Southern Flounder Management Information

Southern Flounder Annual Update

Flounder Species Profile

The 2019 stock assessment of Southern Flounder in the South Atlantic indicated the stock is overfished and overfishing is occurring. Amendment 3 to the Southern Flounder FMP, adopted in May 2022, implemented management strategies projected to end overfishing and achieve sustainable harvest by reducing Southern Flounder harvest by 72%. 

Amendment 4 was adopted in August 2025 and included a single management change: shifting the quota allocation to 50/50 commercial/recreational up one year to begin in 2025 rather than in 2026 as prescribed in Amendment 3. This allocation shift is a short-term approach to address recreational access. All other management measures from Amendment 3 were carried forward in Amendment 4. Stakeholders have expressed concern with the current management framework, which includes a coastwide rebuilding approach with other states, and regulations unable to adapt to dynamic stock conditions. In response to delays in completing a coastwide benchmark stock assessment and public concern about the current management strategy, Amendment 5 is in development to provide a long-term management strategy looking at using data for flounder in North Carolina that allows for the continued recovery of the Southern Flounder stock and some flexibility for providing access to the resource.