A report of the 21st Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop. An indexed-based assessment of winter flounder populations in the Gulf of Maine Indexed-based assessment of winter flounder populations in the Gulf of Maine

"Winter flounder (Pleuronectes americanus) is a demersal flatfish species commonly found in estuaries and on the continental shelf out to 30 fathoms. The species is distributed between the Gulf of St. Lawrence and North Carolina, although it is not abundant south of Delaware Bay. Winter flounder undergo seasonal migrations in and out of coastal estuaries where spawning occurs in the spring of the year. Winter flounder reach a maximum size of around 2.25 kg (5 pounds; Bigelow and Schroeder, 1953) and 65 cm, with the exception of Georges Bank where growth rate is higher and fish may reach a maximum weight up to 3.6 kg (8 pounds). Current fishery management for winter flounder is controlled by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) in state waters and the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) in federal waters. Previous assessments have been confined to local populations in state waters and the results were the basis for the current ASMFC Fishery Management Plan (FMP)"--Introduction. by S. Cadrin, A. Howe, S. Correia, G. Shepherd, M. Lambert, W. Gabriel, and D. Grout. "April 1996." System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Includes bibliographical references (page 6).