State Natural Resources officials say Maryland will impose the first seasonal closure in several years for summer flounder to cut the harvest by a third. Officials said federal estimates show that flounder remains overfished in Maryland, and shortening the season will help Maryland reach its target. DNR officials will decide by March 6 when the actual season closure will occur.

Some local anglers are upset, saying the federal government’s system for tracking how many fish are caught in state waters is flawed. State fisheries officials say fishermen had a statewide target of 61,500 flounder for 2008. According to the federal Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey, they overshot the mark with about 90,000 flounder.