SPECIES COMPOSITION OF INDUSTRIAL TRAWL-FISH LANDINGS 



IN NEW ENGLAND, 1958 



by 



Robert L. Edwards and Lewis Lawday 



U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 



Woods Hole, Massachusetts 



ABSTRACT 



Data are presented on the species composition of the industrial trawl-fish catch 

 landed at New England ports in 1958. The pounds landed and percent by weight of 

 the species taken for each of the principal fishing areas are given by month and 

 port, with appropriate summaries. 



INTRODUCTION 



The species composition of the land- 

 ings of the industrial trawl fishery of 

 New England for 1958 is presented in 

 this report. These data were developed 

 to help answer the many questions 

 asked by the fishing industry and the 

 interested public about the composi- 

 tion of these catches. 



Industrial fish are, for the most 

 part, utilized in the production of 

 fish meal and homogenized condensed 

 fish --products that are used as addi- 

 tives to poultry and livestock rations. 

 They have been valued as an inexpen- 

 sive source of protein, as well as for 

 their "unidentified growth factor." The 

 controversies that have developed over 

 the industrial fishery usually have in- 

 volved charges that excessive quan- 

 tities of valuable food species and very 

 small fishes are taken. The degree to 

 which this may or may not be true is 

 a matter of concern to the U. S. 

 Bureau of Commercial Fisheries as 

 well as to the fishing industry. The 

 information in this report is presented 

 in such a manner as to permit an 



evaluation of the potential effects of 

 this fishery on any or all of the fishes 

 of commercial importance in New 

 England waters. 



The data are presented in the same 

 manner as in the 1957 report.' The 

 remarks in that report with regard to 

 manner of sampling and fleet activities 

 apply as well to this report. 



Landings of industrial fish dropped 

 considerably in 1958 (fig. 1), totaling 



Figure 1. --Landings of industrial fish at Point Judith, New 

 Bedford, and Gloucester, and the total landings, 1949 

 through 1958. 



'Edwards, Robert L. 1958. Species composition of the 

 industrial trawl landings in New England, 1957. United 

 States Department of the Interior, U. S. Fish and Wildlife 

 Service, Special Scientific Report--Fisheries No. 266. 



