MIDDLE ATLANTIC FISHERIES 



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increased from 6,000 pounds to 15,000 pounds. Landings of butterfish were 2.1 million pounds valued at 

 $484,000 an 18-percent increase in volume and 11 percent in value over 1974. Landings of Atlantic mackerel 

 of 1.9 million pounds valued at $206,000 were up 69 percent in volume and 39 percent in value compared with 

 1974. Striped bass landings were 1.6 million pounds valued at $857,000— a 30-percent decline in volume, but 

 an 11-percent increase in value compared with 1974. Squid landings, 1.5 million pounds valued at $308,000, 

 declined 33 percent in volume and 26 percent in value compared with 1974. 



Flounders. Landings of all species of flounders were 9.7 million pounds valued at $3.4 million, up 10 percent 

 in quantity and 36 percent in value compared with 1974. Fluke or summer flounder was 78 percent of the 

 total flounder landings in the area. Landings were a record 7.6 million pounds worth $2.9 million— increases 

 of 26 percent in quantity and 47 percent in value over 1974. Landings of yellowtail flounder were 1.4 million 

 pounds valued at $364,000— down 32 percent in quantity and 12 percent in value compared with 1974. From 

 1967 to 1973 yellowtail had been the most prominent species of flounder landed in the Middle Atlantic region. 



American lobsters . Landings were 1.5 million pounds valued at $3.0 million— declines of 21 percent in volume 

 and 11 percent in value compared with 1974. Landings were the lowest since 1966. New Jersey landings 

 (851,000 pounds) declined 29 percent below 1974 and 39 percent below the previous 5-year average. New 

 York lobster landings (669,000 pounds) declined 8 percent. 



Menhaden . Landings of 67.0 million pounds were 40.9 million pounds (38 percent) less than in 1974. For the 

 past 3 years (1972-74), landings had averaged over 100 million pounds of menhaden a year. New Jersey with 

 65.9 million pounds accounted for 98 percent of the production, mostly by purse seines. The New Jersey 

 fishery had six purse seiners in 1975, three less than the previous year. Landings in New York (1.1 million 

 pounds) increased 87 percent. Pound nets took 76 percent of the landings in New York, the rest were taken by 

 gill nets. The 20,00() pounds landed in Delaware were taken by gill nets. Menhaden Ismded in New York and 

 Delaware are used mostly for bait. 



Oysters . Total landings yielded 3.3 million pounds of meats valued at $6.3 million. Compared with 1974, this 

 was an increase of 20 percent in volume and 28 percent in value. Landings increased 36 percent in New York 

 and 11 percent in Delaware, but declined 4 percent in New Jersey. New York with 2.1 million pounds of 

 meats accounted for 64 percent of the volume and 82 percent of the value in the area. This is the eighth year 

 of increased oyster production in New York attributed to aquaculture operations. New Jersey oyster landings 

 of 972,000 pounds of meats was a 4-percent decline in volume and 12 percent in value from 1974. A shortage 

 of seed oysters is contributing to reduced landings. Landings of seed oysters in Delaware decreased 68 

 percent in quantity. 



Scallops . Landings of bay scallops yielded 444,000 pounds of meats valued at $713,000— a decline of 36 

 percent in volume and 18 percent in value compared with 1974. New York was the only State which had a 

 production of bay scallops in 1975. Most of the landings were made from Gardiners and Peconic Bays by 

 dredgers. Fishermen received $1.70 to $2.00 per pound (of meats) in the fall and $1.25 to $1.40 in the spring. 



Landings of sea scallops yielded 981,000 pounds of meats worth $1.8 million— increases of 84 percent in 

 volume and 118 percent in value over 1974. New Jersey vessels accounted for 72 percent of the total catch in 

 1975 compared with 61 percent in 1974. The practice of catching the scallops by trawler and landing them in 

 the sheU to be shucked ashore contributed to the rise in New Jersey landings. About 52 percent of the New 

 Jersey sea scallops were taken by trawler in 1975 compared with only 2 percent in 1974. The New York 

 landings were all by dredge vessels at New York City. 



Scup. Landings were 10.1 million pounds valued at $2.5 million, a 4-percent increase in quantity and 42 

 percent in value over 1974. Landings were the largest since 1965 and 79 percent higher than the average for 

 the previous 5 years. Average exvessel prices rose from 18 cents per pound in 1974 to 24 cents in 1975. New 

 Jersey landings (6.3 million pounds) increased 4 percent over 1974 and New York landings (3.8 million pounds) 

 increased 5 percent. 



Tuna. Landings of all species were 2.5 million pounds valued at $633,000, increases of 184 percent in volume 

 and 167 percent in value over 1974. Landings were the second best harvest since the inception of the tuna 

 purse seine fishery in 1963. Of the total landings, 99 percent were bluefin tuna. Three purse seine vessels 

 made 13 trips this year, 1 more trip than in 1974, with all landings made at Cape May, New Jersey. 



