The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries have begun issuing the new Estuarine Flounder Dealer Permit starting today, Monday, June 13. This permit is required for seafood dealers to purchase estuarine-caught flounder from fishermen during the 2022 commercial southern flounder season this fall.
The permit is free to North Carolina licensed fish dealers and available by mail, drop-box, or in person by appointment.
Applications are available online at https://deq.nc.gov/marine-fisheries/commercial-fishing/estuarine-flounder-dealer-permit-application/open or by calling or visiting any of the following Division offices:
DMF Headquarters
3441 Arendell St.
Morehead City
Phone: 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632
Manteo Field Office
1021 Driftwood Dr.
Manteo
Phone 252-473-5734 or 800-405-7774
Pamlico District Office
943 Washington Square Mall, Highway 17
Washington
Phone: 252-946-6481 or 800-338-7804
Southern District Office
127 Cardinal Drive Extension
Wilmington
Phone: 910-796-7215 or 800-248-4536
Those who wish to make an appointment should call their local license office at the number listed above or email License@ncdenr.gov. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Drop-boxes are also available at these locations.
In May, the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission adopted Amendment 3 to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan, which adds southern flounder to the Division’s Quota Monitoring Program. Licensed fish dealers will be sent a letter through the mail that explains the quota monitoring requirements. The letter is also posted at https://deq.nc.gov/marine-fisheries/commercial-fishing/flounder-dealer-permit-letter/open.
The commercial southern flounder season dates have not yet been announced, but the commercial fishery annual harvest quota will be divided into two gear categories – pound nets and mobile gears (gill nets and gigs) – and split by harvest areas for monitoring purposes. Dealers will be required to submit quota monitoring logs daily while the commercial flounder season is open for the categories and harvest areas chosen on the permit.
The pound net fishery will be divided into three areas:
- Northern – Albemarle Sound and its tributaries, including the Croatan and Roanoke sounds;
- Central — Pamlico Sound and its tributaries; and
- Southern — All waters from Core Sound south.
Mobile Gears will be divided into two areas:
- Northern — North Carolina/Virginia border south to the Incidental Take Permit Areas B and D boundary line in Core Sound (34° 48.2700’ N latitude which runs approximately from the Club House on Core Banks westerly to a point on the shore at Davis near Marker 1); and
- Southern — The Incidental Take Permit Areas B and D boundary line in Core Sound (34° 48.2700’ N latitude which runs approximately from the Club House on Core Banks westerly to a point on the shore at Davis near Marker 1) south to the North Carolina/South Carolina border.
For more information, contact Willow Patten, Division Quota Monitoring Biologist, at 252-808-8109 or Willow.Patten@ncdenr.gov.