Table 55. --Commercial shad catch and value for certain 

 years, Atlantic coast of the United States, 1880-1960'- 



[In thousands of pounds and thousands of dollars] 



1 Statistics: 1880, 1888, 1896, Stevenson (1899); 

 1908, Bureau of the Census (1911); 1935, Johnson 

 (1938); remainder, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

 (1943, 1949, 1953, 1957, 1961, 1962). 



In an extensive market survey of shad, which 

 included the status of the wholesale and retail 

 trade, methods of preparing the fish for table 

 use, and factors affecting consumption, Johnson 

 (1938) found that the major economic problems 

 primarily were those concerned with de- 

 creased supply. A problem existed also in the 

 declining popularity among consumers for the 

 more commonly marketed forms of the fish. 

 This lowered demand resulted in lower av- 

 erage price to the producer than could have 

 been realized if the popularity had been main- 

 tained. Of the shad marketed, practically all 

 reaching Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Wash- 

 ington were consumed locally, whereas re- 

 shipment was considerable from New York 

 to the other named cities since excessive 

 supplies frequently were available on the New 

 York market. This oversupply was especially 

 obvious in years when the catch was low in 

 southern rivers and high in northern rivers. 

 Johnson's findings generally are applicable to 

 the present-day economics and marketing of 

 the product. 



The principal commercial shad production 

 on the Atlantic coast in I960 was in Maryland, 

 Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, 

 New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York. 

 Generally, fish were marketed shortly after 

 capture, and those not sold locally were 

 shipped to New York City, Philadelphia, Balti- 

 more, and Washington. 



Formerly, large quantities of fresh and 

 frozen shad were shipped to New York from 

 the Pacific coast. In recent years, however, 

 receipts of frozen shad and shad roe from 

 this area have dropped sharply (written com- 

 munication, dated June 5, 1961, from T. J. 

 Risoli, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Mar- 

 ket News Reporter, Fulton Market, New York 

 City). Shipments of frozen shad decreasedfrom 



35,400 lb. in 1945 to 500 lb. in I960, and 

 shipments of frozen shad roe dropped from 

 6,000 lb. in 1945 to none in I960. It is not 

 known whether the decrease resulted from 

 economic factors or decrease in demand for 

 the products. 



Shad usually are marketed fresh, although 

 quantities of both shad and shad roe are 

 marketed frozen and canned. Some smoked 

 and kippered fish also are produced. During 

 the early part of the season, prices usually 

 are high and wholesale dealers ship whole 

 fish, but as the season progresses it frequently 

 is more profitable to remove the roe and sell 

 it separately. Thus in midseason, quantities of 

 dressed female shad reach distributing mar- 

 kets. A few fish are filleted by wholesale 

 dealers before shipment, but generally fresh 

 shad reach retail markets in the round. Some 

 retail stores sell half shad or fillets if the 

 whole fish is larger than the customer re- 

 quires. A few also sell boned shad. 



Shad dealers at the Fulton Market, New 

 York City, report that the roe is removed 

 from most females, and from 75 to 80 percent 

 of the roe is consumed within the New York 

 metropolitan area. Only about 10 percent of 

 the males and drawn (eviscerated) females 

 is consumed in New York City; the balance 

 is shipped to other market areas. 



The price of shad on the eastern markets is 

 affected not only by variation in shad abund- 

 ance but also by the variation in price and 

 abundance of other fishes. When fish from 

 Florida reach the market in February and 

 March, prices normally are high. In April and 

 May when fish are caught in quantity from 

 North Carolina to New Jersey, the supply 

 reaches a maximum and prices are moderately 

 low. Prices reach their lowest point toward 

 the end of the fishing season in late May and 

 early June. According to the Fishery Products 

 Report, issued daily by the Bureau of Com- 

 mercial Fisheries for the Fulton Market, the 

 highest price for shad in I960 was paid in 

 March during Lent. 



Females always bring higher prices because 

 they contain the roe, which is much in demand 

 as a delicacy. In I960 Georgia fishermen re- 

 ceived from as much as 65 cents per pound 

 for female shad and 25 cents per pound for 

 male shad. Average price paid the fishermen 

 for shad from Virginia, Maryland, and New 

 Jersey during April was 35 cents per pound 

 for females and 7 cents per pound for males. 

 Lowest prices were paid to Connecticut fisher- 

 men in June, when females sold for 15 cents 

 per pound and males for 4 cents per pound. 

 At times the price paid for males was so low 

 that fishermen marketed only females. 



In recent years restaurant sales have in- 

 creased and retail store sales have decreased 

 The reasons for this change are: demand for 

 prepared fishery products free from bones 

 and other inedible portions--a condition which 



98 



