The North Carolina Wildlife Federation has called for an end to inshore shrimp trawling after the flounder season was canceled.
The organization says the southern flounder and other important fisheries in North Carolina are in dire condition and strong action is needed now to save them.
COE Tim Gestwicki said while there are many reasons why southern flounder and other fisheries are considered overfished, one of the most significant contributing factors is bycatch from inshore shrimp trawling.
A 2015 study shows that for every pound of shrimp harvested in North Carolina’s waters, more than four pounds of other fish are discarded, and southern flounder represented 1% to 33% of the discards.
North Carolina is the only state on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts that still allows large-scale shrimp trawling in its estuaries, and Gestwicki shrimp trawling should only take place in coastal ocean waters.
