В Северной Каролине открыт 14-дневный сезон ловли камбалы в 2026 году

14-day window opens for flounder harvest in North Carolina’s 2026 recreational season MOREHEAD CITY, Carteret County — North Carolina’s 2026 recreational flounder season is underway, giving anglers a limited 14-day window to harvest the popular coastal fish. The season runs through Sept. 14 in coastal, joint and ocean waters. State fisheries officials say the flounder population is beginning to show signs of improvement after years of conservation efforts. A 2019 stock assessment found southern flounder were overfished and the population was declining. Since then, the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries has implemented the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan to help rebuild the stock. Researchers in Morehead City are also studying harvested fish through the Marine Fisheries Carcass Collection Program. Amanda Mycek, who runs the program, said researchers can learn important information about flounder populations from donated carcasses. "So the ear bones are what we're going to use to determine the age of the fish," Mycek said. "Each year the fish is going to lay down growth rings, just like the rings of the tree if you were to cut a tree down." Last year, an angler donated a flounder that researchers determined was 12 years old. Officials said the discovery expanded the known documented age of southern flounder from 9 years to 12 years. The state is again asking anglers to donate flounder carcasses during this year's season so researchers can continue tracking the population. "In supporting programs like this and by donating your catch, you can actually make a really big difference," Mycek said. "Your donations do matter." During the recreational season, anglers can keep 1 flounder per person per day. Harvested fish must be at least 15 inches long. The state also requires anglers to report all recreational flounder harvests.