DISTRIBUTION OF FISHING BY PURSE SEINE VESSELS 

 FOR ATLANTIC MENHADEN,1955-1959 



by 



Charles M, Roithmayr^ 



Fishery Research Biologist 



Bureau of Commercial Fisheries 



U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 



Beaufort, North Carolina 



ABSTRACT 



The number and location of purse seine sets recorded in logbooks and the num- 

 ber of vessel landings at reduction plants were compiled and estimates made of the 

 total number and distribution of sets for Atlantic menhaden, Brevoonia tyrannus, dur- 

 ing five seasons, 1955-59. Number of sets, by month and area, is given, and varia- 

 tions are noted. Distribution of sets by month is shown graphically. Apparent fish 

 movements were inferred from the distribution of sets. 



INTRODUCTION 



One of the objectives of the research by 

 the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries on the 

 Atlantic menhaden, Brevoonia tyrannus, is to 

 determine whether the present rate of fishing 

 exceeds that which would permit the maximum 

 sustainable catch from the population. To ac- 

 complish this objective, continuing measures 

 of fishing effort and catch are required to 

 establish the relation between variations in 

 population abundance and the amount of fishing. 

 Information on the number (a measure of fish- 

 ing effort) and location of sets by the purse 

 seine fleet has been obtained through a log- 

 book system since the inception of the re- 



search program. This report summarizes the 

 information collected during five fishing sea- 

 sons, 1955-59. The purposes are to (1) record 

 part of the basic effort data from which meas- 

 ures of abundance may be calculated, and 

 (2) show graphically the distribution of fishing. 

 Variations in fishing are discussed, and some 

 inferences concerning the movements of At- 

 lantic menhaden are drawn from the data. 



DISTRIBUTION OF ATLANTIC 

 MENHADEN 



Atlantic menhaden are distributed along the 

 Atlantic coast of North America from Nova 

 Scotia to central Florida, but are not equally 



* Present address: Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Technological Laboratory, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv- 

 ice, Pascagoula, Miss, 



