After five hours of motions, amendments and haggling over details, the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission approved an emergency measure Thursday that will close down most fishing for southern flounder in the state’s sounds after Oct. 16.
The restrictions, which are aimed at allowing larger numbers of fish to migrate into the ocean to reach spawning age, were deemed necessary by the Division of Marine Fisheries even though the validity of a 2014 stock assessment was called into questions by a peer review.
While the closings will also apply to recreational anglers, commercial fishermen will take a big financial hit because the fall months are generally the most productive for catching flounder with gill and pound nets.
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