An event on March 13 will bring together researchers, recreational anglers, and state leaders to celebrate the milestone.

The Southern Flounder Stock Enhancement Program, created in 2021 and funded partly by saltwater license fees, is part of a broader Marine Stock Enhancement Program that also includes other species.

For the 2024–2025 season, the program produced nearly 1 million larvae, 33,000 pre-metamorphosis juveniles, and 45,000 post-metamorphosis juveniles, with releases at multiple developmental stages.

The public release at Murrells Inlet Boat Launch is scheduled for 1 p.m. today.

This milestone marks the culmination of years of pioneering research that established the first southern flounder stock enhancement program along the Atlantic coast.

The overarching aim is to strengthen coastal fisheries and support the long-term sustainability of flounder in South Carolina waters.

South Carolina is releasing hatchery-raised southern flounder into state estuaries for the first time, starting with nearly 10,000 post-metamorphosis juveniles around an inch long released at Murrells Inlet Boat Launch today, as part of a broader annual program including larvae and juveniles.

Experts note that warming sea temperatures, not just overfishing, may be affecting southern flounder reproduction by altering sex determination during development, a factor considered in the species’ declines.

Regulatory changes over the years have shifted fishing rules to support maturation and spawning, increasing the minimum length from 15 to 16 inches and reducing daily bag limits.

The stocking effort will be evaluated over the next one to two years by tracking released fish with a genetic identification tool to measure contributions to the wild population.