MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality said in a release Thursday that the 2024 recreational flounder season was canceled in order to preserve the southern flounder resource.
Estimates from 2023 indicated that recreational catch exceeded acceptable numbers based on a stock rebuilding plan, according to the release.
The plan was included in the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan and adopted by the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission in 2022.
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Water safety emphasized ahead of Memorial Day and summer swim season
Quotas were designated within the plan in order to respond to recreational and commercial overfishing, based on scientific data.
The Marine Fisheries Commission said that closing the 2024 season should allow the 2025 season to open without issue.
Click here for more information on the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment.
