YELLOWTAIL FLOUNDER. Limanda ferruginea. Sometimes known as Yellowtail, Sand Dab SUMMARY

Transcription

1 YELLOWTAIL FLOUNDER Limanda ferruginea Sometimes known as Yellowtail, Sand Dab SUMMARY Yellowtail Flounder is a fast growing flatfish that produces many young and reaches a maximum size of 22 inches and 2 lbs. Yellowtail Flounder occur in the Northwest Atlantic from northern Newfoundland to the lower part of the Chesapeake Bay. There are three New England management areas for Yellowtail Flounder, and all three populations are overfished with very low abundance. There are also three management areas in Canadian waters, with at least one population healthy in size. Bottom trawls are the primary fishing gear Used to catch Yellowtail Flounder, which can substantially impact the seafloor and benthic community (the creatures that live on the seafloor.) There is a moderate amount of bycatch caught in the various Yellowtail Flounder fisheries. One Yellowtail Flounder fishery on the Grand Banks has earned Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. Criterion Points Final Score Color Life History Abundance Habitat Quality and Fishing Gear Impacts Management 3.00 Bycatch 2.00 Final Score 2.10 Color

2 LIFE HISTORY Core Points (only one selection allowed) If a value for intrinsic rate of increase ( r ) is known, assign the score below based on this value. If no r-value is available, assign the score below for the correct age at 50% maturity for females if specified, or for the correct value of growth rate ('k'). If no estimates of r, age at 50% maturity, or k are available, assign the score below based on maximum age Intrinsic rate of increase <0.05; OR age at 50% maturity >10 years; OR growth rate <0.15; OR maximum age >30 years Intrinsic rate of increase = ; OR age at 50% maturity = 5-10 years; OR a growth rate = ; OR maximum age = years Intrinsic rate of increase >0.16; OR age at 50% maturity = 1-5 years; OR growth rate >0.30; OR maximum age <11 years. There are 6 managed populations of Yellowtail Flounder, with 3 around New England (Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and southern New England/Mid Atlantic) and 3 off Canada (Grand Bank, Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Scotian Shelf). Yellowtail Flounder reach lengths of 55 cm and weights of 1 kg (Legault and Cadrin 2006). Growth rates (k) in the Grand Banks are 0.16 (combined sexes) (Dwyer et al. 2003). Growth rates from New England have been estimated at 0.34 (Lux and Nichy 1969). Male Yellowtail Flounder reach sexual maturity between 4 to 5 years of age, while females reach maturity at 6 years in the waters of the Grand Banks (Walsh and Morgan 1999). Half of female and male Yellowtail Flounder on Georges Bank are mature at 1.8 years (26 cm) and 1.3 years (21 cm) respectively (O Brien et al. 1993). On Cape Cod maturity (50%) is reached at 2.6 years (27 cm) for both sexes, and in southern New England at 1.6 years (26 cm) and 1.8 years (20 cm) for females and males respectively (O Brien et al. 1993). Maximum ages and sizes for female and male Yellowtail Flounder from the Grand Banks have been estimated at 25 years and 56 cm, and 21 years and 50 cm, respectively (Dwyer et al. 2003). The intrinsic rate of increase is estimated to be 0.51 for the Grand Bank population (Parsons et al. 2008). The most recent estimate of r for the Georges Banks population is 0.69 (Stone and Legault 2003), and the most recent estimate of r for the southern New England-Mid Atlantic population is 0.39 (Cadrin 2003). The intrinsic rate of increase for other populations is unknown. Points of Adjustment (multiple selections allowed) Species has special behaviors that make it especially vulnerable to fishing pressure (e.g., spawning aggregations; site fidelity; segregation by sex; migratory bottlenecks; unusual attraction to gear; etc.).

