Press Releases

The commercial flounder season will close at 6:00 p.m. on Oct. 6 in the Pound Net Northern Management Area. Flounder pound net sets must be rendered inoperable by 6:00 p.m. on Oct. 7 in the management area during the closed flounder season.

The commercial flounder season will close Oct. 6 in the Pound Net Southern Management Area. Additionally, a flounder trip limit is established for the Pound Net Northern and Central Management Areas.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission is accepting public comment on the proposed re-adoption and amendment of one rule under a state-mandated periodic review schedule and proposed amendments to a second rule.

The fall recreational striped bass season in the Albemarle Sound Management Area will not open in 2022 because a stock assessment update shows further harvest reductions are needed.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Nominating Committee will meet by web conference on Oct. 11 at 1 p.m.

The commercial flounder season is closing for mobile gears in internal coastal waters statewide. Additionally, a flounder trip limit is established for the Pound Net Northern Management Area.

The Division of Marine Fisheries is developing Amendment 2 to the N.C. Striped Mullet Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The division will hold a public scoping period Sept. 26 to Oct. 7 to solicit public input on potential management strategies for the upcoming amendment and discuss stakeholder priorities. Scoping is the best opportunity for the public to inform the plan.

More than $7.6 million in federal financial relief is on its way to eligible members of fishing industries that sustained income losses or damages from Hurricane Florence.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Commercial Resource Fund Committee and the Funding Committee for the N.C. Commercial Fishing Resource Fund will meet jointly by web conference on Sept. 29 at 6 p.m.

The commercial flounder season opens for mobile gears tomorrow, and the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is reminding gill net fishermen that an Estuarine Gill Net Permit (EGNP) is required to use anchored gill nets in estuarine waters.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission is looking for commercial and recreational fishermen, scientists, and other interested parties to sit on various fisheries advisory committees.

The Division of Marine Fisheries is developing Amendment 2 to the N.C. Striped Mullet Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The division will hold a public scoping period Sept. 26 to Oct. 7 to solicit public input on potential management strategies for the upcoming amendment and discuss stakeholder priorities. Scoping is the best opportunity for the public to inform the plan.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries recently certified a new state record swordfish (Xiphias gladius).

Eight newly readopted Marine Fisheries Commission rules become effective today, but fishermen will not see any difference.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will collect flounder carcasses of legal size (15 inches or greater) from recreational fishermen during the upcoming recreational flounder season.