Implementation of the management strategies adopted in Amendment 2 was deemed critical to successful rebuilding of the southern flounder stock. To ensure that harvest reductions are not delayed while more comprehensive strategies are developed for Amendment 3, management actions are needed for the 2019 calendar year.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission’s selected management strategy included that the adoption of Amendment 2 authorized concurrent development of Amendment 3 and more robust management strategies. Amendment 3 will be completed as quickly as possible with the ongoing contributions of the existing Fishery Management Plan advisory committee appointees. These appointees will assist the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries in development of Amendment 3 by building on the knowledge, expertise, and cooperation already underway and continue the work uninterrupted from meetings that began in January 2018. The first Amendment 3 Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled for Oct. 9.

The advisory committee will explore several management tools to augment North Carolina’s contribution to sustainable harvest in the southern flounder fishery, including a static quota, a dynamic quota, slot limits, changes in size limits, gear changes related to size limit changes, species-specific management, and a possible for-hire industry allocation. Monitoring of static quotas could not have been implemented in the short timeframe before adoption of Amendment 2 as they require the division to develop permits, evaluate the existing quota monitoring system, determine what additional staff would be necessary to monitor the quota, develop a means to verify reporting requirements, and identify the level of reporting needed. In addition to logistics, the quota itself needs to be finalized, and accountability measures for both the commercial and recreational fisheries developed. Also, the division needs to determine what percentage of the landed quota would trigger a closure.

Likewise, changes to size limits require additional analyses and updates to the projections as they are based on 2017 regulations (minimum size limits). Selectivity estimates need to be identified for various scenarios to determine impacts due to size limit changes, including slot limits. If the minimum size limit is decreased, then conservation equivalencies need to be discussed with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to account for potential impacts to the summer flounder fishery.

Implementation of season closures in 2019 with adoption of Amendment 2 starts the time period required by statute to end overfishing within two years and rebuild spawning stock biomass within 10 years. Management strategies adopted through Amendment 3 would not restart the time requirements but will aid in meeting the mandates of the statutes.

In addition, management strategies developed through Amendment 3 will replace those currently implemented through Amendment 2. However, they will also be developed using the results from the same stock assessment as Amendment 2 (which is the most recent stock assessment) so the magnitude of the reductions will be the same. The level of reductions or available quota will remain until a new stock assessment is completed using data that will only become available after several years of operating the fisheries under Amendment 2/Amendment 3 reductions. At that time, if the new assessment indicates the fishery is recovered then management strategies could allow for increased harvest. Amendment 3 is scheduled to be adopted by the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission in 2021.