Open letter to NC DEQ & Div. of Marine Fisheries: July 10th, 2024
Among others, I was surprised when I learned the harvesting of flounder in NC by recreational fishermen went from a tiny catch season allowed last year to NO season this year. It has taken some effort to determine the cause of NO season this year. However, the commercial fishermen CAN take flounder this year. Some of this was an effort to reduce the take by 72% and restore the fish population. Active fishermen say the population has never been better. I have been told that recreational fishermen overfished their quota in 2023, that the overage had to be subtracted from the 2024 quota, and that there wasn’t enough remaining to have a flounder season. It seems that if the goal is to protect total flounder population, then the quota should apply to the total population, not separating the recreational and commercial quotas. If they are trying to protect juvenile flounder, then reinstate the 15” size limit.
The recreational fishing industry is important to our southern coast. Our economy is based not only on real estate, but on hospitality, including tourism, restaurants, room rentals, charter rentals, bait, fishing tackle, etc. While the summer is very busy, this industry covers most of the year. The economic impact is real to our charter fishing and marina industry, as well as the hospitality industry.
In Brunswick County we border South Carolina, which has a different approach. Their anglers can take 5 flounder per person per day, 10 per boat. We can take zero. I don’t think the fish know which state they are in. Are the stories of boats crossing the state line correct? Are the laws fair that allow me to catch fish in SC, and bring them back to NC in my car/truck pulling my boat, but not in the boat.
A few things I learned when talking to the head of the NC Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) last week: It could take 10 years to restore the flounder stock. It will be 2026 before the commercial/recreational quota goes from a 70/30 split to 50/50. DMF quotas count the “discards” (catch-and-release) the same as kept fish. Although the DMF is over 200 years old, the authorization to devise the Fishery Management Plans (FMP) was passed by the General Assembly in 1997. The Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) is made up of 9 members, 3 of which are recreational fishermen and none of which come from our area.
I hate to compare this to the Covid lockdown, where the scientists and bureaucrats shut down the economy based on sketchy data and selective science. However, it is hard not to, at least on a smaller scale.
The MFC meets in August and November this year. I encourage concerned citizens to go to their website or show up with your opinions. If our DMF cannot come up with a better Fishery Mgmt. Plan at least by 2025, perhaps we need to go to the floors of the N.C. House and Senate, hear from citizens and objective experts, and come up with a plan for them.
Rep. Frank Iler
District 17 – Brunswick County