Table 26. --Catch per unit data, party and charter boat fisheries, all New Jersey, 



1952-1953 



Table 27. --Species composition in numbers 

 of fish, southern New Jersey surf 

 fishery, 1952-1953 



catch in the history of the fishery. A purse 

 seine fleet of 33 vessels operates from the last 

 week in May through mid-October on grounds 

 lying inside the 10 fathom contour between 

 Barnegat Inlet and Ocean City, Maryland. Over 

 the 15-year period, 1939-1953, annual produc- 

 tion has fluctuated about a mean yield of 264 

 million pounds. Calculated statistics indicated 

 a high level of availability of menhaden. 



4. The otter trawl fishery for foodfish 

 is second in importance. Production in 1953 

 amounted to nearly 21.0 million pounds, or 

 about 3 percent of total landings . An inshore 

 fleet of 66 small and medium -sized vessels 

 fishes primarily for fluke, porgy, and weakfish 

 inside the 15 fathom curve from May through 



November. An offshore fleet of 64 larger ves- 

 sels fishes in deeper waters for porgy, sea bass, 

 and fluke from October through May. Annual 

 production for the 8 -year period, 1946 through 

 1953, averaged approximately 17.5 million 

 pounds. Porgy, fluke, sea bass, and weakfish 

 accounted for about 80 percent of the total land- 

 ings during the period considered. Arbitrary 

 statistics indicated relatively high levels of 

 abundance of fluke, porgy, and weakfish in 1953. 



5. Since 1950, the surf clam has become 

 one of the major fishery resources of the area, 

 producing 7.7 million pounds of meats in 1953. 

 The ex -vessel value of the catch amounted to 

 $963,000. A dredge fleet of 46 full-time vessels 

 operates throughout the year. The most im- 

 portant grounds to the fishery are located off 

 the mouth of Delaware Bay in the vicinity of Five 

 Fathom Bank and Five Fathom Lightship and in 

 the area known as the "Lumps" east -southeast 

 of Ocean City, Maryland. Over the 4 -year 

 period, 1950 through 1953, the annual yield has 

 increased steadily. Catch per unit effort has 

 declined, however, reaching its lowest level in 

 1953. 



6. Two purse seine fisheries for foodfish 

 operate within the survey area: (1) mackerel 

 and (2) other pelagic, schooling species. The 

 mackerel fishery is subject to violent fluctua- 

 tions with no appreciable landings since 1949. 



A small fleet of seiners lands several million 

 pounds of porgy and weakfish annually. Im- 

 portant fishing grounds are located inside the 

 10 fathom curve off Barnegat, Brigantine, Sea 

 Isle City and in the vicinity of Five Fathom Bank. 



52 



