DNR Encourages Anglers To Participate In The Summer Flounder Volunteer Angler Survey

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ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland Department of Natural Resource (DNR) Fisheries Service is encouraging anglers to participate in the Summer Flounder Volunteer Angler Survey. The data collected is used to help manage the fishery.

“Recreational anglers of summer flounder have continued to enjoy the benefits of the rapidly rebuilding flounder stock along the Atlantic seaboard,” said Howard King, Director of DNR’s Fisheries Service. “This is due in large part to the anglers that take an interest in the management of this natural resource by filling out the survey and I’d like to personally thank them for their time.”

Anglers who participate in the Summer Flounder Volunteer Angler Survey will help guide the Department’s management approach for both the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Coast populations. The results of the survey will also be used to augment and enhance existing data from the National Marine Fisheries Services' Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey.

In addition, as an Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission member, Maryland is required to participate in a monitoring program that will provide information on the size composition of the harvest in the summer flounder recreational fishery. The survey data is the only source of information on recreationally caught and released undersized fish available to Maryland and Virginia fisheries managers.

To participate in this important survey, visit URL http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/survey/sfsurveyintro.shtml or contact DNR at 1-877-620-8DNR, ext. 8311. A packet with forms and postage paid envelopes is available to anglers that do not wish to participate through the Internet.

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May 11, 2005

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 18,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov