Age and Size Composition of the Menhaden Catch Along the Atlantic Coast of the United States, 1962 With a Brief Review of the Commercial Fishery By WILLIAM R. NICHOLSON and JOSEPH R., HIGHAM, Jr. Fishery Biologists (Research) Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Biological Laboratory ABSTRACT The 1962 purse seine catch of Atlantic menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus, was 600,000 tons in the summer fishery and 29,000 tons in the North Carolina fall fishery. The mean catch per purse seine set, based on an estimated number of 26,176 sets, was 24 tons. The 1958 year class (age 4) dominated the fishery in the Middle and North Atlantic Areas for the fourth consecutive year and provided 5 percent of the catch in the Chesapeake Bay Area and 36 percent of the catch in the North Carolina fall fishery. On the basis of its contribution to the fishery in the Chesapeake Bay and Middle Atlantic Areas, the incoming year class (1961) appeared to be less than average in abundance. Except for age-0 fish, the mean lengths and weights in the South Atlantic Area in 1962 were less than the means for the previous 7-year period. The means for age-4fish were less than the 7-year means in the Middle and North Atlantic Areas, but slightly greater in the Chesapeake Bay Area. With few exceptions, the mean lengths and weights of other age groups in the Chesapeake Bay, Middle Atlantic, and North Atlantic Areas were greater than the 7-year means. INTRODUCTION This is the eighth in a series of annual reports that review the purse seine fishing season for the Atlantic menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus. Summarized and discussed briefly are data for 1962 on the age, size, and sex composition of the catches, the number of vessels in the fishery, and the distribution of fishing activity. Comparable information for 1955-61 also is included. Four geographical areas (fig. 1) and the North Carolina fall fishery, a specialized fishery within the South Atlantic Area, are subdivisions of the fishery used in the summary and review of the data. THE 1962 PURSE SEINE FISHERY The purse seine catch of Atlantic menhaden in 1962 was 629,000 tons--slightly better than in 1961. This total catch included 600,000 tons caught in the summer fishery and 29,000 tons caught in the North Carolina fall fishery (table 1). Catches in 1962 were smaller than in 1961 in the South and Middle Atlantic Areas and in the North Carolina fall fishery, but Figure 1.--Map showing locations mentioned in the text, menhaden reduction plants (encircled), and geographic areas used in summarizing catch data on the Atlantic menhaden. rather than the summer fishery in the South Atlantic Area, provided the smallest part of the catch. The number of purse seine sets in 1962 was 10 percent less in the summer fishery than in 1961, and 59 percent less in the fall fishery; the total number of sets was less than in any previous year for which we have records (table 1). The large decrease in the fall fishery was due principally to unfavorable weather. The mean catch per set was 23 tons in the summer fishery and 24 tons in the total fishery, both slightly more than the 1955-61 mean, and 57 tons in the North Carolina fall fishery, considerably more than the 1955-61 mean (table 1). South Atlantic Area Three vessels fished out of Fernandina Beach, Fla., five out of Southport, N.C., and eight out of Beaufort, N.C. Vessels from Fernandina Beach made the first landings of the season on April 9 off Jacksonville Beach, Fla. Fishing through June was confined to waters between Jacksonville Beach and St. Andrews Sound, Ga. From July 2 to about July 18, scattered landings also were made as far north as Doboy Sound, Ga. From the middle of July until the season ended on November 12, nearly all catches were made between St. Andrews Sound and Jacksonville Beach. Southport vessels began fishing on May 10, and landings were good throughout May and June. Although most fishing in May was done between Shallotte Inlet and the mouth of the Cape Fear River, N.C., some purse seining sets were used as far north as New Topsail Inlet. In June and early July, concentrations of fish were found as far south as Georgetown, S.C., but from July 7 to August 2, fish were so scarce that the vessels remained in port most of the time (catches were landed only on July 17, 20, and 23). Fish became more abundant from August 2 to September 4, but still were relatively scarce. Although schools of fish were found for a few days off Georgetown, most schools were located between Shallotte Inlet and the Cape Fear River. Fishing improved during September and October, with fair catches being made from the Cape Fear River area to Murrells Inlet, S.C. The season ended on October 25. Fishing began at Beaufort, N.C., on May 4. Three large vessels made frequent catches in outside waters until June 7, but made only 12 landings during the remainder of the season. Five small vessels fished in Core Sound from May 7 to October 12. Fishing was good through May and June but poor in July. It improved in early August, remained fair through mid-September, and became poor again the rest of the season, which ended October 12. The catch in the South Atlantic Area summer fishery was 48,000 tons, 1,000 tons less than in 1961. The largest percentage of the season's catch was taken in August (22 percent), followed by June (19 percent), May (18 percent), July (16 percent), September (16 percent), October (8 percent), and April (1 percent). Chesapeake Bay Area The fleet comprised 24 vessels from Chesapeake Bay plants and, from about June 2 to September 14, 5 vessels from Wildwood, N.J. Since Virginia's regulations prohibit purse seining in Chesapeake Bay before the last Monday in May, no catches from the Bay were landed until May 28. Prior to that date, eight landings were made outside the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. Through the middle of June, fishing was concentrated at the mouth of the Bay, but as fish disappeared, the fleet shifted to the vicinity of Tangier Island. Although fishing during the rest of the season occurred over