Table 4 — Calculated numbers of Atlantic menhaden (in millions) caught by purse seine 



vessels fishing from North Atlantic plants, 1955-71 • 



Year 



Age 



8-10 



Total 



1955 

 1956 

 1957 

 1958 

 1959 

 1960 

 1961 

 1962 

 1963 

 1964 

 1965 

 1966 

 1967 

 1968 

 1969 

 1970 

 1971 



114.62 21.94 7.94 .93 



15.89 81.25 12.91 2.50 



29.42 16.15 17.13 2.83 



7.08 5.76 4.36 2.00 

 10.59 4.06 4.27 2.08 

 40.53 6.52 2.39 .60 



6.76 12.27 1.35 .49 



77.72 9.88 8.94 1.25 



14.48 23.54 5.94 1.64 



4.12 5.17 4.59 



3.34 1.40 1.02 



1.09 .15 .11 



,02 



99 

 58 

 11 



.38 

 .72 

 .46 

 .09 

 .90 

 .11 

 .14 

 .62 

 .30 

 .17 

 .07 

 .04 



169.97 



194.57 



186.90 



84.19 



163.37 



173.66 



133.27 



130.70 



57.82 



22.82 



20.02 



2.88 



11.56 

 4.33 

 9.91 



18.64 



previous years (Table 6). In some years age-0 fish 

 began entering the fishery in July. The reasons for 

 these age classes providing a greater share of the catch 

 are not clear. Increased growth rate of juveniles, 

 resulting from a decrease in numbers and a conse- 

 quent decrease in competition for food, is one 

 probable explanation for the increased catch of 

 juveniles. The increase in age-3 fish is more difficult 



to explain. Although fishing increased on migrating 

 schools passing the mouth of the bay as the season 

 was extended into November, age-3 fish did not com- 

 pose a larger percentage of the catch than during the 

 summer. A probable explanation is that greater 

 numbers of age-3 remained in the bay as the total 

 number of fish decreased and competition for food 

 diminished. 



