150 DESCRIPTION OF IMPORTANT FISHERIES AND THEIR PRODUCTS 



tion. Most of the newer boats are made of aluminum and vary from 32 

 to 36 feet in length, with a 7- to 9-foot beam. Each is powered by a gaso- 

 line engine and equipped with a power-driven block for hauling the seine. 

 During trips to and from the fishing grounds, the purse boats are hung 

 from davits, one on each side of the after house near the stern. 



Menhaden purse seines average 200 fathoms in length and 10 fathoms 

 in depth. They are made of lj^:4-inch webbing, with a reinforced bunt 

 located in the upper center portion of the seine. During the past several 

 years, cotton or linen seines have largely been replaced with those made 

 of nylon. 



Depending on the size, a new modern carrier, with its purse boats and 

 seine, costs from $500,000 to $1,000,000. 



Most of the carrier vessels, purse boats, and seines are owned by the 

 reduction companies or their subsidiaries. The number of vessels operated 

 by the individual plants varies according to the processing capacity of 

 the plant. Most of the larger plants employ from 10 to 12 carriers, while 

 the smaller plants generally use no fewer than 3 or 4 vessels. During the 

 North Carolina fall fishery, however, as many as 20 or more vessels 

 deliver their catches to a single plant. 



Spotter Aircraft. The menhaden industry employs approximately 50 

 light aircraft for the purpose of locating concentrations of fish and direct- 

 ing the fishing operations of the purse seine fleet. Some reduction com- 

 panies maintain their own aircraft and hire the pilots for the fishing 

 season at a flat rate. In other cases, the aircraft and pilot are chartered, 

 either at a fixed rate or on a catch-share basis^^. It has been estimated 

 that the use of the aircraft has increased the eflficiency, hence the catch, 

 of the purse seine fleet by at least one-third. 



Fishing Methods. The method of purse seining for menhaden differs 

 from that employed in the Pacific herring, tuna, and salmon fisheries in 

 that the seine is operated from the two open seine boats with the assist- 

 ance of a spotter aircraft pilot. 



On the fishing grounds, the purse boats are lashed side by side, with 

 half the seine carried in each boat, and towed behind the carrier. When 

 a school has been selected for capture, the fishing captain and crew enter 

 the purse boats and start out in the direction of the school. The spotter 

 pilot keeps the captain informed of the movements of the school by radio 

 contact and, at the appropriate moment, directs the two boats to sepa- 

 rate. The seine is payed out as each boat completes a half circle to enclose 

 the school. As soon as the two purse boats meet, the ends of the purse 

 line are made fast and run through two snatch blocks attached to a 

 heavy, lead weight called a tom. The tom is thrown overboard and closes 

 the seine as it rides to the bottom. After pursing has been completed 