3 -0.25 Species has a strategy for sexual development that makes it especially vulnerable to fishing pressure (e.g., age at 50% maturity >20 years; sequential hermaphrodites; extremely low fecundity) Species has a small or restricted range (e.g., endemism; numerous evolutionarily significant units; restricted to one coastline; e.g., American lobster; striped bass; endemic reef fishes). Yellowtail Flounder occur in the Northwest Atlantic from the Labrador side of the Strait of Belle Isle, Northern Newfoundland, and the Newfoundland Banks, the North shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the lower part of the Chesapeake Bay (Collete and Klein- MacPhee 2002). Seasonal and transboundary movements are minimal for this species (Royce et al. 1959; Lux 1963; Stone and Nelson 2003; Cadrin 2005). Yellowtail Flounder are commonly found at depths ranging from 40 to 70 m (Legault and Cadrin 2006) Species exhibits high natural population variability driven by broad-scale environmental change (e.g. El Nino; decadal oscillations). Environmental factors have been shown to influence recruitment success for several species of New England groundfish, including the Yellowtail Flounder (Brodziak and O Brien 2005) Species does not have special behaviors that increase ease or population consequences of capture OR has special behaviors that make it less vulnerable to fishing pressure (e.g., species is widely dispersed during spawning) Species has a strategy for sexual development that makes it especially resilient to fishing pressure (e.g., age at 50% maturity <1 year; extremely high fecundity). Yellowtail Flounder spawn in the spring and summer months with peaks occurring in May (Cadrin 2003). Females produce between batches of eggs during a spawning season and each batch consists of 10,000 to 60,000 eggs (Manning and Crim 1998), thus a large female could potentially spawn over 1 million eggs Species is distributed over a very wide range (e.g., throughout an entire hemisphere or ocean basin; e.g., swordfish; tuna; Patagonian toothfish) Species does not exhibit high natural population variability driven by broad-scale environmental change (e.g., El Nino; decadal oscillations) Points for Life History

4 ABUNDANCE Core Points (only one selection allowed) Compared to natural or un-fished level, the species population is: 1.00 Low: Abundance or biomass is <75% of BMSY or similar proxy (e.g., spawning potential ratio). The abundance of Yellowtail Flounder varies greatly between populations. The Grand Banks population is 125% of BMSY (Parsons et al. 2008), which is high. In contrast, the spawning stock biomass (SSB) of the Cape Cod-Gulf of Maine population is 25% of MSY (Legault et al. 2008a). Yellowtail Flounder from Georges Bank had an SSB that was 41 to 53% of that needed to obtain MSY in 2008 (TRAC 2009). The SSB from the southern New England/Mid-Atlantic population was 13% of that needed to produce MSY in 2007 (Alade et al. 2008). Because abundance of Yellowtail Flounder is low in most populations, with several listed as overfished (Alade et al. 2008; Legault et al 2008a, TRAC 2009), a score of 1 was awarded Medium: Abundance or biomass is % of BMSY or similar proxy; OR population is approaching or recovering from an overfished condition; OR adequate information on abundance or biomass is not available High: Abundance or biomass is >125% of BMSY or similar proxy. Points of Adjustment (multiple selections allowed) The population is declining over a generational time scale (as indicated by biomass estimates or standardized CPUE) Age, size or sex distribution is skewed relative to the natural condition (e.g., truncated size/age structure or anomalous sex distribution) Species is listed as "overfished" OR species is listed as "depleted", "endangered", or "threatened" by recognized national or international bodies. All three populations of Yellowtail Flounder off New England are considered overfished (Alade et al. 2008; Legault et al 2008a, TRAC 2009), but Canadian Yellowtail Flounder in the Grand Banks are not overfished (Parsons et al. 2008). The IUCN Redlist considers Yellowtail Flounder vulnerable but the last year they were assessed was in 1996 (Sobel 1996) Current levels of abundance are likely to jeopardize the availability of food for other species or cause substantial change in the structure of the associated food web.

