Wondering about the science behind management of state marine fisheries species?…
Wondering about the science behind management of state marine fisheries species? Check out the 2025 Fishery Management Plan Review, released by the NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF).
The annual review includes 12 species or species groups managed under state Fishery Management Plans (FMPs), 21 species or species groups managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission or Federal councils, and two species managed by N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission rule. This annual review is in addition to the comprehensive FMP reviews that occur every five years for the 12 state-managed species or species groups.
The annual review is a compilation of information collected during the previous calendar year, including fishery dependent data (collected from commercial and recreational fishermen) and fishery independent data (collected by researchers in the field). The review also includes summaries of the species’ life histories, stock assessments, fisheries, and management.
The review provides an easy way for the public to find a quick summary of scientific and management information for coastal species in North Carolina.Â
Highlights in this year’s review include: Â
Red Drum – The 2024 regional benchmark stock assessment (North Carolina through New Jersey), completed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), indicated the northern stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring but noted concerning trends in fishing mortality. Overfished means the population size is too small; overfishing means the removal rate is too high. In response to the stock assessment results, the ASMFC adopted Addendum II to Amendment 2 to the Interstate FMP for Red Drum that does not require management changes in North Carolina. Comprehensive review of the North Carolina Red Drum FMP was delayed from 2024 to 2025 to incorporate results of ASMFC’s 2024 stock assessment and the addendum. Management changes that may result from the North Carolina Red Drum FMP review will need to meet compliance requirements of the ASMFC plan.
Spotted Seatrout – In March 2025, the Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) adopted Amendment 1 to the Spotted Seatrout FMP with management changes to end overfishing. The amendment also specifies that if a significant cold stun event occurs, DMF will close all Spotted Seatrout harvest through June 30. A significant cold stun occurred in 2025 and DMF closed the fishery. Despite the 2025 cold stun event, the 2025 spring and fall indices showed higher relative abundance than the time series average.
Southern Flounder – The MFC adopted Amendment 4 to the Southern Flounder FMP in August 2025, shifting the quota allocation to 50/50 commercial/recreational prior to the 2025 recreational flounder season, a year earlier than what was prescribed in Amendment 3. The timing of the allocation shift was a short-term approach to address recreational access. The Southern Flounder stock in NC is showing early signs of recovery since management from Amendment 2 was implemented in 2019. Data from the division’s fishery-independent surveys show fluctuations in abundance indices with no increasing or decreasing trends. However, data from the recreational and commercial fisheries show an increase in the proportion of larger fish, which is a positive sign for the southern flounder stock.
