November 24, 2013 — A sizable cut to summer flounder catch limits will affect the state's commercial fishermen next year, but it could also impact area restaurants – and diners – accustomed to a steady supply of fresh, local flounder throughout the year.
"It's our top-selling item, and has been since we opened eight years ago," said Tripp Engel, chef at Brasserie du Soleil in Wilmington. "I've had instances where I haven't been able to get flounder to the quality I would like, so I substitute another fish, and people would get up and walk out because we didn't have flounder. It could definitely affect us."
The new commercial quota, which will take effect Jan. 1, is 10.51 million pounds, nearly a million pounds less than this year's quota of 11.44 million pounds. The quota is a coastal limit, meaning that Atlantic states from North Carolina to Massachusetts are allocated a percentage of the total. North Carolina has the largest piece of the pie at 27.44 percent, or 2.88 million pounds – an 8 percent decrease from the current allowance of 3.14 million pounds.