5 +0.25 The population is increasing over a generational time scale (as indicated by biomass estimates or standardized CPUE). Abundance estimates for the Georges Bank Yellowtail Flounder population showed increasing trends into the mid 1990 s with high levels occurring in the early 2000 s (Legault et al. 2008b). Since those highs, abundance estimates have been decreasing (Legault et al 2008b), but the most recent assessment indicates rapid rebuilding (TRAC 2009). Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic Yellowtail Flounder abundances have remained low since the 1990 s, although the 2005 year-class appears to be stronger than previous decades (Alade et al. 2008). Abundance estimates from Canadian and Spanish surveys on the Grand Banks indicate biomass has increased since 1994 and the 2007 estimate is the highest in the time series (Parsons et al. 2008). These studies suggest that Yellowtail Flounder are slowly increasing in abundance throughout much of its range Age, size or sex distribution is functionally normal Species is close to virgin biomass Current levels of abundance provide adequate food for other predators or are not known to affect the structure of the associated food web. Analysis of the Yellowtail Flounder and other groundfish species, determined that the Northeast Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem can support the biomasses required for each groundfish species required under the Northeast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (Overholtz et al. 2008) Points for Abundance

6 HABITAT QUALITY AND FISHING GEAR IMPACTS Core Points (only one selection allowed) Select the option that most accurately describes the effect of the fishing method upon the habitat that it affects 1.00 The fishing method causes great damage to physical and biogenic habitats (e.g., cyanide; blasting; bottom trawling; dredging). Bottom otter trawls are the primary fishing gear used to target Yellowtail Flounder (Legault and Cadrin 2006). Structural diversity, which is critical for a large array of marine life can be damaged by bottom trawlers (Morgan and Chuenpagdee 2003). Trawl nets, and their attachments, can modify benthic habitats and affect benthic fauna, diversity and community structure by crushing, burying and exposing marine organisms (Morgan and Chuenpagdee 2003). Sediment can also be disturbed and resuspended by bottom trawlers, allowing the release of nutrients into the water column, increasing the occurrence of algal blooms and decreasing sea grass production (SAFMC 2004) The fishing method does moderate damage to physical and biogenic habitats (e.g., bottom gillnets; traps and pots; bottom longlines) The fishing method does little damage to physical or biogenic habitats (e.g., hand picking; hand raking; hook and line; pelagic long lines; mid-water trawl or gillnet; purse seines). Points of Adjustment (multiple selections allowed) Habitat for this species is so compromised from non-fishery impacts that the ability of the habitat to support this species is substantially reduced (e.g., dams; pollution; coastal development) Critical habitat areas (e.g., spawning areas) for this species are not protected by management using time/area closures, marine reserves, etc No efforts are being made to minimize damage from existing gear types OR new or modified gear is increasing habitat damage (e.g., fitting trawls with roller rigs or rockhopping gear; more robust gear for deep-sea fisheries) If gear impacts are substantial, resilience of affected habitats is very slow (e.g., deep water corals; rocky bottoms) Habitat for this species remains robust and viable and is capable of supporting this species.

7 +0.25 Critical habitat areas (e.g., spawning areas) for this species are protected by management using time/area closures, marine reserves, etc. Extensive portions of the New England continental shelf are closed to mobile gear fishing because of critical habitat (NEFMC 1985 and various Framework Adjustments and Plan Amendments). Time/area closures are also used in Canadian waters (NAFO 2009) Gear innovations are being implemented over a majority of the fishing area to minimize damage from gear types OR no innovations necessary because gear effects are minimal If gear impacts are substantial, resilience of affected habitats is fast (e.g., mud or sandy bottoms) OR gear effects are minimal. According to the New England Council s Habitat Omnibus Amendment (NEFMC 2009), the Yellowtail Flounder fishery is conducted in relatively high-energy benthic habitats with high natural turn-over and rapid ecological recovery Points for Habitat Quality and Fishing Gear Impacts MANAGEMENT Core Points (only one selection allowed) Select the option that most accurately describes the current management of the fisheries of this species Regulations are ineffective (e.g., illegal fishing or overfishing is occurring) OR the fishery is unregulated (i.e., no control rules are in effect) Management measures are in place over a major portion over the species' range but implementation has not met conservation goals OR management measures are in place but have not been in place long enough to determine if they are likely to achieve conservation and sustainability goals. Yellowtail Flounder in US waters are managed through the New England Fishery Management Council s Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (Legault and Cadrin 2006). Under this plan, Yellowtail Flounder are considered a large mesh species due to the type of gear used to target them and their size. Management efforts include time/area closures, gear restrictions, size limits, effort controls, and biomass rebuilding targets (Legault and Cadrin 2006). In 2004 a formal quota sharing agreement between Canada and the US was implemented to share the harvest of

