compact, fishermen from both States were 

 given unrestricted fishing privileges in the 

 river. The Maryland Management Plan, es- 

 tablished in 1941, restricted commercial nets 

 in Maryland waters, including the Potomac, 

 to the number operating in 1941. In 1945 

 Maryland commercial fishermen who fished 

 in the Potonnac were granted unrestricted 

 license so that they could compete on an 

 equitable basis with the shad fishermen fronn 

 Virginia (Walburg and Sykes, 1957). 



The shad fishery in the Potomac River in 

 1896 is described in the section on shad fish- 

 eries of Maryland. 



In 1960 Virginia fishermen caught 136,9001b. 

 of shad in the Potomac; 53 percent was taken 

 by pound nets from the river mouth to the 

 Potomac River bridge, 45 percent by gill nets 

 fished above the bridge, and the remainder by 

 seines and fyke nets. 



TRENDS IN PRODUCTION 



Shad production in Virginia decreased from 

 11.2 million pounds in 1896 to 1.4 million 

 pounds in 1960 (table 28). The general trend 

 has been downward since 1897 despite slight 

 increases in certain years. In 1908 shad were 

 the most important fish caught in Virginia and 

 comprised about one-fourth of all shad taken 

 in the United States (Bureau of the Census, 

 1911). As late as 1928, shad ranked third in 

 quantity of fish landed in Virginia, and the 

 catch was more than 7 million pounds (Hilde- 

 brand and Schroeder, 1928). After a production 

 of 7,291,000 lb. in 1931, the yield drastically 

 declined and was less than 2 million pounds in 

 1936. Production increased from 1937 to 1945 

 but declined after 1945; in 1960 only 1,386,000 

 lb. were landed. The I960 catch was less than 

 13 percent of that of 1896. 



The Comnnission of Fisheries of Virginia 

 advised in 1949 against fish hatcheries as a 

 method of improving shad production (Marshall, 

 1949). A limited operation was continued, how- 

 ever, on the Pamunkey, Mattaponi, and Chicka- 

 hominy Rivers, but how these hatcheries affect 

 production has not been evaluated (Meyer, 

 1959). 



The State Water Control Board began a 

 cleanup campaign in the 1950's on polluted 

 rivers. Except for the James River from 

 Hopewell to Richmond, however, pollution is 

 probably not a major factor in decline of shad 

 in Virginia. 



Table 28. — Shad catch for certain years, 

 Virginia, 1880-1960^ 



[In thousands of pounds] 



Year 



Catch 



1880 3,172 



1887 3,815 



1888 7,057 



1890 7,266 



1891 6,498 



1896 11,171 



1897 11,529 



1901 6,972 



1904 7,420 



1908 7,314 



1909 6,030 



1915 4,714 



1920 7,294 



1921 6,909 



1925 6,104 



1929 7,977 



1930 6,183 



1931 7,291 



1932 4,848 



1933 4,817 



1934 4,105 



1935 2,883 



1936 1,615 



Year 



Catch 



1937 3,086 



1938 3,607 



1939 3,559 



1940 2,811 



1941 2,126 



1942 2,430 



1944 4,665 



1945 5,299 



1946 3,599 



1947 4,086 



1948 3,206- 



1949 2,801 



1950 3,031 



1951 3,295 



1952 4,007 



1953 3,054 



1954 3,169 



1955 3,500 



1956 3',191 



1957 2,918 



1958 2,254 



1959 1,774 



1960 1,386 



^Statistics 1880-1959, U.S. Fish and Wild- 

 life Service (1958-61). 



It is difficult to evaluate the factors that 

 may have caused fluctuations in shad produc- 

 tion in Virginia waters since fish destined for 

 Maryland waters make up a part of the catch. 

 Before studies can be made to determine the 

 cause of the long-term decline, it will be 

 necessary to have accurate catch and effort 

 statistics on the Chesapeake Bay fishery for 

 a series of years. 



The Virginia Institute of Marine Science 

 (formerly the Virginia Fisheries Laboratory), 

 although not specifically concerned with in- 

 creasing fish production, has contributed much 

 information on the shad fisheries of the State. 

 It has identified the major spawning and nur- 

 sery areas in all the rivers, tagged shad in 

 certain rivers to ascertain fish movement and 

 fishing rate, and initiated catch record pro- 

 grams in some areas. 



SHAD FISHERIES OF MARYLAND 



The estimated 1896 catch of shad in Mary- 

 land waters was 5,541,499 lb., of which Chesa- 

 peake Bay yielded 32 percent and its tribu- 

 taries 68 percent, excluding Potomac River 

 landings by Virginia fishermen. Gill nets pro- 

 duced about 54 percent of the catch, pound 



nets 29 percent, seines 14 percent, and fyke 

 and bow nets the remainder. 



Commercial fishermen caught an estinnated 

 1,335,953 lb. of shad in Maryland waters in 

 1960; Chesapeake Bay yielded about 76 percent 

 and its tributaries the remainder. Gill nets 



52 



