DEC’s Alice Weber distributed background information on winter flounder, the fisheries for this species and its management in New York. There are winter flounder management plans in state waters (ASMFC) and in federal waters (federal groundfish plan), but New York’s winter flounder fisheries remain depressed. Ms. Weber explained that the ASMFC plan, which came first, has different reference points and definitions than the more recent federal plan. Therefore, the ASMFC put its program on hold pending making it consistent with the federal plan. Recent stock assessments indicate continuing improvement in flounder biomass and a decrease in the mortality rate. However, New York’s data differs from this coastwide picture. New York recreational landings do not indicate an increase in winter flounder biomass. The 1999 year class in New York was apparently weak and there is no sign of improvement in recruitment. Locally, winter flounder catch-per-unit effort has not improved. Mr. Colvin stated that, while New York is in compliance with regional fishery management requirements for this species, the current laws and regulations might not be adequate to deal with the winter flounder situation in New York. He noted that DEC has authority to make changes in the rules as long as these changes are more conservative than existing ASMFC requirements.

Mr. Colvin requested that the Council co-sponsor with DEC a dialogue with winter flounder fishermen to discuss the current plight of this species in New York and to develop, if warranted, a revised management approach. He suggested reaching out to New York fishermen through workshops and focus groups this fall/winter to develop a consensus on what to do. Councilor Somma asked if more detailed data was available on this species in local waters. Ms. Weber responded that recent winter flounder stock assessments lumped whole regions together and did not provide data by states. Mr. Colvin added that the regional assessments may focus on offshore flounder stocks. He hoped that he would be able to provide more data from a study currently in progress about mitochondrial DNA of specific segments of the flounder stock. Councilor Mason suggested that different stocks were in question. Nearshore stocks experienced more loss due to power plants, pollution, and predation by striped bass and cormorants. Councilors Somma (recreational) and Mason (commercial) agreed to join chairman Wise in working with DEC staff to develop a series of fall/winter discussion forums with commercial and recreational fishermen about the continuing woes of winter flounder in New York waters.