Commercial fishermen are landing fewer pounds of Witch Flounder than ever since 1950. Very high unusual landings in the 1980s have been followed by a severe decline that has practically eliminated the fishery.
In response, the price per pound has doubled since the 1980s.
Witch Flounder Landings 1950-2011
Witch Flounder Price per Pound 1950-2011
| YEAR | POUNDS | VALUE | PRICE/LB |
| 1950 | 1,207,900 | $62,872 | $0.05 |
| 1951 | 1,634,700 | $105,900 | $0.06 |
| 1952 | 1,367,700 | $98,844 | $0.07 |
| 1953 | 1,598,900 | $124,311 | $0.08 |
| 1954 | 1,272,900 | $93,281 | $0.07 |
| 1955 | 1,182,400 | $90,708 | $0.08 |
| 1956 | 1,184,800 | $99,382 | $0.08 |
| 1957 | 1,185,600 | $140,386 | $0.12 |
| 1958 | 1,006,600 | $100,686 | $0.10 |
| 1959 | 794,900 | $86,380 | $0.11 |
| 1960 | 809,500 | $81,243 | $0.10 |
| 1961 | 569,700 | $58,143 | $0.10 |
| 1962 | 597,700 | $54,477 | $0.09 |
| 1963 | 711,100 | $66,040 | $0.09 |
| 1964 | 497,602 | $40,053 | $0.08 |
| 1965 | 1,705 | $101 | $0.06 |
| 1966 | 413,818 | $38,804 | $0.09 |
| 1967 | 528,603 | $50,649 | $0.10 |
| 1968 | 800,784 | $73,933 | $0.09 |
| 1969 | 446,782 | $35,898 | $0.08 |
| 1970 | 445,728 | $41,863 | $0.09 |
| 1971 | 514,214 | $56,782 | $0.11 |
| 1972 | 993,178 | $147,415 | $0.15 |
| 1973 | 1,317,975 | $268,872 | $0.20 |
| 1974 | 574,513 | $144,186 | $0.25 |
| 1975 | 770,680 | $257,528 | $0.33 |
| 1976 | 851,902 | $391,584 | $0.46 |
| 1977 | 1,694,181 | $848,070 | $0.50 |
| 1978 | 3,045,905 | $1,564,035 | $0.51 |
| 1979 | 2,656,928 | $1,524,651 | $0.57 |
| 1980 | 3,597,952 | $1,909,949 | $0.53 |
| 1981 | 3,965,413 | $2,392,313 | $0.60 |
| 1982 | 5,764,095 | $3,176,799 | $0.55 |
| 1983 | 7,805,623 | $4,562,365 | $0.58 |
| 1984 | 6,408,619 | $4,523,090 | $0.71 |
| 1985 | 5,739,037 | $4,718,782 | $0.82 |
| 1986 | 4,516,184 | $4,647,392 | $1.03 |
| 1987 | 4,966,267 | $7,054,626 | $1.42 |
| 1988 | 4,529,322 | $6,486,707 | $1.43 |
| 1989 | 2,707,633 | $4,834,498 | $1.79 |
| 1990 | 1,330,245 | $2,679,626 | $2.01 |
| 1991 | 1,702,662 | $3,036,939 | $1.78 |
| 1992 | 2,089,258 | $3,473,511 | $1.66 |
| 1993 | 2,731,042 | $4,618,362 | $1.69 |
| 1994 | 2,992,118 | $4,893,624 | $1.64 |
| 1995 | 2,230,696 | $3,993,731 | $1.79 |
| 1996 | 2,279,413 | $3,858,215 | $1.69 |
| 1997 | 1,973,641 | $3,375,763 | $1.71 |
| 1998 | 1,848,028 | $2,956,165 | $1.60 |
| 1999 | 1,979,699 | $2,773,070 | $1.40 |
| 2000 | 2,066,331 | $2,730,576 | $1.32 |
| 2001 | 2,420,452 | $2,779,402 | $1.15 |
| 2002 | 2,335,166 | $2,657,689 | $1.14 |
| 2003 | 1,870,281 | $2,564,101 | $1.37 |
| 2004 | 2,135,202 | $2,819,664 | $1.32 |
| 2005 | 1,777,320 | $2,537,231 | $1.43 |
| 2006 | 945,435 | $1,811,095 | $1.92 |
| 2007 | 602,734 | $1,385,448 | $2.30 |
| 2008 | 346,606 | $781,469 | $2.25 |
| 2009 | 282,428 | $472,535 | $1.67 |
| 2010 | 137,936 | $302,939 | $2.20 |
| 2011 | 139,010 | $257,588 | $1.85 |
Source: http://www.maine.gov/dmr/commercialfishing/documents/witchflounder.table_002.pdf (accessed 9/27/12)