McHUGH: MARINE FISHERIES OF NEW YORK 



1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 I960 1970 



Figure 22. — Annual commercial landings of flounders in 

 the State of New York, 1887-1970. 



fied in U.S. statistics until about 1938 (Figure 

 22). Total landings of all flounder species in 

 New York have two maxima, one at nearly 16 

 million pounds (7,130 metric tons) in 1942 and 

 the other at more than 10 million (4,720 metric 

 tons) in 1967. Between these peaks the catch 

 dropped off to an average annual minimum level 

 of about 4 million pounds (1,850 metric tons) 

 from 1951 to 1955 inclusive. 



Most of this dip, and much of the subsequent 

 rise, was caused by a wide oscillation in landings 

 of yellowtail flounder (Figure 22) from about 

 12 million pounds (5,400 metric tons) in 1942 

 to virtually nothing in 1952 to 1957, then back 

 to nearly 6 million pounds (2,565 metric tons) 

 in 1968. Graham (1968) attributed these fluc- 

 tuations to changes in abundance of yellowtail 

 flounder, without citing causes. Royce, Buller, 

 and Premetz (1959) went into the question in 

 detail. Edwards (1968) estimated that the 

 standing crop of yellowtail flounder in areas 

 fished by Americans was 185 million pounds 

 (84,000 metric tons). Average total landings 



from these same areas from 1963 to 1965 were 

 more than 509^ of the standing crop annually, 

 which is the highest fishing rate for any species 

 in the area. 



Smith (1963, 1968, 1969) also noted the in- 

 creasing abundance of yellowtail flounder in the 

 1960s on grounds frequented by New York fish- 

 ermen. Despite an abrupt drop in numbers of 

 trawlers landing their catches at Fulton Fish 

 Market in New York City from 1960 to 1966 

 (a drop of approximately 80%) the weight of 

 yellowtail landed nearly doubled. From 1960 to 

 1965 and 1966 the catch of yellowtail per trip 

 rose from about 71 lb. to about 700 lb., a crude 

 but fairly convincing index of increasing abun- 

 dance. Lux (1969) presented evidence that dom- 

 inant year classes spawned in 1958, 1959, and 

 1960 produced greater abundance of yellowtail 

 on fishing grounds off" New England from 1960 

 to 1963, but that abundance declined from 1964 

 to 1966. Alarmed at the heavy rate of fishing on 

 this resource, ICNAF established catch quotas 

 in 1970 aggregating 29,000 metric tons, and in 

 the following year reduced this quota to 26,000 

 tons. 



The yellowtail flounder is a species of rela- 

 tively deep water. No catches were reported 

 by sport fishermen in 1965. 



Winter flounder landings in New York also 

 declined from the 1930s to the early 1950s, 

 then rose again. The domestic commercial catch 

 dropped from nearly 7 million pounds (3,050 

 metric tons) in 1938 to about a third of a million 

 (160 metric tons) in 1953, then back to slightly 

 over 3 million (1,475 metric tons) in 1966. Ac- 

 cording to Poole (1969) winter flounders have 

 been abundant recently in New York waters. 

 He attributed the relatively small commercial 

 landings in the State to restrictions on trawling 

 which have been in eflE"ect for 25 to 30 years. 

 This is primarily a fish of shallow coastal waters. 

 In 1968 in the western North Atlantic foreign 

 fleets took only 1,200 metric tons, as compared 

 with a total domestic commercial catch of about 

 10,700 metric tons. 



The total U.S. sport catch of winter flounder 

 in 1965 was nearly 29 million pounds (over 

 13,000 metric tons). The species is important 

 in the saltwater sport fisheries of the State. 



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