1999 

 NATIONAL OVERVIEW 



Unit number and fishery 



Total productivity (t) over the 

 entire range of stock (US and Canada) 



1 Northeast demersal 

 2. Northeast pelagic 



3 Atlantic anadromous 



4 Northeast invertebrate 



5 Atlantic highly migratory pelagic 

 21 Northeast nearshore resources 



Total 



The mixed-species groundfish fishery has traditionally been the most vakiable, fol- 

 lowed by American lobster and Atlantic sea scallop. Recreational fisheries for species such 

 as Atlantic cod, winter flounder, Atlantic mackerel, striped bass, bluefish, and bluefin tima 

 are also important to the regions economy. 



Table 5 



Productivity in metric tons 

 (t) of fisheries resources of 

 the Northeast Region, 

 1995-97 



Principal groundfish and flounders in the Northeast, particularly cod, haddock, and 

 yellowtail flounder, have been severely overfished, reaching record low levels in spawning- 

 stock biomass in 1993-94, but they have since begun to rebuild.^ Dogfish and skates, 

 which increased in abundance beginning in the 1970's as groundfish and flounders de- 

 clined, currently comprise a substantial fraction of the total fish biomass on Georges Bank 

 and have supported larger catches in recent years. Since 1990, however, their abundances 

 have also begun to decrease. Catches of other groundfish have become more important in 

 recent years as the preferred species continued to decline in number. In l'^)'-)4, tlie U.S. 

 catch of goosefish exceeded the catch of Atlantic cod for the first time. 



Five species, mainly pelagic fishes, are presently underutilized, and the CPY of the 

 two most abundant of these, Atlantic mackerel and herring, is about SSS,SOO t higher than 

 their combined RAY. The anadromous striped bass, driven to very low levels of abimdance 



'The h.idd(ick pcipul.uion started to rebiiilil .irmind 19')4-95, .ind has been improving steadily. 



1 7 



