Figure 8.--Total catch, catch per pot, and total number of pots, 

 pot fishery. 1946-57. 



result of increased abundance of sea bass 

 rather than increased effort. The data 

 further suggest that 10,000 pots may be 

 an optimum number for the grounds being 

 fished. 



Sea bass accounted for approximately 

 98 percent of the pot catch in the area; the 

 remainder was composed of tautog, red 

 hake, conger eel, and northern lobster. 



No changes in species composition, 

 gear, method of fishing, or fishing grounds 

 were apparent during the period. 



MINOR COMMERCIAL FISHERIES 



Minor fisheries that once contributed 

 substantially to finfish production in the 

 area are: (1) purse seine for food fish, 

 (2) pound net, (3) drift gill net, (4) trawl 

 line, and (5) hand and troll lines. Although 

 these fisheries are still being conducted, 

 all have d\vindled in importance, and some 

 are on the verge of disappearance. While 

 a number of factors have contributed to 

 their decline, the following developments 

 or considerations appear to be most perti- 

 nent: (1) a decline in the abundance of 

 important migratory species, such as mack- 

 erel, weakfish, croakers, cod, and blue- 

 fish; (2) changes in the distribution pattern 

 of a number of species; (3) competition 

 from more efficient mechanized gears; and 



(4) unfavorable economic differential 

 caused by high operating costs and low 

 nriarket demand. Judging from the fact that 

 most of the vessels, gear, and other equip- 

 ment have become obsolescent, it is doubt- 

 ful that these fisheries will expand in the 

 immediate future, even though a number 

 of the above factors were to operate favor- 

 ably. 



PURSE-SEINE FISHERY FOR FOOD FISH 



The purse-seine fishery for food fish 

 declined from a yield of over 2.5 million 

 pounds in 1954 to 326,000 pounds in 1957. 

 During the past several years, only one 

 vessel operated sporadically from May to 

 November when fishable schools of porgy 

 and weakfish appeared in the shallow, 

 coastal waters. Species composition of 

 the catch is shown in table 9. 



No purse -seine fishery for mackerel 

 occurred in the area from 1954 through 

 May 1958. 



POUND-NET FISHERY 



The pound-net fishery continued to 

 decline during the period (see June, 1956), 

 with only three companies now operating 

 within the survey area. Nets were fished 

 from April through November. Species 

 composition of the catch, in order of im- 

 portance, is given in table 10 ("all others" 

 included black drum, bluefish, bonito, 

 croaker, flounders, king whiting, little tuna, 

 porgy, sea bass, sea herring, sea robin, 

 sea turtle, shad, spot, and whiting). Annual 

 landings fell below the preceding 5 -year 

 average of 1.1 million pounds, however, 

 less than half as many nets were operated 

 during the period 1954-57. High operating 

 costs and the increased occurrence of non- 

 marketable species in the catch have de- 

 pressed the fishery to the point of near 

 extinction within the area. 



DRIFT GILL-NET FISHERY 



The drift gill-net fishery historically 

 depended upon midwinter and early spring 

 runs of mackerel, as the fish migrated along 

 the coastal shelf. As elsewhere, the occur- 

 rence and abundance of mackerel within the 

 area has shown marked fluctuations over 

 the last 30 years, and during the past few 

 years, the fishery has been relatively 

 unproductive. Annual landings from 1954 



