Table 1. --Catch, catch per unit of effort, and total fishing effort, 

 Atlantic menhaden fishery, 1956. 



(Effort data for 1955 given in parentheses) 



l/Source; "Fishery Statistics of the United States, I956," by Edward A. Power, U. S. Jlsh and 



Wildlife Service, Statistical Digest No. 1+3, I+76 pp. 

 2/lncludes otter trawl, gill net, haul seine, and fyke net. 

 3/Average catch per ptjrse-seine set. 

 T/North Carolina fall fishery normally extends Into Januaxy, therefore, catch total for North 



Carolina includes January 1957, ^ut not January 1956. Seasonal breakdown of the catch obtained 



from U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, C.F.S. Nos . 11+92 and 171+2. 

 ^Slight discrepancy due to rounding off of the figures. 



(including Plymouth Bay) to Portsmouth, 

 N. H. Commencing in late August, fishing 

 by the Amagansett vessels shifted from 

 Cape Cod waters to the eastern end of Long 

 Island and Long Island Sound where dense 

 schools were intercepted as they moved 

 southward. The total estimated catch from 

 these waters during the last 7 weeks of the 

 season exc&eded 20,000 tons. During this 

 period excellent catches also were recorded 

 in Narragansett Bay by 6 vessels fishing 

 out of Point Judith, R. I. The purse-seine 

 fleet at Portland, Maine, (3 vessels) did 

 not commence fishing in Maine waters until 

 July 18, although several landings from 

 Cape Cod Bay were recorded on July 6 and 8. 

 Most of the catches in Maine waters were 

 made between Small Point and Bailey's 

 Island, and although schools were reported 

 to be large, they were scattered, and fish 

 were difficult to catch. Fishing termi- 

 nated at Portland on September 4, at 

 Gloucester on September 25, and at Amagan- 

 sett October 22. 



North Carolina Pall Fishery 



The fall fishing season in North 

 Carolina waters commenced off Beaufort on 

 November 7. Strong winds eind heavy seas 

 restricted fishing during the following 

 week and only scattered, light landings 

 were recorded. On November 14 a large body 

 of fish was located off Drum Inlet; 



however, alter only 2 days of moderately 

 successful fishing, stormy weather accom- 

 panied by rough seas forced the vessels to 

 remain in port during the following 4 days. 

 On November 20 a heavy concentration of 

 fish again was encountered in the vicinity 

 of Drum Inlet, and a fleet of 59 vessels 

 recorded excellent catches of large fish. 

 During the ensuing 4 weeks, vessels ranged 

 between Hatteras Inlet and Core Banks, with 

 heaviest fishing occurring off Drum Inlet 

 and Cape Lookout, Over 72,000 tons were 

 lamded between November 20 and December 20; 

 this was the highest catch ever recorded 

 for a similar period in the history of the 

 North Carolina fall fishery. Only a few 

 scattered landings of large fish were made 

 off Core Banks during the Christmas holi- 

 days, but young-of-the-year fish which 

 began congregating in the vicinity of Cape 

 Lookout during this period provided 

 increased catches in Jainujiry. Over 5,100 

 tons of this age group were landed before 

 the fish disappeared from these .waters on 

 January 23. The total catch for the 1956 

 North Carolina fall season amounted to 

 slightly over 81,000 tons. This was sui 

 increase of 8,000 tons over the 1955 catch. 



Catch Statistics of the 

 Purse-Seine Fishery 



Pertinent catch statistics on the 

 1956 purse-seine fishery (with comparable 



