to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan and adopted by the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission," stated a release from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries.

Here's my 2 cents: NC commercial regs and practices must be looked at by folks outside NC!

That's crazy!! But they still allowing commercial flounder season?

 

[OVERBORED]

This proclamation supersedes Proclamation FF-5-2024, dated December 15, 2023. It opens the Atlantic Ocean commercial flounder season at 12:01 A.M., Friday, February 16, 2024, and establishes an 11,000-pound offload limit for vessels employing trawls. Properly licensed vessel Captains can possess landing limits for other states, but it is unlawful to offload those fish in North Carolina. The fishery will close by proclamation once 80% of the annual North Carolina quota is reached, or at 6:00 P.M., March 14, 2024, whichever occurs first.
Kathy B. Rawls, Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M., February 16, 2024, the following restrictions shall apply to the Atlantic Ocean commercial flounder fishery:

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I. HARVEST PERIOD AND LIMITS​

• A.
  It is unlawful for persons participating in a commercial fishing operation, regardless of the number of people involved, to offload more than 11,000 pounds of flounder per trip taken from the Atlantic Ocean.
• B.
  Properly licensed vessel Captains employing trawls can possess landing limits for other states, but it is unlawful to offload those fish in North Carolina.
• C.
  It is unlawful to land from a vessel more than 100 pounds of flounder taken from the Atlantic Ocean more than once in any consecutive 5-day period.
• D.
  It is unlawful for a fish dealer to fail to contact the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (252-515-5507) prior to a vessel offloading greater than 100 pounds of flounder taken from the Atlantic Ocean. The fish dealer shall provide the name of the vessel, the vessel captain, an estimate of the amount in pounds of flounder on board the vessel, and the anticipated or approximate offloading time.
• E.
  The Atlantic Ocean flounder fishery will close by proclamation once 80% of the quota has been reached, or at 6:00 P.M., March 14, 2024, whichever occurs first.
• F.
  It is unlawful for persons participating in a commercial fishing operation to possess flounder from the Atlantic Ocean Waters if taken by any method other than trawl and in accordance with N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rule 15A NCAC 03M .0503.

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II. TRANSPORTATION EXEMPTION​

• A.
  Commercial trawl operations shall be exempt from the transportation requirement set out in 15A NCAC 03I .0120 when transporting flounder in Internal Coastal and Joint Fishing Waters. Commercial trawl operations are not exempt when in possession of flounder and fishing in a closed area.

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III. GENERAL INFORMATION​

• A.
  This proclamation is issued under the authority of N.C.G.S. 113-134; 113-134.1; 113-170.4; 113-170.5; 113-182; 113-182.1; 113-221.1; 143B-289.52; and N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rule 15A NCAC 03M .0503 and .0512.
• B.
  It is unlawful to violate the provisions of any proclamation issued by the Fisheries Director under their delegated authority pursuant to N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rule 15A NCAC 03H .0103.
• C.
  In accordance with N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rule 15A NCAC 03I .0101 (5)(f) fish shall be considered landed when the fish reach the shore or structure connected to the shore.
• D.
  In accordance with N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rule 15A NCAC 03M .0503 (a) it is unlawful to possess flounder less than 14 inches total length taken from the Atlantic Ocean in a commercial fishing operation.
• E.
  In accordance with N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rule 15A NCAC 03M .0503 (c) (1) it is unlawful to land more than 100 pounds per trip of flounder taken from the Atlantic Ocean unless the vessel has been issued a License to Land Flounder from the Atlantic Ocean. This is in addition to the normally required licenses.
• F.
  In accordance with N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rule 15A NCAC 03M .0503 (c) (2) it is unlawful for a fish dealer to purchase or offload more than 100 pounds of flounder taken from the Atlantic Ocean by a vessel whose owner or the responsible party that has not first procured a valid License to Land Flounder from the Atlantic Ocean.
• G.
  In accordance with N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rule 15A NCAC 03I .0113 it is unlawful for any licensee under Chapter 113, Subchapter IV of the General Statutes to refuse to allow the Fisheries Director or their agents to obtain biological data, harvest information, or other statistical data necessary or useful to the conservation and management of marine and estuarine resources from fish in the licensee’s possession.
• H.
  In accordance with N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rule 15A NCAC 03O .0503 (e)(2) it is unlawful for fish dealers to allow vessels holding a valid License to Land Flounder from the Atlantic Ocean to land more than 100 pounds of flounder without first obtaining an Atlantic Ocean Flounder Dealer Permit.
• I.
  The intent of this proclamation is to establish harvest periods and limits for the taking of flounder from the Atlantic Ocean to assure that the quota allocated to North Carolina in the joint Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council/Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan is not exceeded. The summer flounder commercial fishery and management unit range is from Maine to North Carolina.
• J.
  Atlantic Ocean Flounder Dealer Permits are available at no cost from all Division of Marine Fisheries License Offices.
• K.
  Contact the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557 252-515-5500 or 800-682-2632 for more information or visit the division website at www.ncmarinefisheries.net.
• L.
  In accordance with N.C. General Statute 113-221.1(c), all persons who may be affected by proclamations issued by the Fisheries Director are under a duty to keep themselves informed of current proclamations.
• M.
  This proclamation supersedes Proclamation FF-5-2024, dated December 15, 2023. It opens the Atlantic Ocean commercial flounder season at 12:01 A.M., Friday, February 16, 2024, and establishes an 11,000-pound offload limit for vessels employing trawls. Properly licensed vessel Captains can possess landing limits for other states, but it is unlawful to offload those fish in North Carolina. The fishery will close by proclamation once 80% of the annual North Carolina quota is reached, or at 6:00 P.M., March 14, 2024, whichever occurs first..

