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2010 NC Stock Status shows flounder, speckled trout stocks depleted

Jeffrey Weeks' photo
Charlotte Fish and Wildlife Policy Examiner
Southern flounder stocks are currently listed by the state as depleted in NC.
Southern flounder stocks are currently listed by the state as depleted in NC.
Photo credit: 
Jeffrey Weeks

The 2010 stock status of important coastal fisheries for North Carolina indicates that two species of extreme concern to inshore anglers in the Southeastern region, southern flounder and speckled trout, are listed as depleted. State fisheries data continues to show both species are overfished year after year.

Southern flounder are the predominant inshore flounder of the SE NC coast, and occur in the ocean waters alongside summer flounder. Southern flounder are heavily targeted by commercial netters, giggers (both commercial and recreational), and recreational rod and reel anglers. Speckled trout are heavily sought by sports anglers as well as taken in commercial nets.

Here is the 2010 stock status of some important SE NC inshore saltwater fish.

Black sea bass: depleted south of Cape Hatteras

Striped bass: depleted in the Central and Southern regions

Bluefish: viable

Croaker: concern

Red drum: recovering

Southern flounder: depleted

Summer flounder: recovering

King mackerel: concern

Spot: concern

Speckled trout: depleted

Gray trout (weakfish): depleted

The entire 2010 stock status report provided by the state can be found at Stock Status of Important Coastal Fisheries in North Carolina 2010.

For more fisheries articles and links see my blog A Dash of Salty
 

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, Charlotte Fish and Wildlife Policy Examiner

Jeffrey Weeks is an award-winning North Carolina newspaper writer who has been covering fish and wildlife issues for many years. He graduated with a Political Science degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and taught high school civics and journalism for 14 years.

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