shad fisheries simultaneously; studies gen- 

 erally were confined to only one stream or 

 area each year. Investigations began on the 

 Hudson and Connecticut Rivers in 1950 and 

 during the following 10 yr. (years) included 

 the major producing areas along the coast. 

 Because of the extensive coastwide nature of 

 this program, field work in any one area 

 necessarily was limited to 1 or 2 yr. 



The purpose of this paper is to summarize 

 current information on the shad with emphasis 

 on (1) life history of the fish, (2) condition of 

 the fishery by State and water area in I960 

 compared with 1896 when the last comprehen- 

 sive description was made, (3) factors re- 

 sponsible for decline in- abundance, and (4) 

 management measures to increase fish stocks 

 and to produce optimum sustained yields. 



Previous extensive investigations of this 

 species included an exhaustive report on the 

 shad fisheries of the Atlantic coast of the 

 United States with emphasis on the year 1896 

 (Stevenson, 1899), a comprehensive study on 



the life history of shad (Leim, 1 924), a general 

 review on artificial propagation of shad (Leach, 

 1925), a detailed study on the marketing of 

 shad (Johnson, 1938), and a historical review 

 which sunnmarized all available information on 

 the fishery and presented the most compre- 

 hensive bibliography on the shad (Mansueti 

 and Kolb, 1953). The works of the above au- 

 thors were used extensively to complete this 

 report. Throughout this report, all references 

 to the fisheries of 1896, including tables, are 

 from Stevenson (1899), and all 1960 data were 

 collected during the present study. 



In some respects, this report is similar to 

 Mansueti and Kolb (1953). That paper, how- 

 ever, was a compilation of available literature, 

 newspaper articles, interviews, and letters 

 and contained unsubstantiated statements and 

 opinions subsequently not clarified. In this 

 paper we have sought to give only documented 

 infornnation and to describe the shad and its 

 fishery in the light of recent scientific in- 

 formation. 



DESCRIPTION OF ALOSA SAPIDISSIMA 



The shad is the largest nnember of the her- 

 ring family, Clupeidae, in the United States. 

 The species has compressed fusiform shape, 

 single soft-rayed dorsal and anal fins, deeply 

 forked tail fin, strongly serrated ventral edge 



of abdomen, and large scales which are easily 

 loosened; a dark spot close behind the rear 

 edge of the operculum well up on either side 

 of the body usually is followed by one or two 

 longitudinal rows of dusky spots (fig. 1). When 



Figure l.~American shad, Alosa sapldlsslma . Upper: male - 18.8 in., 3.2 lb., and 5yr. old. Lower: female • 



19 In., 4 lb., and 5 yr. old. 



