346 FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



abundance, though fishermen are well aware that The largest Gulf of Maine catches of which we 



their numbers in any part of the Gulf do vary have heard were of 336 fish, weighing about 75,000 



widely from year to year. Thus it is on record pounds taken at one lift of 3 traps set for mackerel 



that they were scarce in the Massachusetts Bay on the Barnstable shore of Cape Cod Bay, Aug. 5, 



region for two or three years prior to 1904, but 1948; 37 and of 120,000 pounds of fish ranging 



were plentiful that summer. Commercial land- from 25 to 30 pounds seined some 50 miles east of 



ings suggest that they were scarce again in 1943, Cape Cod on September 18, 1951, by the Western 



when the landings came to only about 380,000 Explorer, chartered by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife 



pounds for Maine and Massachusetts combined. 36 Service for experimental fishing for tuna. 



But they appear to have been much more Importance. — Horse mackerel were formerly 

 plentiful again off the Maine coast in 1945 (catch regarded as a nuisance on the Atlantic coast, for 

 there about 850,000 lb.) ; more plentiful than they bands of them made trouble for fishermen by 

 have been since, if the commercial landings are a following herring or mackerel into the traps and 

 reliable index to the ups and downs of the tuna pounds, to tear their way out again through the 

 population, which they may not be. The follow- ne t unless harpooned. Many years ago, when fish 

 ing catch statistics of tuna landings (in pounds) il was more valuable than now, a few were some- 

 suggest that the stock built up more slowly, from times harpooned for oil, which was tried out of 

 the 1943 low in Massachusetts waters, to a peak the heads and bellies, but there was no sale for 

 in 1948, which was a big year on the Ipswich Bay their meat. The tuna, however, has been highly 

 grounds (p. 343), as well as in Cape Cod Bay. valued as a food fish for many years, not only in 

 Year Maine Massachusetts the Mediterranean, but on the west coast of the 

 1943 25,000 129,500 United States. And a local demand has developed 



1944 "«SiS 5?S! on our coast > supplied chiefly by local fisheries 



1945 859,500 356,400 ' . ., -, » t> tij 



1946 421 800 57!, xoo off Casco Bay, m the Cape Ann-Boone Island 



1947 186, 600 726, 400 region, and in the Cape Cod Bay region. 



1948 -- 229,100 1,627,000 With this increasing demand, the reported 



In 1949, the catch by traps in Cape Cod Bay landings on the Maine and Massachusetts coasts 



alone was 811,160 pounds, suggesting a total of have risen from about 94,000 pounds in 1919, to 



more than a million pounds from the Gulf of around 250,000 pounds yearly in the early 



Maine coast of Massachusetts. 1930'a, and to about 1 to nearly 2 million pounds 



During that banner season 2,164 large tuna for the years 1945 to 1948, this last representing 



were taken on hand lines where the draggers work, around 3,000-6,000 fish, if they averaged 300-400 



off Ipswich Bay; while 806 fish (305,300 lb.) were pounds in weight (see table, p. 346). The average 



taken off Wedgeport, Nova Scotia, in 1948, 1,760 value to the fisherman in 1946 was about 7-9 



fish (449 362 lb ) in 1949 cents per pound and all that are caught now sell 



But the/ were scarce' in 1950, to judge from readily. The annual catches off the entire coast 



reports coming in from all along our coast: a of Nova Scotia ranged from 152,000 pounds to 



week's fishing, for instance, by the same number of about 1,550,000 pounds dunng the period 1917 to 



rods and at about the same date, yielded only 1928; from 402,000 to 1,820,000 pounds for the 



about half as many on the famous Soldiers Keef 5 y ears !942-46. 



off Wedgeport during the International Match The commercial catch off the coasts of Maine is 



that summer as it had the year before. Many made mostly by harpoon; that off northern 



fewer were caught by anglers in Cape Cod Bay Massachusetts by hook and line and by harpoon; 



in 1950 than in 1949, and the tuna disappeared that off the Cape Cod Bay region mostly in the 



from the Ipswich Bay region unusually early that traps. 38 



year, as noted above (p. 344). It is too early 



(August 5) to forecast how the 1951 Season may ,7 A photograph of part of the catch was published In the Boston Herald, 



develop August 6, 1948. 



r * s» In 1945 about 60 percent of the catch reported for Maine was by harpoon . 



almost all the remainder on hand lines; in 1946 about 98 percent was bar- 

 s' The weights given in the Fisheries statistics are for the dressed fish, and pooned. About 86 percent of the Massachusetts catch was taken in traps of 

 represent about 80 percent of the live weight. one sort or another in 1945. about 90 percent In 1946. 



