Legislation that would force an expansion of recreational fishing seasons for two popular coastal fish species has passed the North Carolina House.
House Bill 442 would order the state Division of Marine Fisheries to open state waters for southern flounder and red snapper fishing through 2029.
Both species had extremely short seasons in 2024 because they are considered overfished, meaning the population is too small to sustain itself and could collapse.
The state believes the population of southern flounder is still shrinking because of continued overfishing. Meanwhile, the southern Atlantic stock of red snapper is growing thanks to tight catch restrictions, according to the fisheries arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Bill sponsor Rep. Frank Iler, R-Brunswick, said the way DMF opens and closes seasons "is extremely flawed" and that a stock assessment is desperately needed. The last one relies on data from 2017.
The bill passed the House 77-35 last week, with bipartisan support. All the 'no' votes came from Democrats, who questioned whether the strategy was sustainable.
"This is not a way to manage fisheries," said Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford. "We have experts."
Sen. Norman W. Sanderson, R-Pamlico, told NC Newsroom he intends to give the bill a hearing in the Senate's agricultural committee, which he co-chairs.
What's new in the bill
Since being introduced, the bill was rewritten to specify that it refers to southern flounder, not summer flounder, and that the season should last at least six weeks. One fish per person per day would be allowed.
An annual commercial quota of 750,000 pounds is also set by the bill.
Commercial harvests peaked in the 1990s above 5 million pounds and dropped to an average of about 864,000 pounds a year since seasons were introduced in 2019. Since 2019, recreational harvest has averaged 340,000 pounds.
Once the southern flounder fishery was deemed overfished in 2019, state law required they restore the fishery within 10 years, prompting DMF to establish seasonal closures.
The bill's supporters say recreational flounder season should be more in line with neighboring states.
"It's a shame that you can go to Virginia and South Carolina and catch all you want," said Rep. Charles W. Miller, R-Brunswick.
North Carolina harvests 57% of all southern flounder, according to the Department of Environmental Quality.
Rep. Phil Shepard, R-Onslow, said the state's coastal economy is suffering despite fishers saying there's no shortage of flounder.
"I'm going not based on what some people are telling you the facts are. I'm talking to people that actually fish and get in the water all the time," Shepard said. "I don't think those fish know when they're in South Carolina or North Carolina or Virginia."
As to red snapper, the bill would allow a year-round season in state waters, with a two-fish limit per person per day.
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council manages red snapper in federal waters. Last year's season was a single day.
Rep. Brian Turner, D-Buncombe, said this legislation is alarming regional fisheries commissions.
"What happens when a state is out of compliance? Well, for one thing, there could be a moratorium placed on their fisheries," Turner said on the House floor. "I don't think that's anything that anybody in this room wants."
