The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will hold an online listening session about the Draft Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 3 on Jan. 5 at 1 p.m. The listening session prefaces three Marine Fisheries Commission advisory committee meetings where public comment will be accepted.
NCDMF Listening Session
Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan
Jan. 5 at 1 p.m.
Join via WebEx
At the listening session, division staff will present details of the draft amendment and allow the public opportunity to ask questions. The presentation will be recorded and posted on the Information on Southern Flounder Amendment 3 webpage by 5 p.m. Jan. 6.
The following week, three Marine Fisheries Commission advisory committees will meet to review and accept public comment on the draft amendment. The advisory committee meetings will be held by web conference and in-person at the Division of Marine Fisheries’ Central District Office, 5284 Highway 70 West, Morehead City.
Those who wish to speak during the public comment sessions must preregister by 5 p.m. the day prior to the meeting. Preregistration is required for both in-person and web conference comments. Those who attend the meetings in-person will be required to wear a mask, except when giving public comment.
Below are the meeting dates, times, locations, and speaker registration links and deadlines.
| Meeting | Date | Time | Location | Speaker Registration |
| Northern Regional Advisory Committee | Jan. 11 | 6 p.m. | DMF CDO and WebEx | Sign up to speak by 5 p.m. Jan. 10 |
| Southern Regional Advisory Committee | Jan. 12 | 6 p.m. | DMF CDO and WebEx | Sign up to speak by 5 p.m. Jan. 11 |
| Finfish Advisory Committee | Jan. 13 | 6 p.m. | DMF CDO and WebEx | Sign up to speak by 5 p.m. Jan. 12 |
Links to join the advisory committee meetings are posted on the Marine Fisheries Commission Advisory Committees Meetings webpage.
Public comment also may be submitted by an online survey or through mail to Draft Southern Flounder FMP Amendment 3 Comments, P.O Box 769, Morehead City, N.C. 28557. Comments must be received by 5 p.m. on Jan. 14, 2022.
Draft Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 3 contains a suite of management options to implement comprehensive, long-term measures to achieve sustainable harvest in the southern flounder fishery. These include:
- Sustainable harvest
- Increased recreational harvest
- Inlet corridors
- Adaptive management
- Sector allocations
- Slot limits
- Phasing out large-mesh gill nets
A companion Decision Document, which precedes the draft amendment in the online document, provides the Division’s initial recommendations and rationale.
More information is available on the Information on Southern Flounder Amendment 3 webpage.
The Marine Fisheries Commission is scheduled to consider public comment and advisory committee input and select its preferred management measures for departmental and legislative review at its February 2022 business meeting and consider final approval of the amendment in May 2022.
For more information contact division biologists Michael Loeffler at 252-381-6002 or Anne Markwith at 910-796-7292.