CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 1 



The 1962 purse seine fishery 1 



South Atlantic Area 3 



Chesapeake Bay Area 3 



Middle Atlantic Area 3 



North Atlantic Area 4 



North Carolina fall fishery 4 



Distribution of purse seine sets 4 



Sampling of the catch o 



Age connposition " 



Length composition 9 



Weight connposition 12 



Mean lengths and weights 12 



Review of the Fishery 13 



Summary 13 



Acknowledgment 14 



Literature Cited 14 



Appendix tables 15 



FIGURES 



1. Map showing locations mentioned in the text, menhaden reduction plants (encircled), 



and geographic areas used in sunnmarizing catch data on Atlantic nnenhaden 2 



2. Distribution of purse seine sets for Atlantic menhaden, 1962 5 



3. Age composition of Atlantic menhaden in samples from purse seine catches, 1962 , . . . 9 



4. Length composition of Atlantic menhaden in samples from purse seine catches, 1962. . 10 



5. Length frequencies of male and female Atlantic menhaden in samples from purse seine 



catches, 1962 H 



6. Weight composition of Atlantic menhaden in samples from purse seine catches, 1962. . 12 



TABLES 



1. Mean annual catch, mean number of purse seine sets, and mean catch per set, 1955-61; 



and the catch, number of sets, and catch per set, 1962, Atlantic menhaden purse 

 seine fishery 1 



2. Number of samples of Atlantic menhaden taken from purse seine catches, by season 



and locality, 1962 6 



3. Age composition (in percent) and calculated number of Atlantic menhaden (in millions) 



at each age in purse seine catches, 1955-62 6 



4. Age composition (in percent) of Atlantic menhaden purse seine catches, by age, season, 



area, and year, 1955-62 7 



5. Calculated number of Atlantic menhaden (in millions) in purse seine catches, by age, 



season, area, and year, 1955-62 8 



6. Sex ratio of Atlantic menhaden in purse seine catches, by season and area, 1962 12 



7. Mean fork length (mm.) of Atlantic menhaden in purse seine catches, 1962, and mean 



of the mean lengths, 1955-61, by age, season, area, and year 12 



8. Mean weight (g.) of Atlantic menhaden in purse seine catches, 1962, and mean of the 



nnean weights, 1955-61, by age, season, area, and year 13 



111 



