Table 28. Recreational fishery sample size for summer flounder discard mortality assumption. Includes MRFSS landed fish sampling, American Littoral Society (ALS) reported released lengths, CT Volunteer Angler Survey (CTVAS) reported released lengths, MADMF party boat sampling (MADMF), NYDEC Party Boat Survey sampling (NYPBS), MDDNR Volunteer Angler Logs (MDVAL), and MRF For-Hire Survey (MRF FHS) reported released lengths. Number of MRFSS lengths is for landed fish measured that were less than the state or federal minimum landed size, and assumed to be indicative of the length frequency of the discarded catch. This length frequency was used to characterize the length frequency of the released catch. All other sources of released lengths were used to verify this assumption. In 2002 and 2003, samples of discarded summer flounder from CTVAS and NYPBS used to directly characterize the discard in those states. The MRF FHS began sampling in 2005.
