Wondering about the science behind management of state marine fisheries species? Check out the 2025 Fishery Management Plan Review, released today by the NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF).
The annual review includes 12 species or species groups managed under state Fishery Management Plans (FMPs), 21 species or species groups managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission or Federal councils and two species managed by N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission rule. This annual review is in addition to the comprehensive FMP reviews that occur every five years for the 12 state-managed species or species groups.
The annual review is a compilation of information collected during the previous calendar year, including fishery dependent data (collected from commercial and recreational fishermen) and fishery independent data (collected by researchers in the field). The review also includes summaries of the species’ life histories, stock assessments, fisheries and management.
The review provides an easy way for the public to find a quick summary of scientific and management information for coastal species in North Carolina.
Highlights in this year’s review include:
- Bay Scallop – The annual review continues to show no immediate need for management changes. As a result, the division is requesting to delay the next comprehensive review of the Bay Scallop FMP until 2027.
- Red Drum – The 2024 regional benchmark stock assessment (North Carolina through New Jersey), completed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) indicated the northern stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring but noted concerning trends in fishing mortality. Overfished means the population size is too small; overfishing means the removal rate is too high. In response to the stock assessment results, the ASMFC’ adopted Addendum II to Amendment 2 to the Interstate FMP for Red Drum that does not require management changes in North Carolina. Comprehensive review of the North Carolina Red Drum FMP was delayed from 2024 to 2025 to incorporate results of ASMFC’s 2024 stock assessment and the addendum. Management changes that may result from the North Carolina Red Drum FMP review will need to meet compliance requirements of the ASMFC plan.
- Spotted Seatrout – In March 2025, the Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) adopted Amendment 1 to the Spotted Seatrout FMP with management changes to end overfishing. The amendment also specifies that if a significant cold stun event occurs, DMF will close all Spotted Seatrout harvest through June 30. A significant cold stun occurred in 2025 and DMF closed the fishery. Despite the 2025 cold stun event, the 2025 spring and fall indices showed higher relative abundance than the timeseries average.
- Southern Flounder – The MFC adopted Amendment 4 to the Southern Flounder FMP in August 2025, shifting the quota allocation to 50/50 commercial/recreational prior to the 2025 recreational flounder season, a year earlier than what was prescribed in Amendment 3. The timing of the allocation shift was a short-term approach to address recreational access. The Southern Flounder stock in NC is showing early signs of recovery since management from Amendment 2 was implemented in 2019. Data from the division’s fishery-independent surveys show fluctuations in abundance indices with no increasing or decreasing trends. However, data from the recreational and commercial fisheries show an increase in the proportion of larger fish, which is a positive sign for the southern flounder stock.
- Striped Mullet – Amendment 2 was adopted in May 2024 and included management measures to end overfishing and rebuild the stock. These measures included day-of-week harvest closures for the commercial fishery, and a reduction in the individual bag limit and vessel limit for the recreational fishery. Since adoption of Amendment 2, commercial landings have remained high. Relative abundance has also increased, which may indicate that high landings are a result of an increase in the population size. Until a stock assessment is scheduled, DMF plans to conduct further review and analysis of available Striped Mullet data to assess trends and stock characteristics.
- Blue Crab – Trends in commercial landings, trips and fishery-independent indices of juvenile abundance show declines and continue to support the 2018 stock assessment findings that juvenile recruitment is in decline and has remained low. DMF’s benchmark Blue Crab stock assessment is underway and results are expected by late 2026. The results will inform DMF’s comprehensive review of the Blue Crab FMP, which begins this year.