THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 4, 1995 TAG: 9511040466
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: MOREHEAD CITY LENGTH: Short : 31 lines
North Carolina ports will be open to the landing of flounder caught commercially in the Atlantic Ocean beginning at 6 a.m. Monday.
A new license to land commercially-caught Atlantic flounder is now required.
Under North Carolina law, fishermen will be required to have a license if they land more than 100 pounds of flounder per trip at any North Carolina port. A license is not required if less than 100 pounds is caught.
Earlier this year, the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries closed state ports to commercial flounder because watermen were landing the fish in record numbers.
``Because North Carolina has an annual commercial harvest quota, we were in jeopardy of using our entire allotment prior to the fall fishing season,'' said North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries Director Bruce Freeman.
The increased catch was attributed to the early closure of flounder fisheries by other East Coast states. Boats from as far away as New England were coming to North Carolina to land flounder.
For more information regarding the flounder license, call (800) 682-2632. by CNB