 |
| Flounder caught on a DOA shrimp! |
The three species of flounder that can be caught in local
waters have shown declines in their numbers via marine research. The southern,
summer and Gulf flounder are now under new regulations in South Carolina
designed to protect their stocks for the future of recreational fishing. The
changes are designed to be a long-term fix to the issue of increased fishing
pressure that is in direct correlation to the increase in saltwater fishing
license sales. The legal length for keeping a flounder increases from 14-inches
to 15-inches as of July 1, 2017.
In
addition, the daily bag limit and the daily boat limit for keeping flounder
have been reduced. Anglers can only claim 10 flounder per day now, down from the
15 flounder limit that was in place since 2007. The maximum daily boat limit is
now set at 20 flounder per day, a limit which addresses fishing trips for larger
parties or charters. The hope for flounder recovery relies on their own ability
to reproduce, with the new regulations giving smaller fish a greater chance to
reach spawning age.
Judging the
health of any specific stock of saltwater fish can be tricky, especially
considering that flounder can swim from inshore to offshore, and they can
migrate across state lines, exposing them to different regulations. However,
the S.C. Department of Natural Resources has solid data sets for many species
thanks to the dedication of the Marine Resources Division. Their trammel net
surveys over the past twenty years in waters such as those of the ACE Basin
reveal a decline in the catch and release of flounder.
To view the feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.
To view past blog entries about coastal flatfish click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.