UNIT 21 

 NEARSHORE FISHERIES 



ment their incomes. In addition, smaller peri- 

 winkles arc being marketed. 



Landings oi Jonah and rock crabs have re- 

 mained fairly stable, with abundance unknown but 

 thought to be fairly high. Abundance of slow grow- 

 ing horseshoe crabs has declined in Delaware Bay, 

 the site of greatest concentration. 



A renewed interest in horseshoe crabs as bait 

 for the American eel and conch pot fisheries, and 

 use of horseshoe crab blood by the biomedical in- 

 dustry, elevated commercial catches from 412 t in 

 1990 to about 2,800 t by 1997. An interstate fish- 

 ery management plan was adopted by the Atlan- 

 tic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) 

 in October 1998 in recognition oi the importance 

 oi" horseshoe crabs and their eggs to the coastal 

 ecosystem as tood for migrating shorebirds, fm- 

 fish, and sea turtles, and in concern over the grow- 

 ing exploitation rate (ASMFC, 1998). The 

 ASMFC fishery management plan mandates con- 

 servation measures in the Mid-Atlantic area and 

 monitoring programs throughout the species' At- 

 lantic coastal range 



Sea worms, dug principally in Maine, have 

 continued to decline both in abundance and in 

 average size because of heavy harvesting. These 

 worms are highlv sought as bait by marine recre- 

 ational fishermen from Massachusetts to South 

 Carolina. 



A new fishery for sea cucumbers began in 

 Maine several years ago to supply Asian markets. 

 At present, only one processor and three fishing 

 vessels are involved in that fishery. Landings peaked 



at about 1,.^00 t in 1996 and were only 61 t in 

 1997. Abundance appears to be relatively steady. 

 Of the finfish included in this unit, only tau- 

 toghas been assessed. Recreational fishing accounts 

 for about 85% of the total landings, which have 

 continued to decline in recent years. Abundance 

 remains at record low levels. 



SOUTHEAST REGION 



Relatively tew fisheries from the southeast are 

 highlighted in this unit, as man\' ot the truly 

 nearshore fisheries of the region have been cov- 

 ered under Units 7, 9, 10, and 1 1. In the south- 

 east as in the northeast, the recent average yields 

 reported here are underestimated, because they can 

 generally be based only on commercial landings. 

 Recreational landings, which may be considerable, 

 are generally unavailable for the invertebrates that 

 dominate the southeast nearshore fisheries. 

 Bvcatch mortality is not estimated, or is incom- 

 pletely estimated, tor many species. 



Blue crabs dominate the nearshore catch by 

 weight. Recent landings have fluctuated around 

 60,000 t (Figure 21-1, Table 21-.^). Oyster har- 

 vests have trended downward over the last decade, 

 but recent landings have been steady with a re- 

 cent average yield ot 10,440 t. Calico scallop has 

 been important in the landings in the past (20,000 

 tin l')84), but recent landings have averaged 1,184 

 t. 



Mullet landings in the region have been af- 

 tected by a ban on nets over 500 square teet in 



"I 



Horseshoe crab stranding, 

 Lewes, Delaware. 



Casting a mullet net. Ever- 

 glades City, Florida. 



Table 21-3 



Productivity in metric tons 

 and status of southeast 

 nearshore fishery resources. 



'RAYs are for 1994-1996 Recreational data are estimates based on surveys 

 'LTPY = Long-term potential yield 



2 1 7 



