Information on Southern Flounder Amendment 5
The Division of Marine Fisheries is seeking public input as it develops Amendment 5 to the N.C. Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan. A public scoping period will be held from March 1 through March 31, providing stakeholders an opportunity to share feedback on potential management strategies and priorities for the amendment. The scoping period will include four scoping meetings.
While there will be many other opportunities for the public to provide comments on Amendment 5 as it is developed, scoping is the best opportunity for stakeholders to help shape the plan.
The primary purpose of Amendment 5 is to address an August 2024, Marine Fisheries Commission motion to amend the Southern Flounder FMP to allow for more recreational access while maintaining the rebuilding requirements of Amendment 3. Amendment 5 and Amendment 4 (in progress) are being developed concurrently to provide long-term, comprehensive approaches to recreational and commercial Southern Flounder management.
To see the potential issues and management strategies to be addressed, please see the Amendment 5 Scoping Document and view the presentation below.
Scoping Information
The public may provide feedback through an online form or submit a written comment through the mail to:
N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries
Southern Flounder Scoping
P.O. Box 769
Morehead City, N.C. 28557
Comments must be received by 5 p.m. Mar. 31, 2025.
The Division will hold a series of four in-person scoping meetings to gather input from stakeholders regarding the development of Amendment 5.
All meetings will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in an informal, open-house format. Division staff will be available throughout the meetings to provide information, answer questions, and discuss Southern Flounder science and management with attendees. There will be no formal presentation or structured public comment period; instead, participants are encouraged to drop in at any time to engage in discussions and share their thoughts and ideas. The meeting dates and locations are listed below.
| Tuesday, March 4 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. |
| Archdale Building Ground Floor Hearing Room 512 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, N.C. 27604 |
| Thursday, March 6 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. |
| Dare County Administration Building 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive Manteo, N.C. 27954 |
| Tuesday, March 11 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. |
| DMF Central District Office 5285 Highway 70 West Morehead City, N.C. 28557 |
| Thursday, March 27 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. |
| Cape Fear Community College Room U252 502 N. Front Street Wilmington, N.C. 28401 |
While Amendment 4 and Amendment 5 are being developed, management of Southern Flounder will continue under Amendment 3. For more information on Amendment 3 and the status of the Southern Flounder fishery, please visit the Information on Southern Flounder FMP Amendment 3 webpage.