East Coast flatfish populations have improved recently thanks partly to decreased fishing pressure, a result of catch shares implemented last spring.
In fact, stocks of summer flounder, or fluke, have rebounded so well that the Monterey Bay Aquarium updated the species to good alternative on its Seafood Watch buying guide in January. And with nearly a year under the new fishery management regime, harvesters are reportedly getting the hang of things, which should steady supplies going forward.
Demand for flounder and other flats is “medium,” said one New England distributor, and availability has been “very good, considering the weather.” Nasty winter storms have kept many fishing vessels at bay or limited them to shorter trips, which kept supplies tight and prices firm. Of all the domestic flatfish varieties on the market, common dabs and grey sole are the best buys, the distributor adds.
Because flukes should run strong through March, fresh flounder is an “excellent promotional choice,” said another East Coast wholesaler, adding that the volume of fluke available is helping to push flounder prices down.
In early February, medium flounder was selling for just under USD 3 a pound, f.o.b. New York’s Fulton Fish Market Cooperative, while fluke was priced in the low-USD 2 range; fillets were priced in the low- to mid-USD 5 range. Grey sole was priced in the mid-USD 3 range. Medium and large lemon sole were tagged in the low- to mid-USD 2 range, while small dabs were priced below USD 2 a pound. Dab fillets were priced in the low-USD 6 range, f.o.b. New England.
Signaling increasing demand for flatfish, flounder imports increased through the first 11 months of 2010 by 12.5 percent to 28.8 million pounds, led by top supplier China, which through November sent 18.5 million pounds of frozen fillets stateside.
