Louisiana's season for flounder is set to close in a couple weeks as the state seeks to rehabilitate the popular species that remains overfished.

Anglers will be prevented from keeping southern flounder from Oct. 15-Nov. 30, with the closed season in place since 2022. The prohibition includes flounder netted as bycatch by shrimpers.

"The annual closed season in the fall allows mature female flounder to escape inshore waters and move offshore to spawn," the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said in its announcement of the closure.

The results of an assessment released in February showed the species remained overfished, though there have been some encouraging signs. Catch numbers have declined from more than 300,000 pounds per year before 2017 to more recent lows of around 100,

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