8 Yellowtail Flounder along the transboundary Georges Bank management area (Legault and Cadrin 2006). Included in this agreement are total allowable catch quotas for each country and in-season monitoring of U.S. catch on Georges Bank (Legault and Cadrin 2006). In Canada, Yellowtail Flounder are managed by total allowable catch, area closures, gear restrictions, and size limits (Parsons et al 2008 and Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada). Yellowtail Flounder from the 3LNO Division are considered a transboundary population and are managed by the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization. Therefore, there are management measures in place for Yellowtail Flounder in both the U.S. and Canada, but these have not yet met conservation goals particularly in the U.S Substantial management measures are in place over a large portion of the species range and have demonstrated success in achieving conservation and sustainability goals. Points of Adjustment (multiple selections allowed) There is inadequate scientific monitoring of stock status, catch or fishing effort Management does not explicitly address fishery effects on habitat, food webs, and ecosystems This species is overfished and no recovery plan or an ineffective recovery plan is in place Management has failed to reduce excess capacity in this fishery or implements subsidies that result in excess capacity in this fishery There is adequate scientific monitoring, analysis and interpretation of stock status, catch and fishing effort. In the U.S., Yellowtail Flounder population assessments are done every year (Alade et al. 2008; Legault et al. 2008a; TRAC 2009). Most Canadian populations are assessed every other year (Parsons et al. 2008), although the Grand Bank s population is monitored every year and if major changes in the population are noted a full assessment may be completed. Commercial catches are monitored through the use of logbook reports and fish receipts, and are supplemented with data collected by National Marine Fisheries scientists and fisheries observers, through a limited at-sea sampling program (NMFS 1999). Canada uses logbooks and fisheries observers to collect information on Yellowtail catches (Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada) Management explicitly and effectively addresses fishery effects on habitat, food webs, and ecosystems. Management addresses fishery effects on habitat and ecosystems.

9 +0.25 This species is overfished and there is a recovery plan (including benchmarks, timetables and methods to evaluate success) in place that is showing signs of success OR recovery plan is not needed. Yellowtail Flounder populations in US waters are all considered overfished but there is a recovery plan in place (NEFSC 2009) Management has taken action to control excess capacity or reduce subsidies that result in excess capacity OR no measures are necessary because fishery is not overcapitalized. Effort controls are in place under the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (Legault and Cadrin 2006) Points for Management BYCATCH Core Points (only one selection allowed) Select the option that most accurately describes the current level of bycatch and the consequences that result from fishing this species. The term, "bycatch" used in this document excludes incidental catch of a species for which an adequate management framework exists. The terms, "endangered, threatened, or protected," used in this document refer to species status that is determined by national legislation such as the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (or another nation's equivalent), the IUCN Red List, or a credible scientific body such as the American Fisheries Society Bycatch in this fishery is high (>100% of targeted landings), OR regularly includes a "threatened, endangered or protected species." 2.00 Bycatch in this fishery is moderate (10-99% of targeted landings) AND does not regularly include "threatened, endangered or protected species" OR level of bycatch is unknown. The Yellow Flounder fishery in US waters has a moderate level of bycatch associated with it including common and white-sided dolphins and long-finned and short-finned pilot whales (NOAA 2009). The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic bottom trawl fisheries are considered Category II (annual mortality and serious injury of a stock in a given fishery is greater than 1 percent and less than 50 percent of the potential biological removal) for marine mammal interactions (NOAA 2009). In Canadian divisions 3LNO (Grand Banks),

