DURHAM, N.H., April 16 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have determined winter flounder -- sold in markets as flounder or lemon sole -- is a good candidate for stock enhancement.
Flounder in the Gulf of Maine went into serious decline during the 1980s, taking with it a major commercial and recreational fishery. Despite stringent fishing regulations, it was estimated it could take more than a decade for winter flounder to regain its once-robust place in New England coastal waters.
But now University of New Hampshire researchers say the fish is a good candidate for stock enhancement, in which juvenile fish hatched from wild brood stock are raised in captivity and released into the wild.
"We're studying winter flounder because we think they are an excellent local candidate for stock enhancement," said Elizabeth Fairchild, a post-doctoral researcher in zoology. "We know how to raise them, and we've learned how to release them in a way that maximizes their survival."
Fairchild's work is part of SCORE -- the Science Consortium for Ocean Replenishment -- which is a national research group dedicated to developing scientifically-based marine stock enhancement technology.
The research appears in the Journal of Fish Biology.
