NICHOLSON: ATLANTIC MENHADEN PURSE-SEINE FISHERY 



depended primarily on the number of vessels, 

 the season generally lasting about 7 or 8 weeks. 



CATCH PER VESSEL WEEK 



Despite sharp fluctuations that occurred an- 

 nually, there were pronounced trends in the 

 catch per vessel week in three areas (Table 7). 

 In the North Atlantic area, the catch per vessel 

 week remained at a high level through 1957, 

 dropi)ed sharply in 1958 and continued to decline 

 thereafter. From a peak of 385 metric tons per 

 week in 1952, it dropped to 23 in 1966. The high 

 figure for 1968 (292) reflects the fact that two 

 vessels, one fishing from late June until mid- 

 October and another during August and early 

 September, caught most of the fish available. 



The most significant changes occurred in the 

 Middle Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay areas. 

 From 348 metric tons per week in 1946, the 



catch per vessel week in the Middle Atlantic area 

 dropped to 203 in 1948, and thereafter rose 

 steadily, attaining 444 tons in 1953. From 1954 

 to 1957 It remained high, between 320 and 426 

 tons. Between 1958 and 1961, it declined rela- 

 tive to the previous 4 years, but still remained 

 between 279 and 299 tons. It dropped to 253 tons 

 in 1962, and 70 tons in 1966. By contrast, the 

 catch per vessel week in the Chesapeake Bay area 

 was low from 1943 to 1953, fluctuating between 

 109 and 207 tons, and high from 1954 to 1962, 

 fluctuating, except for 1956, between 239 and 

 309 tons. In 1963 the catch per week dropped 

 to 156 tons and then continued a downward 

 trend. 



In the South Atlantic the catch per vessel week 

 showed no trends. The figures generally ranged 

 from about 86 to 136 metric tons, with extreme 

 fluctuations of from 39 to 180 tons. 



In the North Carolina fall fishery the catch 

 per vessel week from 1941 to 1954 fluctuated 



773 



