Weight of Discards 



The average haddock discard per trip (based on eighteen observed 

 trips) during 1952 was about 6,3'00 pounds. This was slightly less than the 

 average discard of about 6,700 pounds per trip in 1951. During both the 



1951 and 1952 haddock years, about 7 percent of the total catch by weight 

 was discarded on the observed trips. Referring to table 2, ire note that 

 about 6-1/2 percent of the total Boston catch by weight, based on skippers' 

 reports, was discarded during 1952. Thus there is a good agreement between 

 the estimate of destruction based on skippers' reports and that based on 

 biologists' sampling at sea. 



During 1952, it was also possible to derive average trip data for 

 Seasons B, C and D. Since there was very little fishing on Georges Bank 

 during Season A, it was not possible to arrange for an observer to make a 

 trip there at that time. A seasonal variation in the amount of discard is 

 evident (as previously pointed out in the discussion of skippers' 

 estimates), ranging from an average of 3,779 pounds per trip during 

 Season C to an average of 9,595 pounds per trip diiring Season B. Causes of 

 this variation will be discussed in subsequent sections of this paper» 



Numbers discarded 



The average number of haddock discarded per observed trip during 



1952 was 6,581 fish, as compared to 8,828 in 195l. During 1952, almos"- 

 12 percent of the total numbers caught were discarded, whereas in 195lj 

 17 percent were discarded. Although almost the same weight was discarded 

 per trip in 1952 as in 195l, the average weight per fish discarded was 

 greater (the number of fish discarded vras less), (See p. 19) 



The average numbers discarded per trip ranged from 3,681 during 

 Season C to 10,l460 during Season D. Although pounds discarded per trip were 

 greatest during Season B, numbers were greatest during Season D, because 

 of the much lower average weight per discarded fish during the latter 

 season* 



Estimated total destruction 



Using the average discard per trip obtained from the sea sampling 

 data, we arrived at an estimate of destruction of about iio6 million pounds 

 for the period May 1952 to January 1953 (Seasons B, C and D, 1952). The 

 estimate of destruction by the Boston fleet, as reported by skippers to the 

 port interviewer, during this same period was about Uo3 million pounds. 

 The port interview estimate differed from the sea sampling estimate by 

 about 6-1/2 percent. In 1951, this difference was 12-1/2 percent. This 

 close agreement indicates that our observed trips are representative of 

 the entire fleets 



It is believed that this close agreement of estimates of destruc- 

 tion derived by two different methods is not due to chance. Estimates 



11 