most of the Bay, it was concentrated along the Maryland- Virginia boundary. The season ended November 2. The purse seine catch of the Chesapeake Bay Area was 166,000 tons, 36,000 tons more than in 1961. July ranked first in percentage of catch (32 percent), followed by June (25 percent), October (19 percent), August (15 percent), and September (9 percent). Middle Atlantic Area Forty-seven vessels fished from ports in the Middle Atlantic Area--21 from Lewes, Del., 10 from Wildwood, N.J., 6 from Tuckerton, N.J., and 10 from Port Monmouth, N.J. The first catches were landed by Wildwood, Lewes, and Tuckerton vessels on May 16, the earliest date fish were landed since 1949. Port Monmouth boats landed fish on May 19. Initially, fish were plentiful, and all boats made good catches of large fish that were mainly from the 1958 year class. These fish remained off the northern New Jersey coast and the southern shore of western Long Island most of June. In early July these large fish disappeared, and schools became scarce until October. Landings during July, August, and September were less than in any year since the investigation started in 1955. Five vessels from Wildwood moved to Chesapeake Bay during the first week of August and did not return until the middle of September. At Port Monmouth no boats fished from August 11 to 20, and at Lewes three vessels quit fishing during the second week in August, one during the third week, and one during the fourth week. In October, large schools composed primarily of age-4 fish (1958 year class) appeared off the southern shore of eastern Long Island. Excellent catches were made throughout the month as these fish moved westward off the Long Island coast. The last landing, made on October 31, ended the longest season for which we have records. The total purse seine catch was 307,000 tons, the same as in 1961. If unusually large catches had not been made in late May, June, and again in October, the season would have been the poorest in several decades. June ranked first in percentage of the season's catch (28 percent), followed by October (21 percent), May (19 percent), July (14 percent), September (9 percent), and August (9 percent). North Atlantic Area The purse seine fleet consisted of 20 vessels--10 from Amagansett, N.Y., 6 from Point Judith, R.I., and 4 from Gloucester, Mass. One vessel from Amagansett landed fish on May 26, but the entire fleet did not begin fishing until May 28. Although some landings were made in Nantucket and Long Island Sounds, until the middle of July most of the catches were made off the southern shore of western Long Island from Jones Beach to Fire Island. Throughout this period catches were large. From the middle of July until early October, fish were scarce in all localities, and the vessels ranged from western Long Island Sound and the southern shore of western Long Island to Nantucket Sound and Cape Cod Bay. Large schools of migrating fish appeared off the southern shore of Long Island during the second week of October and remained most of the month. Aided by favorable weather, the Amagansett fleet made the largest October catch on record. Fishing ended October 26. The first catches by Point Judith vessels were made May 27 in Narragansett Bay, and the last catches September 17. Fish disappeared from that locality in mid-June, and the boats moved to Nantucket Sound, where they remained until fish disappeared at the end of the month. The vessels returned to Narragansett Bay in July and, except for scattered catches in Nantucket and Long Island Sounds, remained there until fishing ended. After the middle of July, however, only three vessels continued fishing, and catches were small. The Point Judith plant was closed by civil ordinance on July 12 because of air pollution. It reopened July 30, but processed liquid fish only for the remainder of the season. After July 12, catches not landed at Point Judith 4 were unloaded either at Amagansett or into a special carrier vessel in Narragansett Bay and transported to the Amagansett plant. Fishing by Gloucester vessels began June 8 and ended August 25. Until the second week in July all fishing was done in Massachusetts Bay between Revere Beach and Nanta sket. The boats fished in lower Cape Cod Bay for about 1 week in mid-July and then returned to Massachusetts Bay, where they continued fishing until the end of the season. The catch in the North Atlantic Area was 79,000 tons, 24,000 tons more than in 1961. June ranked first in percentage of catch (26 percent), followed by October (24 percent), July (20 percent), August (14 percent), September (13 percent), and May (3 percent). North Carolina Fall Fishery The season was marked by the late arrival of fish and unusually bad weather. Only a few scattered landings were made before November 15. During the following week, weather was fair and catches were good. Bad weather began again on November 25, however, and continued to the end of the season. In the few brief days between periods of high winds or unseasonable cold, few fish were located, and only 15 small landings were made. Most of the 45 boats in the fishery did not fish after November 24. The season's catch was 29,000 tons, the smallest since 1952. November ranked first in percentage of catch (98 percent), followed by December (2 percent). Distribution of Purse Seine Sets The estimated numbers of purse seine sets within 10-minute unit areas are shown in figure 2. Nearly all sets were made within the 20-fathom contour between lat. 29°40' N. and 42°50' N. Most of the sets were in Chesapeake and Delaware Bays and in coastal waters from Cape Henry, Va., to Long Island, N.Y. For the third consecutive year no fishing was done north of Massachusetts Bay, but in contrast to 1961, fishing within the Bay was good and about 640 sets were made. Fishing in the Chesapeake Bay Area in 1962 was distributed uniformly throughout the area, although a somewhat greater number of sets was made in the upper part of the Bay along the Maryland - Virginia border. This distribution is in contrast to 1961, when over 85 percent of the sets were around the mouth of the Bay. |