boats J beach seines and occasional purse seine rSo 



QUANTITIES AND SPECIES AVAIUBLE 



Three species of tuna and tunalike fishes are known to be pres- 

 ent in substantial quantities in Atlantic coastal waters. These are: 

 (1) bluefinj (2) little tuna; and (3) common bonito. Atlantic coast 

 commercial catches for 1950 were: 



Bluefin .... .o. o. o.. o.. o ..... o..« .1,2675200 pounds 



Little tuna ...................... 295,900 " 



Bonito ....o...................... 123,500 " 



Of the three species, the bluefin is by far the most important 

 frcan the standpoint of past production and desirability for canning 

 purposes, producing a light meat of average texture and good quality. 

 Any industrial development of the tuna fishery in New England would 

 be dependent, at least in a large part, upon this species. 



Annual landings of bluefin on the Atlantic coast have in some 

 years exceeded 2 million pounds. This production has been primarily 

 from traps and inshore fishing vessels. Therefore, the off-shore 

 potential of the species is unknown, and little data are available 

 on such things as life history and total extent of the population. 

 They reach their greatest abundance on their yearly migration into 

 the Gulf of Maine in the summer months. It has never been definite- 

 ly determined where they cone from or where they go after leaving 

 New England waters each fall. New evidence has recently been un- 

 covered indicating a spawning ground off southern Florida, but mi- 

 gration routes and range limits in the Atlantic are unknown. Until 

 more information is available, it is impossible to even guess at the 

 abundance of bluefin which may be available. The consistency of ap- 

 pearance (with some fluctuations from year to year, which are not 

 abnomal in tuna fisheries) in the Gulf of Maine each summer and the 

 fact that large schools yielding catches of over 100,000 pounds to 

 purse seiners have been found relatively close to shore indicates 

 that the resource may be far greater than past production figures 

 reveal. More offshore exploration and increased employment of ac- 

 tive gear such as purse seines and hook and line with live bait may 

 result in an expansion similar(but perhaps on a reduced scale) to 

 that of the Pacific coast tuna fishery in the past 30 years. 



247 



