(3 million gallons) could affect the taste of up to 25% of the 

 scallops. 10 



Fish 



The fishing grounds off New England are some of the most produc- 

 tive in the world. Commercially important fish on Georges Bank include 

 haddock, cod, pollack, whiting, red hake, cusk, American dab, yellow- 

 tail flounder, grey sole, and sea herring. The nearshore waters 

 also support a rich fishery. Fish found in Buzzards Bay and Narragansett 

 Bay include bluefish, pollack, summer flounder, scup, shad, eel, tomcod, 

 white perch, and menhaden. Long Island Sound supports populations of 

 striped bass, bluefish, summer flounder, pollack, Atlantic mackerel, 

 cunner, black sea bass, weakfish, white hake, sand flounder, American 

 eel, smelt, white perch, and tomcod. 



An oil spill would not pose a physical danger to adult fish for 

 they would leave the area. However, it could interrupt their spawning 

 migration, disrupt breeding behavior or injure sensitive larval forms. 

 The spawning seasons of some fish are noted in Table 4. Spawning 

 grounds of selected species are shown in Figure 3. 



In the proposed lease area, there are spawning grounds for cod, 

 haddock, sea herring, whiting, and red hake. These species with the 

 exception of sea herring have pelagic larvae which would be most sus- 

 ceptible to an oil slick. Commercially important fish which spawn in 

 nearshore waters include winter flounder, tautog, scup, sea herring, 

 and striped bass (primarily Chesapeake Bay). Their larvae could be 

 killed by a nearshore spill. Other species which could be affected 



19 



