The winter flounder, a bottom-dweller with both eyes on the right side of its head, isn’t the most profitable New England fish but it’s suddenly become one of the most important- and fishermen say that’s all wrong.
To protect the dwindling winter flounder population, fishermen working waters from southern New England down to New Jersey will next month see their already scarce allotment of fishing days cut in half, costing them millions.
This tough new measure won’t just keep fishermen away from winter flounder.
New England groundfish (such as cod, haddock and flounder) swim in the same areas, so regulators protecting weak fish must also limit fishing on stronger species because they all get pulled up in the same net.