So NC is now down to two weeks a year for recreational fishermen?
Sounds like the commercial guys have too much influence on legislators. Someone tell me I'm wrong.
Either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing.
You are wrong:
Division of Marine Fisheries Director Steve Murphey has announced the 2020 commercial flounder seasons.
The commercial southern flounder harvest seasons will open on the following schedule:
Northern Area (waters north of Pamlico Sound) – Sept. 15 to Oct. 1;
Central Area (Pamlico Sound and its tributaries) – Oct. 1 to Oct. 19;
Southern Area (waters from Core Sound to the South Carolina line) – Oct. 1 to Oct. 21.
Last edited by SouthernWake; 06-25-2021 at 12:37 PM.
and Boogeymen.
"Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery elements are for wise men to contemplate and for fools to pass by without consideration" -Izaak Walton
Too bad it ain't stumps.
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." John 15:12
"Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14
Goldfinch (R-Murrells Inlet) added a provision to the bill that would require the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to establish a flounder stocking program funded by an increase in saltwater fishing license fees.
https://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/sp...250896684.html
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries has adjusted the recreational and commercial flounder seasons for 2021 to ensure a sustainable fishery. In 2019 the Division of Marine Fisheries recommended and the Marine Fisheries Commission approved, substantial harvest reductions in the flounder fishery to rebuild the southern flounder stock. These season adjustments are necessary to meet that goal.
The recreational flounder season will open Sept. 1 and close Sept. 14 in internal and ocean waters of North Carolina. The minimum size limit will remain at 15 inches total length, and the creel limit will remain at four fish per person per day during the open recreational season.
Since all species of flounder are managed under the same recreational regulations, the recreational season applies to all recreational flounder fishing.
The commercial southern flounder harvest seasons will open on the following schedule:
Northern Area (waters north of Pamlico Sound) – Sept. 15 to Oct. 1;
Central Area (Pamlico Sound and its tributaries) – Oct. 1 to Oct. 19;
Southern Area (waters from Core Sound to the South Carolina line) – Oct. 1 to Oct. 21.
All commercial gears that target southern flounder, such as large mesh gill nets and flounder pound nets, must be removed from the water when the season is closed (or made inoperable in the case of flounder pound nets). The catfish and shad fisheries, which use large mesh gill nets, will be allowed in areas where interactions with southern flounder are unlikely.
The flounder fishery is currently managed under Amendment 2 to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan. Amendment 2 included southern flounder harvest reductions of 62% in 2019 and 72% beginning in 2020 for both the recreational and commercial fisheries. The total removals allowed in both years under these reductions were exceeded in both the commercial and recreational sectors, resulting in the seasonal adjustments.
Reductions in harvest are required because the 2019 South Atlantic Southern Flounder Stock Assessment found that southern flounder is overfished and overfishing is occurring throughout the region (North Carolina through the eastern coast of Florida). Overfished means the population is too small. Overfishing means the removal rate is too high. North Carolina is leading the rebuilding effort with the Marine Fisheries Commission adoption of Amendment 2.
The Division of Marine Fisheries is developing Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 3, which examines more robust management strategies, such as quotas, slot limits, size limit changes, gear changes, and species-specific management for the recreational fishery. Draft Amendment 3 is scheduled to be reviewed and potentially approved for public and advisory committee review in November 2021.
Either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing.
SCDNR feared the largest contributor to the decline of flounder in SC was commercial netting in Pamlico Sound. They were overfished both recreationally and commercially along the coast of NC to Fla.
There was a flounder bill that established the size, limits, fees and restocking. This provided dedicated funding of 5$ per saltwater license toward flounder and the remaining could be spent according to the committee. Estimated contribution to flounder 1.25m and 1m more for the committee to decide.
The bill passed the house and senate with different language. A conference committee was formed and we hammered out a compromise.
There was also a budget. 3.5 was dedicated to repairs of the Waddell Hatchery that was operating at 50%.
Either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing.
Thanks for the info and any efforts DT!
Good looking catch.
I had fried cubera snapper and grouper tonight with grits, salad and white corn.
Either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing.
I keep what I will eat fresh. No freezing. Hook and line, no nets. I don't sell them. Average cost is $200 per pound. The perfect tourist.
Either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing.
Funny I do the exact same when I come HOME to MI yet it’s frowned upon. I do not consider myself a tourist when I come home to where I was born like the 6 generations of my family before me! I appreciate a lot of your contributions to this site and state, but I think you are overlooking certain groups of people who hunt and fish SC.
Last edited by Woodiewacker82; 06-26-2021 at 12:52 PM.
If there is an abundance of a public resource like seafood, after all the sustenance and recreational consumers have taken their share, then the excess could be allowed to be sold by commercial interests. If I decided to sell air, you should not be limited on how much you like to breathe to support my choice of livelihood.
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I would cut commercial harvest FIRST. Everyone has more right to a public resource to use as their own food than anyone has a right to sell and profit from it. Commercial use should be in line behind personal use. We should allow a public resource to be sold for profit only if there is an excess that can be harvested without hurting the sustainability of the resource.
How would any of you feel about some legacy, grandfathered deer meat seller that argued they had been here for years and deserved to shoot more deer than recreational hunters because they relied on their chosen occupation to provide food for their families? How about ducks? Should a commercial duck hunter have more right to the birds than you?
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