Tag Archives: southern flounder
At the Boiling Point – Southern flounder in N.C.
The fish fight has erupted into an all-out battle focused on the state’s nine-member Marine Fisheries Commission, now tasked with finding a solution that will pacify policy makers, unburden fishermen and keep the flounder swimming. “I think this is relatively newer to the legislators, and I think they probably jumped the gun on it,” said commission member Mike Wicker, who is also a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “I think they want to represent what their constituency would like them to represent, but I don’t think they’ve had enough time to understand what their constituency wants.” Read the rest here 10:58
Fish wars swirl – Commercial and recreational fishermen clash over southern flounder stock
Not the prettiest nor the most elusive of fish, the flat, oval-shaped southern flounder is nonetheless a tasty staple along the North Carolina coast, whether it’s caught by fishing rod or purchased in a seafood market or restaurant.These days the southern flounder is making waves that reach all the way to the state capital, pitting recreational anglers against commercial operators, setting a regulatory commission’s members against one another and their staff, and prompting legislators to wade into a controversy that is the territory of the executive branch. Accusations of political threats and retaliation abound. Read the rest here 08:04
Tensions build leading up to NC Marine Fisheries quarterly meeting
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. Many fishermen say conservationists and other politicians aren’t happy with North Carolina laws that allow gill net use. Read the rest here 08:23
North Carolina Commercial Fishermen, Go to this public hearing
We urge attendance in a 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday public hearing in the New Bern River Convention Center that the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will hold to discuss southern flounder, the state’s most requested finfish. Representing the state’s commercial fishermen who serve the public, the N.C. Fisheries Association, is asking the Fisheries Commission to manage southern flounder in a fair and equitable manner, and it’s seeking fishermen’s participation in the hearing. Read the rest here 09:16
N.C. Div. Marine Fisheries stock-assessment for southern flounder kicked back in Peer Review process
A stock-assessment report scheduled to go to the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission in mid-February that judged southern flounder as still being overfished and overharvested has been rejected by a peer-review board of three scientists who noted problems with the report and would not approve it, according to Dr. Louis Daniel, NCDMF’s executive director. Had the stock-assessment report been approved, the agency’s 2005 Southern Flounder Fisheries Management Plan would have mandated drastic action to end overfishing and overharvest, up to and including closing the fishery. Read the rest here 18:40
Fuel costs, weather, and regulations contribute to smaller NC seafood harvests
“They just won’t let us fish,” Everett said. “People just can’t make it.” Everett’s father opened the business in 1942, and it shipped fish to Boston, Philadelphia and New York City. But, he said, with tightening restrictions on where fishermen can fish, how many fish they can catch and more, “There was no way to pay your bills.” Read more here 20:18
