Atlantic Menhaden (Brernortia tyninniis) 

 Resource and Fishery— Analysis of Decline 



By 



KENNETH A. HENRY,' Fishery Biologist 



National Marine Fisheries Service Biological Laboratory 

 Seattle, Washington 98102 



ABSTRACT 



After record catches in 1961 and 1962 of about 2.3 billion pounds (1.043 million 

 metric tons) of menhaden (Brevoortia spp.), the U.S. catch declined to about 1.2 billion 

 pounds (0.544 million metric tons) in 1967. Most of the decrease was in the North 

 Atlantic and Middle Atlantic. Since about 1940, catches had increased, in general, with 

 increased fishing effort. In recent years, however, the catch per unit of effort (a standard 

 vessel day) has declined markedly. It fell from about 148,000 pounds (67.1 metric tons) 

 in 1962 to about 38,000 pounds (17.2 metric tons) in 1967 in the North Atlantic and 

 from 140,000 pounds (63.5 metric tons) in 1962 to 51,000 pounds (23.1 metric tons) in 

 1967 in the Middle Atlantic. The catch per unit of effort in these two areas improved in 

 1968, but fishing effort was at such a low level that the increase is of doubtful 

 significance. 



Other possible units of effort such as catch per vessel week and catch per landing day 

 are examined. In 1964, the catch in Chesapeake Bay exceeded the catch in the Middle 

 Atlantic for the first time; in 1968, the Chesapeake Bay catch amounted to 63% of the 

 total summer catch of Atlantic menhaden (B. tyrannus). In recent years, over 90% of the 

 fish in the total catch were immature. A relation is established between the estimated 

 abundance of juvenile Atlantic menhaden, based on trawling, and the total catch from the 

 year class. A stock-recruitment relation, based on catch per unit of effort in the Middle 

 Atlantic and total catch from the year class, indicates that the spawning stock is below 

 optimum size. 



INTRODUCTION Menhaden accounted for 34% of the total 



domestic catch of all species in 1968. The 



Menhaden ('Breyoorfw spp.) along the Atlan- catch is processed into (1) fish meal, used 



tic coast and the Gulf of Mexico support the mainly as a supplement for poultry feed, and 



largest U.S. commercial fishery in terms of (2) fish oil, used in the manufacture of paint, 



pounds landed. They rank, excluding shellfish, lubricants, cosmetics, and a variety of other 



next to salmon and tuna in dollar value. products. 



Formerly Laboratory Director, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Biological Laboratory, Beaufort, North Carolina. 



