Flatfish, Atlantic (e.g. flounder, sole and halibut)

Atlantic flounder and halibut may contain levels of PCBs contamination that pose a health risk to adults and children. 

Due to heavy fishing in the region, many Atlantic flatfish stocks are low. Flounder are most frequently caught using bottom or otter trawls, nets that drag along the seafloor, that can damage habitat and remove or cover animals and plant life. This method of fishing can catch many non-target species that are often discarded, dead or dying, after they are brought to the surface.  

Most other Atlantic flatfish stocks are also seriously overfished. Atlantic halibut has been overfished off the coast of the Northeastern United States since the 1800’s. Despite management practices that currently prevent targeted fishing of Atlantic halibut and attempt to reduce bycatch of the species, the fishery has not recovered. Yellowtail flounder is drastically overfished, and management has not prevented overfishing from occurring continually. The population levels are between 1 and 9 percent of what they should be for sustainable catch levels. Though summer flounder is no longer considered to be overfished, its population has not yet been fully recovered. Winter flounder is divided into three populations for management purposes. Two of these are severely overfished with overfishing still occurring, and stock status is unknown in the third. 

Atlantic flatfish are on Food & Water Watch’s Dirty Dozen.