NO A A PROFESSIONAL PAPER II 



7 years, at least this long will be required for commercial 

 stocks of surf clam to recover. The mass mortalities will 

 cause economic losses to surf clammers and processors for 

 at least the next 7 years. Until the stocks have recovered, 

 both the weight and value of the harvest will steadily de- 

 cline in succeeding years as the standing crop is reduced 

 by fishing. To offset future declines in clam supplies, clam- 

 mers and processors plan to increase the harvesting effort 

 and use stocks of ocean quahogs. 



Ocean Quahog 



Ropes et al. (ch. 11, pt. 1) estimate that 51,000 t of 

 ocean quahog meats were lost off the New Jersey coast 

 owing to the oxygen-depleted water. This represents about 

 6.3 percent of the standing crop of 810,000 1. The dockside 

 prices of ocean quahogs were $0.51 to $0.84 per kilogram 

 during March to June 1976. Thus, the estimated potential 

 dockside value of the loss of the ocean quahog resource 

 was $26 million to $43 million, with an average of $34 

 million. Potential losses to processors and marketers were 

 an estimated $65 million to $110 million, with an average 

 of $86 million. The total potential losses are estimated at 

 about $120 million. 



Sea Scallop 



MacKenzie (1977) estimated that between 8.8 and 12.9 

 percent of the sea scallops off New Jersey were killed in 

 1976. The dockside values of the annual landings of sea 

 scallops in New Jersey during 1971 to 1975 were $160,000 

 to $1.4 million and averaged $670,000. Assuming that sea 

 scallops reach harvestable size in 5 years, that the landings 

 during 1976 through 1980 would have equalled those dur- 

 ing the preceding 5 years, and that 8.8 to 12.9 percent 

 annual reductions would be sustained as a result of the 

 1976 mortality, the average potential annual losses would 

 be $58,000 to $86,000 (average $72,000). Total 5-year 

 losses would be $290,000 to $430,000 (average $360,000). 

 Potential economic losses to processors and marketers 

 would be $150,000 to $220,000 (average $180,000) an- 

 nually, and $725,000 to $1.1 million (average $900,000) 

 for the 5-year period 1976-80. Thus, total potential losses 

 are estimated at about $250,000 for 1977 and $1.3 million 

 for the 5-year period. 



It is noted that 1976 was a banner year for the sea scallop 

 fishery, with dockside landings valued at $4.8 million. 

 These landings overshadow the estimated potential losses; 

 however, even greater landings might have been possible 

 without the mortalities associated with the oxygen deple- 

 tion. For this reason, although no economic losses were 

 evident, the potential loss to the economy through the 

 decreased resource should still be considered. 



The estimated economic losses cited above are un- 

 doubtedly minimal, because many boats from North Car- 

 olina, Virginia, and New England also fish the scallop 



grounds off New Jersey and these boats would be expected 

 to have similarly reduced catches. 



Lobster 



Lobster fishery losses were suffered primarily by the 

 northern inshore pot fishery. The offshore and southern 

 pot and trawl fisheries were virtually unaffected. 



The lobster harvest for the first 5 months of 1976 was 

 6.6 percent greater than it had been the previous year 

 during the same period. From June 1976 on, the catch 

 dropped significantly. Over the last 7 months of the year, 

 the catch was 96.6 t less than it had been for the same 

 period in 1975. That represents a 32-percent decrease in 

 harvest, with a corresponding loss of $410,000 (at the 1976 

 dockside average value of $4.23 per kilogram). Assuming 

 this reduction of catch was the result of the death of 32 

 percent of the lobsters normally available on the fishing 

 grounds off New Jersey, we can foresee no increase to 

 former numbers for 4 years; this is the minimum time it 

 takes for a lobster to reach market size. Thus, potential 

 dockside losses for the 4-year period prior to recruitment 

 would total an estimated $1.6 million. Potential economic 

 losses to processors and marketers are estimated at $1.0 

 million annually and $4.1 million for the 4-year recovery 

 period. Overall potential losses are estimated at $1.4 mil- 

 lion for the 4-year recovery preriod. Overall potential 

 losses are estimated at $1.4 million for the first year and 

 $5.7 million over the next 4 years. 



Fish Processing and Wholesaling Industries 



The Division of Planning and Research of the New Jer- 

 sey Department of Labor and Industry made a telephone 

 survey of the State's fish and shellfish processors and 

 wholesalers to assess the effects of the marine mortalities 

 on their operations. Sixteen of the 17 companies classified 

 as fish processors within the State and 15 of 37 seafood 

 wholesalers in five southern counties (Monmouth, Ocean, 

 Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland) were questioned. 

 In the five counties surveyed, there were 932 jobs in proc- 

 essing and 174 jobs in wholesaling with firms covered by 

 unemployment insurance (as of March 1976). 



Of the 16 processing firms surveyed, 7 processed surf 

 clams exclusively or with other fish products and 9 proc- 

 essed fish products only. The nine fish processors reported 

 that the anoxia did not significantly affect their businesses. 

 Clam processors, on the other hand, reported both lost 

 work time and layoffs (table 14-3). The seven clam pro- 

 cessors employed 550 workers from June to September. 

 Although no layoffs were reported during summer, four 

 firms cut their work week by at least 25 percent. For the 

 265 employees in these four firms, this represented a total 

 loss of roughly 22 man-years of work and pay. During 

 autumn. Snow Food Products closed one plant, but of the 



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