10 Atlantic cod and American plaice have been important bycatch species and there is a moratorium on catching them (Anonymous 2010) Bycatch in this fishery is low (<10% of targeted landings) and does not regularly include "threatened, endangered or protected species." Points of Adjustment (multiple selections allowed) Bycatch in this fishery is a contributing factor to the decline of "threatened, endangered, or protected species" and no effective measures are being taken to reduce it Bycatch of targeted or non-targeted species (e.g., undersize individuals) in this fishery is high and no measures are being taken to reduce it Bycatch of this species (e.g., undersize individuals) in other fisheries is high OR bycatch of this species in other fisheries inhibits its recovery, and no measures are being taken to reduce it. Yellowtail Flounder discards represents 20% of the total catch in various Cape Cod, Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank fisheries (Legault and Cadrin 2006). Discards represent 30% of the total catch in the southern New England-Mid Atlantic fishery (Legault and Cadrin 2006) The continued removal of the bycatch species contributes to its decline Measures taken over a major portion of the species range have been shown to reduce bycatch of "threatened, endangered, or protected species" or bycatch rates are no longer deemed to affect the abundance of the "protected" bycatch species OR no measures needed because fishery is highly selective (e.g., harpoon; spear) There is bycatch of targeted (e.g., undersize individuals) or non-targeted species in this fishery and measures (e.g., gear modifications) have been implemented that have been shown to reduce bycatch over a large portion of the species range OR no measures are needed because fishery is highly selective (e.g., harpoon; spear). Bycatch-related management actions have been implemented in the Northeast Multispecies Fishery, including minimum mesh size restrictions, effort reductions, area closures, raised footrope trawl requirements, reduced available effort, and mandatory level of observer coverage (NEFMC 2003). Canadian management measures include mesh size restrictions, and mandatory retention or improved utilization strategies in some management areas. Managers are working to improve information on bycatch. And regulations in some management areas allow for fishery closures when at-sea observers confirm that bycatch has exceeded pre-determined limits (DFO 1999). In Canadian divisions 3LNO (Grand Bank) the bycatch limit of

11 American plaice and Atlantic cod was 5% from and in 2009 and 2010 the limits were 13% and 15% respectively (Anonymous 2010) Bycatch of this species in other fisheries is low OR bycatch of this species in other fisheries inhibits its recovery, but effective measures are being taken to reduce it over a large portion of the range The continued removal of the bycatch species in the targeted fishery has had or will likely have little or no impact on populations of the bycatch species OR there are no significant bycatch concerns because the fishery is highly selective (e.g., harpoon; spear) Points for Bycatch REFERENCES Alade, L, Legault, C. and Cadrin, S Southern New England/Mid Atlantic yellowtail flounder: In Northeast Fisheries Science Center Assessment of 19 Northeast Groundfish Stocks through 2007: Report of the 3rd Groundfish Assessment Review Meeting (GARM III), Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, August 4-8, US Dep Commer, NOAA FIsheries, Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document p + xvii. Anonymous Reviewer. Brodziak, J. and O Brien, L Do environmental factors affect recruits per spawner anomalies of New England groundfish? ICES Journal of Marine Science 62: Cadrin, S Stock structure of yellowtail flounder off the northeastern United States. University of Rhode Island Doctoral Dissertation. 148 p. Cadrin, S.X Stock assessment of yellowtail flounder in the southern New England - Mid Atlantic area. NEFSC Ref. Doc Cadrin, S Yellowtail flounder, Limanda ferruginea. In: Proceedings of a workshop to review and evaluate the design and utility of fish mark-recapture projects in the northeastern United States. NEFSC Reference Document pp Collette, B.B. and G. Klein-MacPhee Fishes of the Gulf of Maine, third edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington.

