NEW ENGLAND FISHERIES 



87 



Clams. Landings yielded 11.4 million pounds of meats worth $10.8 million— increases of 12 percent in volume 

 andT? percent in value compared with 1974. Landings increased for all species of clams. Soft clams were 67 

 percent of the total New England production; hard clams, 21 percent; ocean quahog, 11 percent; and razor and 

 surf were 1 percent. 



Soft clams landings of 7.7 million pounds of meats increased 5 percent compared with 1974. Maine 

 was the leading producer of soft clams with 6.5 million pounds of meats (up 11 percent), followed by 

 Massachusetts with 1.1 million pounds (down 15 percent), and Rhode Island with 18,000 pounds (down 73 

 percent). There was no production in Connecticut or New Hampshire. 



Landings of hard clams yielded 2.4 million pounds of meats, up 15 percent compared with 1974. 

 Landings of 1.1 million pounds in Rhode Island increased 33 percent. Maine landings (8,000 pounds) also 

 increased; however, Connecticut with 120,000 pounds and Massachusetts with 1.1 million pounds had slight 

 decreases. The average price per pound paid to fishermen was $1.40 in 1975 and $1.45 in 1974. 



Flound ers. Landings were 77.4 million pounds worth $26.9 million— 3.8 million pounds less than in 1974, but 

 worth $6^1 million more to the fishermen. Landings were the smallest since 1961 and 15.4 million pounds 

 below the average for the previous 5 years. AU species of flounders increased in landings except yellowtail. 

 Landings of yellowtail flounders were 41.5 million pounds, a decline of 22 percent compared with 1974 and the 

 smallest since 1953. 



Almost all of the U.S. catch of Atlantic flounders is taken in waters subject to ICNAF catch 

 recommendations. The declining U.S. catch of yellowtail flounder has been the subject of great concern. 

 ICNAF has sharply reduced the yellowtail catch quota for all nations and given the United States almost all 

 (99 percent) of the total allowable catch in 1975 in waters off the U.S. Atlantic Coast. 



Groundfish. Landings of groundfish (cod, cusk, haddock, pollock, white hake, and Atlantic ocean perch) were 

 135.8 mllHon pounds valued at $25.3 million— a decrease of 2.6 million, but a gain of $4.6 million. Cod and 

 white hake were down slightly, but landings of Atlantic ocean perch had sizable declines. Landings of cusk 

 and pollock had small increases, but haddock increased sharply. 



Landings of cod (55.4 million pounds) declined 4 percent compared with 1974, and landings of white 

 hake (8.1 million pounds) declined 3 percent. Atlantic ocean perch landings (32.1 million pounds) declined 23 

 percent to the lowest level since 1935. 



Landings of cusk (3.1 million pounds) were up 5 percent compared with 1974, and pollock (20.9 

 million pounds) increased 7 percent with the largest catch since 1961. Landings of haddock were 16.2 million 

 pounds, an increase of 7.9 million pounds (96 percent) over the record low catch in 1974. 



Menhaden . Landings in 1975 of 50.9 million pounds declined 28 million pounds (35 percent), but was still 19 

 percent above the previous 5-year average. Menhaden purse seiners landed chiefly at the ports of Gloucester, 

 Pt. Judith, and Portland in 1975. 



Sea herring . Landings were 79.4 million pounds valued at $2.6 million, up 7.9 million pounds and $69,000 

 compared with 1974. The catch of sea herring in New England accounted for 60 percent of the total U.S. 

 landings. Massachusetts landings of 32.2 million pounds increased 83 percent, and Rhode Island landings of 9.0 

 million pounds were up 40 percent. Landings in Maine (38.2 million pounds) declined 19 percent and were only 

 48 percent of the total catch in 1975 compared with 66 percent in 1974. 



In Maine, where small immature sea herrings are used to pack sardines, landings were 48 percent of 

 the total production for all States compared with 66 percent in 1974. The 1975 pack of Maine sardines was 

 1.1 million standard cases valued at $24.9 million, up 3 percent in quantity and 15 percent in value compared 

 with 1974. 



Sea scallops . Landings were 7.1 million pounds of edible meats valued at $13.4 million— increases of 54 

 percent in volume and 87 percent in value compared with 1974. The 1975 production was the largest since 

 1968 and 62 percent above the average for the previous 5 years. Prices received by fishermen were $1.89 per 

 pound in 1975 compared to $1.56 in 1974. About 72 percent of the New England catch was made by 20 vessels 

 fishing out of New Bedford. 



