Flounder Research for Actionable Management and Engagement (FRAME)

About FRAME

The recreational and commercial fisheries for summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) produce hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to coastal economies in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast US. Recent changes in geographic distribution and dramatic fluctuations in the productivity of summer flounder, as a result of climate change and intense fishing pressure, have directly affected charter-boat captains, commercial seafood fishers, processors, dealers, and recreational fishers. Little is known about the behavioral and economic responses of policy makers and fishers to fluctuations in abundance and the total allowable catch. There has been a general movement in flounder abundance from south to north along the Atlantic coast in recent years, and this migration provides a rich opportunity to determine in detail the feedbacks between climate, fish ecology, policy regulations, and fishers who rely on summer flounder for their livelihoods, nutrition, and recreation This research will help to develop recommendations for policy solutions that meet multiple sustainability benchmarks, such as ecological sustainability, nutritional provisioning, and economic sustainability.

Read the full project abstract here.