Tabic 8. — Mean weight (g. ) of Atlantic menhaden tn purse seine catches, 1952, 

 and mean of the mean weights, 1953-61, by ogc, season, area, and year 



for the 7-year period, 1955-61. The increase 

 reflected the greater percentage of older, 

 primarily age-4, fish in the catches. 



The mean lengths and mean weights of age-4 

 fish were less than the 7-year means in all 

 areas except the Chesapeake Bay Area. The 

 means of fish older than age 4 were about the 

 same as the 7-year means, and the means of 

 age-2 and -3 fish were greater than the 7-year 

 means. The means of age-1 fish were less in 

 the Middle Atlantic Area, but greater in the 

 South Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay Areas. 



REVIEW OF THE FISHERY 



The characteristics of the 1962 purse seine 

 catch reflect the susceptibility of the fishery 

 to variations in year-class strength and 

 weather. In the Middle and North Atlantic 

 Areas, the fishery began about 10 days earlier 

 than usual. Fish of the superabundant 1958 

 year class were plentiful from Cape Charles, 

 Va., to the southern shore of Long Island, and 

 remained concentrated off the northern New 

 Jersey and southern Long Island coasts until 

 early July. Favorable weather permitted con- 

 tinual fishing during this period, and catches 

 were larger in May and June than in the same 

 period of any previous year. After these older 

 fish disappeared in July, the catches in the 

 Middle and North Atlantic Areas declined. 

 From July to September they were smaller 

 than in any previous year. The scarcity offish 

 was related to the relatively low abundance of 

 the 1959, 1960, and 1961 year classes. In 

 early October large fish of the 1958 year class 

 reappeared in extensive schools off the coast 

 of eastern Long Island. The schools rennained 

 relatively close inshore, where they were ac- 

 cessible to the fleet, and favorable weather 

 permitted the vessels to fish more days than 

 was usual in other years. The season in the 

 Middle and North Atlantic Areas continued 

 about 10 days longer than in most previous 

 years, and the catches in October set new 



records for both areas. Had not the large fish 

 of the superabundant 1958 year class been 

 unusually accessible in May and June and again 

 in October, however, the 1962 season would 

 have been the poorest of any recorded year. 



The large catch in the Chesapeake Bay 

 Area--second only to the 1959 catch--resulted 

 primarily from increased fishing effort. In 

 addition to the regular fleet operating in the 

 Bay, five large vessels from Wildwood fished 

 there during July, August, and part of Septem- 

 ber. The season also continued later than 

 usual. 



The occurrence of three successively poor 

 year classes and the increased effort on 

 younger fish are expected to cause a sharp 

 decline in catches in the Middle and North 

 Atlantic Areas in the next few years. A 

 series of large year classes must occur be- 

 fore the catches can equal those of 1953-62. 



Since most fish found in the South Atlantic 

 and Chesapeake Bay Areas are age 1, the 

 catches probably will continue to fluctuate with 

 year-class strength. A series of exceptionally 

 poor year classes, however, could cause re- 

 duced catches in these areas. 



SUMMARY 



1. The 1962 purse seine catch of Atlantic 

 menhaden was 629,000 tons--600,000 tons in 

 the summer fishery and 29,000 tons in the fall 

 fishery of North Carolina. The largest part 

 of the summer catch was landed in the Middle 

 Atlantic Area and the smallest part in the 

 South Atlantic Area. 



2. The estimated number of purse seine 

 sets was less than the 7-year mean (1955-61) 

 in all areas. The greatest number of sets 

 (12,472) was made in the Middle Atlantic 

 Area and the least nunnber (513) in the North 

 Carolina fall fishery. The catch per set was 

 23 tons in the summer fishery and 57 tons 

 in the fall fishery of North Carolina. 



3. Fish again were caught in Cape Cod and 

 Massachusetts Bays after being scarce for 

 several years. As in previous years, the most 

 productive fishing grounds were Chesapeake 

 Bay and the waters within the 20-fathom con- 

 tour from Delaware Bay to Long Island Sound. 



4. In the Middle and North Atlantic Areas 

 the catches in May, June, and October were 

 the largest recorded for each month, and the 

 catches in July, August, and Septennber the 

 smallest recorded. High winds, rain, and un- 

 seasonably cold weather curtailed fishing in 

 the North Carolina fall fishery; only 15 land- 

 ings were made after November 24. 



5. The 1958 year class (age 4) dominated 

 the fishery for the fourth consecutive year in 

 the Middle and North Atlantic Areas and ac- 

 counted for over 5 percent of the catch in the 

 Chesapeake Bay Area. For the third consecu- 

 tive year, age 1 contributed less than 3 percent 



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