Common Name	Summer Flounder	Conservation Notes
Scientific Name	Paralichthys dentatus	Sustainability Information
Market Names	Fluke, Plaice	Buying Tips
Sushi Name	Hirame	Health/Nutrition

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SUMMER FLOUNDER MARKET ALERT - updated May 2011

Fishing for summer flounder, or fluke, got off to a quick start this spring as fishermen were eager to get started on a quota that is about a third higher than last year. The 2011 commercial fluke quota is almost 8,000 metric tons.  If the full quota is caught, which is highly likely, that would be the most fluke landed in more than 20 years.

Fishermen in North Carolina and Virginia, which together have almost half of the summer flounder quota, were fishing hard this spring. By the end of April they had landed almost two-thirds of their quota. Further north, only about a third of the quota was landed.

With more fish hitting the dock, prices for large fluke fillets at New York’s Fulton Market fell below $5/lb. at the end of April, their lowest level in a long, long time. Look for prices to head back up towards $7/lb. when fishing slows down in June and July after most of the mid-Atlantic quota is caught.

Conservation Notes

Advantages: Summer flounder is a type of flatfish found along the western North Atlantic that has high fecundity and early maturation with prolific spawning, making it resilient to pressure. Although summer flounder was once overfished to critical levels, the stock is rebuilding. Focused fishery management that began in 1993 has helped with recovery, and the fishery is expected to be at target levels by January 2013. Bottom trawl vessels off the coasts of North Carolina and Virginia are required to have special turtle extruder devices in their nets to minimize bycatch. Some flounder are caught with handlines, pound nets, and gillnets, which have less of an impact on sensitive marine habitats.

Challenges: Summer flounder are primarily caught using bottom trawls, which carries a risk of sea turtle bycatch. The flounder themselves burrow into sandy bottoms, making them susceptible to becoming bycatch in bottom fishing gear such as sea scallop dredges and pound nets. The bottom trawls used to catch flatfish like summer flounder can cause damage to the seafloor.

Sustainability Information

	Seafood Watch	SeaChoice	FishWise	Blue Ocean Institute	New England Aquarium	Marine Stewardship Council
U.S. Trawl-caught	Good Alternative	Some Concerns	Good Alternative	Light Green
U.S. Non-trawl fisheries				Light Green
Canada Wild-caught				Light Green

Rating Explanation

Seafood Watch's rating for summer flounder is specific to the U.S. trawl fishery. Blue Ocean Institute's rating for summer flounder assess all of the fisheries under one assessment. 

Buying Tips

• Summer flounder, often called "fluke," is considered a good lowfat source of B vitamins and niacin.
• The fish has edible skin, and flaky white meat with a delicate flavor and fine texture
• Summer flounder is sold whole, in fillets, and is available fresh or frozen
• Fillets are usually available in one to three ounces to six to eight ounce size ranges, alternatively small, medium, large, and jumbo sizes are offered by some suppliers.
• Some buyers say the best quality summer flounder comes from pound nets in the mid-Atlantic region
• Live summer flounder is exported to Japan for sashimi
• Landings are heaviest in the summer, which is generally considered to be the best time to get a deal on the fish

Nutrition and Health

 *The U.S. FDA has a PCB advisory level for children 0-6 (zero meals), children 6-12 (< 1meal/month), women (1 meal/month), and men (1 meal/month).

Acknowledgements

• Seafood Watch by Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Blue Ocean Institute
• SeaChoice
• Seafood Choices Alliance
• Environmental Defense Fund
• NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service