April 30, 2024 — A scientist and two legislators joined the state commercial fishing lobby in protesting the procedure planned by the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission for possible changes in regulation of the summer flounder harvest.
The fishery, which brought $4.8 million in dockside value to N.C. fishermen last year, is the top commercial fin fish in the state.
The North Carolina Fisheries Association held a Monday morning press conference at Union Point Park in New Bern to challenge the use of a supplement approach to the management plan for the flounder.
Six management plan proposals were quickly assembled since February, with a public hearing Wednesday in New Bern and a possible vote by the Marine Fisheries Commission at its August meeting in Raleigh.
The 1 p.m. public hearing at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center is set for four hours in anticipation of a large turnout ranging from fishermen and seafood dealers, to related industries such as restaurant owners and consumers.
One main threat from the current proposals is a possible ban on anchored large-mesh gill nets in the state’s internal waters.
The Fisheries Association, headed by President Jerry Schill, favors an amendment process to assess flounder stocks, a process that allows detailed scientific input, public input and advisory panels. It was implemented with the Fisheries Reform Act of 1997.
He said an amendment is used to address a concern and a supplement to address an emergency, such as stocks threatened by environmental factors, including hurricanes and freezes.