SURVEY OF THE OCEAN FISHERIES OFF DELAWARE BAY 



INTRODUCTION 



In consideration of the possibility that 

 certain chemical wastes might be discharged 

 at sea, the Fish and Wildlife Service was con- 

 cerned with the effects of such disposal upon 

 the ocean fishery resources in the vicinity of 

 Delaware Bay. A survey was conducted of the 

 commercial and sport fisheries being prosecuted 

 between Atlantic City, New Jersey and Ocean 

 City, Maryland. The objectives were to deter- 

 mine the following: (1) the fishing areas and 

 seasons, (2) abundance and intensity of fishing 

 in terms of individual species or groups of 

 similar fishes, (3) value of investment and 

 catch, and (4) measures of changes presently 

 occurring in the fisheries which could be com- 

 pared prior to and following waste disposal. 



To these ends, a plan of investigation 

 was outlined, and work commenced in March 

 1952. Although waste disposal has not been 

 initiated, the collection, tabulation, and analysis 

 of catch records, logbook data, and pertinent 

 information relating to the activities of the 

 ocean fisheries in the vicinity of Delaware Bay 

 have been continued to the present tim e (1957) . 

 The resulting data include measurements of 

 total production, apparent abundance, intensity 

 of fishing, and geographical distribution of the 

 various fish stocks concerned. Comparison of 

 such data from recent years with those of earlier 

 years has provided a measure of the condition 

 of the fisheries. This report summarizes 

 pertinent information through 1953 . Data for 

 subsequent years will be presented in supple- 

 mental reports. 



Information on amounts and species of fish 

 caught by various gears was gathered from many 

 sources, including records of dock, cannery, 

 and processing plant operators, records and 

 published reports of state conservation and 

 research agencies, and records of individual 

 fishermen and wholesale fish dealers. The re- 

 sulting data represent the most complete 

 compilation of detailed records possible. Data 

 for the earlier years are variously incomplete 

 and these are discussed under each fishery. 



Detailed information relating to fishing 

 grounds was gathered by means of a system of 

 logbook records . These were established in the 

 various fleets at the beginning of the fishing 

 seasons in 1952 and are being maintained rout- 

 inely. 



For the purposes of this report, the 

 geographical area considered includes the ocean 

 waters of the Atlantic coast between Barnegat 

 Lightship and Winter Quarter Lightship, sea- 

 ward to the 100 fathom curve (see fig. 1). It 

 contains roughly 8,500 square nautical miles. 

 The area, in general, delimits the range of the 

 commercial fisheries operating out of southern 

 New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland ports . In 

 addition, it more or less marks the center of 

 the geographical distribution of migratory fish 

 stocks which range between Cape Cod and Cape 

 Hatteras. It is also the southern limit of com- 

 mercial fisheries for such species as cod, 

 haddock, lobster, sea scallops, pollock, red 

 hake, sea herring, wolffish, and others. At the 

 same time it is the northern edge of the range 

 for black and red drum, cabio, spot, and other 

 southern species. It is one of the most pro- 

 ductive coastal regions in North America. In 

 1953, the estimated total yield of fish and shell- 

 fish from these waters amounted to over 662 

 million pounds, with an estimated value of $11.5 

 million to the fishermen. However, this area 

 is capable of producing a great deal more than 

 it does at present. The so-called trash species, 

 for example, are not being utilized, yet the dis- 

 card of these species amounts to many millions 

 of pounds annually. 



Because of the fereat diversity among the 

 fisheries of the area, a general account of each 

 fishery is presented which includes a brief 

 description of vessels, types of gear employed, 

 methods of operation, seasons of operation, and 

 information concerning yields, and value of the 

 catches. Fishing grounds and measurements of 

 catch and abundance are treated separately under 

 the various fisheries. Estimates of the replace- 

 ment value of the various fishing fleets are 

 presented in the appendix. A list of common 

 and scientific names of the fisi. and shellfish 

 treated in the report also is included. 



