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The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries is seeking public input as it develops Amendment 5 to the N.C. Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan. A public scoping period will be held from March 1 through March 31, providing stakeholders an opportunity to share feedback on potential management strategies and priorities for the amendment. The scoping period will include four scoping meetings.

A meeting in Manteo is set for Thursday, March 6, 2025, at the Dare County Administration Building, located at 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive. The open-house style meeting will run from 6 to 8 p.m.

Other locations for additional scoping meetings are March 11 at the DMF Central District Office, Morehead City and March 27 at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington. Both meetings run from 6 to 8 p.m. On March 4, a meeting was held in Raleigh.

Scoping is the best opportunity for stakeholders to help shape the plan, states the media release.

The primary purpose of Amendment 5 is to address an August 2024, N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission motion to amend the Southern Flounder Fisheries Management Plan to allow for more recreational access while maintaining the rebuilding requirements of Amendment 3. Amendment 5 and Amendment 4 (in progress) are being developed concurrently to provide long-term, comprehensive approaches to recreational and commercial southern flounder management. A scoping document outlining potential issues and management strategies to be addressed can be found on the division website under Information on Southern Flounder FMP Amendment 5.

Beginning March 1, the public may provide feedback through an online form available on the same information webpage or submit a written comment through the mail to N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, Southern Flounder Scoping, PO Box 769, Morehead City, N.C. 28557. Comments must be received by 5 p.m. March 31, 2025.

At these meetings, there will be no formal presentation or structured public comment period. Instead, participants are encouraged to drop in at any time to engage in discussions and share thoughts and ideas. Stakeholder input gathered during these meetings will be considered in developing Amendment 5.

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