 

[george]

@OVERBORED This is a prime example of the challenges our sport faces all around the coast. While I wish I could say I'm surprised, I fully expect we'll see similar issues here in the future.

I've been researching this extensively, and it's alarming how closely it mirrors what's happening right under our noses—or should I say, under our hulls? I'm diving deep into this issue, and I'm shocked by the lack of attention it's receiving.

Back in the 80s and 90s, summer flounder was the top target for recreational anglers in North Carolina. Today, they are completely shut out of the fishery. Remember, the same governing body responsible for managing your fluke is in charge here too. Their approach has been a complete failure so far.

Be sure to check back as I continue my research.

 

[OVERBORED]

I always thought the winter trawl fishery for fluke was the biggest detriment to the resource.

 

[george]

I always thought the winter trawl fishery for fluke was the biggest detriment to the resource.

I feel the same way, but it's clear that there's more to this situation than meets the eye. Were the fluke overfished, or are they moving north? Are they following bait, or is it due to warming waters, or maybe even both? Consider this: we're heading into June, and the fish are still nowhere to be found. Are they gone for good, or are they just somewhere else?

 

[Roccus7]

Are they gone for good, or are they just somewhere else?

Friends fishing Smithtown Bay saying the best fluke fishing in years...

 

[george]

Friends fishing Smithtown Bay saying the best fluke fishing in years...

True, but it's not near what it was.

 

[teipock2]

True, but it's not near what it was.

This is for our recreational flounder fishing season. We in North Carolina predominately have Southern Flounder, a close cousin to our and your Summer Flounder. Southern Flounder has no Oscellated spots which appear in a predominate 5 spot pattern on the Summer Flounder(Fluke), Southern Flounder do not have these oscelllated spots. Our two main governing bodies, North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission and North Carolina Marine Fisheries unfortunately govern both species. And our state to my knowledge is the only state that groups both species together when making laws governing one or the other because of the difficultly fisherman have distinguishing the two. NCDMF currently has an open trawl fishery in the federally mandated ocean waters off NC's coast. NCWRC governs our inland and joint coastal waters and NCMFC governs both Joint and Coastal Waters (predominate habitat of both Southern and Summer Flounder). NCFMC has closed the recreational season entirely but has yet to announce our 2024 Commercial Season as of yet. I have been a NC flounder gigger for over 40 years and having two agencies governing one fish in the same body of waters is asinine at best and has ruined a fishery that has been a big part of my entire life. Both our agencies are run by board members appointed by our democratic govenor Roy Cooper and all laws passed within his tenure have done nothing but hurt the flounder fishery as a whole. So my best recommendation is to count your lucky stars you don't live in my state and when it comes to November hopefully everyone will vote red because the democrats are destroying our fisheries as we know it.

 

[george]

@teipock2 Every state on the coast deals with this crap.