August 11, 2025 — The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission is expected to vote next week on an amendment that will evenly split the southern flounder fishery allocation 50/50 between commercial and recreational fishers.
If the commission adopts Amendment 4 to the state’s Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan, the new allocation would go into effect this year.
Commissioners are also set during their Aug. 20-21 meeting in Raleigh to take a vote on setting the annual cap on standard commercial fishing licenses through the eligibility pool, and electing a vice chair.
The commission is expected to discuss draft Amendment 5 to the Southern Flounder management plan and hear a presentation on the current trends in the commercial and recreational sectors on the state’s sheepshead fishery and potential next steps for exploring changes to that fisheries management.