New data on summer flounder stocks are casting doubt on optimistic reports from August that anglers may get to catch more of the popular flatfish next year.
In August, the fishery councils that regulate summer flounder, also known as fluke, recommended increasing the 2012 harvest by 1.6 million pounds, a 7 percent increase. This followed an increase of more than 33 percent in 2011 over 2010 harvest levels as incoming data for several years had shown a robust recovery in flounder stocks.
But a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggests that the recommended quota increases are too high "and may need to be reduced substantially." Exact reductions are not yet known.
Read the complete story from The Press of Atlantic City.