seed beds by the State, poor quality of oysters, con- 

 tinued heavy mortality, and competition from other 

 states (LoVerde 1965-72). 



In New York also, production of oyster meats dropped 

 sharply in the early depression years of the 1930s, but 

 soon recovered, and remained fairly steady until 1950. 

 Subsequently, weights of meats produced dropped 

 sharply to an historic low, as happened in New Jersey in 

 the late 1950s. Most of the decline of the oyster industry 

 in New York has been attributed not to disease, but to a 

 massive invasion of sea stars, Asterias forbesi (Desor), a 

 serious shellfish predator. Through application of scien- 

 tific culture techniques the industry in New York has 

 shown substantial recovery, from an all-time low of 46 

 metric tons of meats in 1967 to almost 1,000 tons in 1975 

 (Table 13). 



BlueHsh 



Landings of bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix (Lin- 

 naeus), in New Jersey have followed a pattern similar to 

 that in New York. Reported commercial catches were 

 highest at about the turn of the century and the trend 

 has been fairly steadily downward, with resurgences in 

 the early 1930s and recently (Fig. 11). Bluefish is notably 

 variable in abundance, but the reasons for these fluc- 

 tuations are not known. It is probable that, in common 

 with other highly migratory pelagic oceanic fishes, 

 bluefish respond to changes in oceanographic conditions 

 and are not always available on their inshore summer 

 feeding grounds in constant proportion to their total 

 abundance. 



Bluefish was an abundant species in the 1880s in the 

 New York Bight area. Mather (1887) said that it was in- 

 creasing in abundance at that time. The species also was 

 important recreationally. 



Bluefish is a popular sport fish in New York Bight and 

 estimated catches are much greater than commercial 

 catches. Thus, the decline in abundance suggested by 

 commercial landings may be more apparent than real. 

 Table 14 shows that recreational and commercial catches 

 of bluefish have been increasing since 1960. Although 

 sport catch estimates are not available by states, the 

 recreational catch is apparently much larger than the 

 commercial catch. This is probably true despite the 

 general view that sport catches may be exaggerated and 



Table 14. — Estimated cononercia 1 and recreational catches of 

 bluefish in the north and middle Atlantic regions of the 

 united States coast for the period in which recreational or 

 foreign catch estimates are available. Weights in metric tons. 



^- 



., A. 



\../^-\.Av^ 



Figure II.- 



Annual commercial landings of bluefish in New Jersey 



1880-1975. 



The national saltwater angling surveys for 1960, 1965, and 1970 did 

 not give data by individual states. New York was included with the 

 New England states and New Jersey with the other middle Atlantic 

 states . 



Foreign catches for 1975 are provisional. This species is 

 included with the second tier quota for 1976. 



Figures for 1975 in parentheses assume that unavailable landings in 

 N.H.. Conn., and Del. equal the average of recent years. 



- An unreported catch is possible. 



commercial catches underestimated. Bluefish is the most 

 important saltwater sport fish in the Bight, in total num- 

 bers and weight of the catch. 



Bluefish have not been reported in foreign catches in 

 the area until recently. In 1972 it was reported that 

 foreign fleets took 18 metric tons in ICNAF subarea 5. In 

 1973, in division oZ, 196 metric tons were reported as 

 caught by foreign fleets, and 6 tons in subarea 6; in 1974 

 the total catch in subareas 5 and 6 was 99 metric tons. 

 Bluefish are sometimes taken in domestic commercial 

 trawl catches off southern New England in winter, and 

 unusual numbers were taken in the Chesapeake winter 

 trawl fishery in the winters of 1970 and 1971 (Grosslein et 

 al. 1973, see footnote 7). They also are occasionally, al- 

 though rarely, taken in scientific groundfish surveys at 

 depths to about 275 m (Grosslein et al. 1973, see foot- 

 note 7). There is little doubt that bluefish have been un- 

 usually abundant recently and it is not surprising that 

 they have been caught in places and by gears that usual- 

 ly do not take significant numbers, if any. It seems un- 

 likely that the domestic bluefish fisheries are sig- 

 nificantly affected by foreign fishing. 



Atlantic Sturgeon 



The history of sturgeon fisheries around the world is a 

 history of early great abundance, followed very soon by 

 virtual collapse of the fishery. In New Jersey average an- 

 nual landings of Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrhyn- 

 rhus Mitchill, were about 1,600 metric tons for the 3 yr 

 1887 to 1889 inclusive. The succeeding 7 yr of record from 



18 