12 Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). 1999e. Winter flounder in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. DFO Science Stock Status Report A3-22 (1999). Dwyer, K.S., Walsh, S.J., and Campana, S.E Age determination, validation and growth of Grand Banks yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea). ICES Journal of Marine Science 60: Legault, C. and Cadrin, S Yellowtail flounder In Status of the Fishery Resources of the Northeastern United States. Online: Legault, C., Alade, L, Cadrin, S., King, J. and Sherman, S. 2008a. Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder: In Northeast Fisheries Science Center Assessment of 19 Northeast Groundfish Stocks through 2007: Report of the 3rd Groundfish Assessment Review Meeting (GARM III), Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, August 4-8, US Dep Commer, NOAA FIsheries, Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document p + xvii. Legault, C., Alade, L, Stone, H., Gavaris, S. and Waters, C. 2008b. Georges Bank yellowtail flounder: In Northeast Fisheries Science Center Assessment of 19 Northeast Groundfish Stocks through 2007: Report of the 3rd Groundfish Assessment Review Meeting (GARM III), Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, August 4-8, US Dep Commer, NOAA FIsheries, Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document p + xvii. Lux, F.E Identification of New England yellowtail flounder groups. Fisheries Bulletin 63:1-10. Lux, F.E. and Nichy, F.E Growth of yellowtail flounder, Limanda ferruginea, (storer) on three New England fishing grounds. International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries 6:5-25 Manning, A.J. and Crim, L.W Maternal and interannual comparison of the ovulatory periodicity, egg production and egg quality of the batch-spawning yellowtail flounder. Journal of Fish Biology 53: Morgan, L.E. and Chuenpagdee, R Shifting Gears. Addressing the Collateral Impacts of Fishing Methods in U.S. Waters. Pew Science Series on Conservation and the Environment. 52 p. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Our Living Oceans: Report on the Status of U.S. Living Marine Resources, NOAA Tech Memo NMFS-F/SPO-41. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

13 New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) Fishery Management plan, Environmental Impact Statement, Regulatory Review and Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for the Northeast Multi-Species Fishery. NEFMC, Newburyport, MA. 14 p. Online: nefmc.org/nemulti/fmp/section1.pdf New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) Framework 38 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP, Appendix I: History of the grate raised footrope trawl fishery. NEFMC, Newburyport, MA Online: appendix1.pdf. New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) Essential Fish Habitat Omnibus Amendement #2. NEFMC, Newburyport, MA. 37 p. Online: index.html National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) List of Fisheries for Federal Register Vol. 74 No CFR Part p. Online: pr/pdfs/fr/fr pdf New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) Final Amendment 16 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan: including a Environmental Impact Statement and Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis. NEFMC, Newburyport, MA. 20 pg. Online: mendment_16.pdf O Brien, L., Burnett, J. and Mayo, R.K Maturation of nineteen species of finfish off the northeast coast of the United States, NOAA Technical Report NMFS p. Overholtz, J., Link, J.S., Fogarty, M., Col, L. and Legault, C Ecosystem Considerations. Assessment of 19 Northeast Groundfish Stocks through 2007: Report of the 3rd Groundfish Assessment Review Meeting (GARM III), Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, August 4-8, US Dep Commer, NOAA FIsheries, Northeast Fish Sci Cent Ref Doc ; 884 p + xvii. Parsons, D.M., Brodie, W.B., Morgan,M.J., and Power, D The 2008 Assessment of the Grand Bank Yellowtail Flounder Stock, NAFO Divisions 3LNO. NAFO SCR Doc. 08/45 Royce, W.F., Buller, R.J., and Premetz, E.D Decline of yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea) off New England. Fisheries Bulletin 146: Sobel, J Pleuronectes ferrugineus. In: IUCN IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version Online: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) Final Amendment 6 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the South Atlantic Region. South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Charleston, SC. 305 p.

14 Stone, H.H. and Legault, CM Stock assessment of Georges Bank (5Zhjmn) yellowtail flounder for Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Research Document 2003/ p. Stone, H.H. and Nelson, C Tagging studies on eastern Georges Bank yellowtail flounder. Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Research Document 2003/ p. Transboundary Resources Assessment Committee (TRAC) Georges Bank yelloetail flounder [5Zhjmn; 522,525,551,552,561,562] TRAC Status Report 2009/03. Walsh, S.J. and Morgan, M.J Variation in maturation of yellowtail flounder (Pleuronectes ferruginea) on the Grand Bank. Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science 25:47-59