treated separately. The catch, number of 

 purse seine sets, catchper set, and summaries 

 of the number, age, length, weight, and sex of 

 Atlantic menhaden in the catches are in- 

 cluded. Unusual or significant aspects of the 

 1959 fishery are discussed. 



REVIEW OF THE 1959 

 PURSE SEINE FISHERY 



The Atlantic menhaden purse seine catch 

 in 1959 was 705,000 tons (Power, 1961), only 

 35 tons less than the record catch of 1956. 

 An increase over the catch of 1958 was re- 

 corded for every major area (table 1). In the 

 "summer" fishery (late April to early Novem- 

 ber) 614,000 tons were landed, 45 tons less 

 than the 1956 record. In the North Carolina 

 "fall" fishery (mid-November to mid- January), 

 91,000 tons were landed, 10,000 more than the 

 record in 1956. 



There were 33,099 purse seine sets made, 

 a record for the 5 years, 1955 to 1959 (table 1). 

 The number of sets increased over that in 

 1958 in every area in the summer fishery, 

 but decreased in the North Carolina fall fishery. 

 For the third consecutive year, the number of 

 sets increased in the Chesapeake Bay Area 

 and reached a maximum of ll,214setsin 1959. 

 This was 2,449 more than the previous record 

 of 8,765 in 1958. The mean catch per set (21 

 tons) was slightly greater than in 1957, but 



slightly less than in 1958. The mean catch 

 per set in the summer fishery (20 tons) was 

 greater than in 1958 in all except the Middle 

 Atlantic Area, and was greatest for the 5-year 

 period in the North Carolina fall fishery (46 

 tons). 



The number of vessels in the summer fishery 

 was 129, an increase of 13 above the number 

 in 1958, but 4 less than the record number in 

 1957. There were 55 vessels in the North 

 Carolina fall fishery, 6 less than in 1958 and 

 8 less than in 1957. 



South Atlantic Area 



The first purse seine catches of the 1959 

 season were made on April 29 by three vessels 

 fishing off Jacksonville, Fla. Landings were 

 light until large schools of fish were located 

 off St. Augustine, Fla., on May 4. From then 

 until near the end of May, when high winds 

 and heavy seas interrupted fishing, large 

 catches were made. Landings during the month 

 amounted to 7,200 tons, the bulk of which was 

 taken off Fernandina Beach, Fla. In June, 

 schools were moderately abundant, and 7,900 

 tons were taken in the vincinity of Fernandina 

 Beach. Adverse weather restricted fishing in 

 July, and the catch amounted to only 2,300 

 tons. Fishing remained poor during the re- 

 mainder of the summer, and four vessels 

 stopped fishing on September 8. Sporadic fish- 

 ing was done by three vessels in the Fernandina 



TABLE 1. — Catch, number of purse seine sets, and catch per set, Atlantic menhaden purse seine fishery, 1955-59 



' Source; Fishery Statistics of the United States, 1959. By Edward A. Power, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

 Statistical Digest No. 51, «7 pp. 



^ Slight discrepancies in numbers as given in previous reports and in subtotals and totals due to rounding off of figures. 



^ The North Carolina fall fishery normally extends into January, therefore, catch total includes January 1960, but not 

 Januaiy 1959. Seasonal breakdown of the catch obtained from U. S. Fish and Wilflife Service. C.F.S. Nos. 2247 and 2252. 



