August 5, 2015 — As the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission plans to hold its quarterly meeting at the end of August, many recreational and commercial fishermen are worried about what the outcome might be.
“This is just a very fast track way to get this passed,” said North Carolina Fisheries Association Membership and Operations Manager Lauren Morris. “We are very concerned that their assessment cannot determine whether the fish is over-fished or not.”
The fish up for debate is the Southern Flounder, which is one of the most sought after fish in North Carolina.
The NCFA and commercial fishermen in the state are uneasy about the possible changes. The groups say it would mean drastic reductions in bag limits for fishermen, which would eventually lead to a sharp price increase for consumers and less dollars for the families and communities of fishermen.
“We have scientists that are telling us they don’t see exactly what the Division sees,” Morris added. “We are asking for kind of a pause button. Let’s go into the amendment process and let’s look at this more in depth.”