North Carolina Legislators Step in to Destroy Southern Flounder Stocks
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [News and Observer] (Editorial) September 1, 2015
Flounder don’t vote, but lawmakers are still supposed to represent their best interests. For in a coastal state like North Carolina, a thriving fishery resource is good for the entire state.
But that’s not what’s happening in the case of a type of flounder, the southern flounder, that is a mainstay of recreational and commercial fishing in the sounds and estuaries of North Carolina. The flat, oval-shaped fish typically range from 15 to 18 inches and are good eating and much in demand. Last year, commercial fishermen hauled in 1.7 millions pounds of southern flounder they sold to the seafood industry for $4.8 million.
That big harvest year after year is taking a toll. Some surveys indicate that the southern flounder has been heavily over-fished and that its population is nearing collapse...
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