AVAIIABILITI OF LOCAL FLEET AND FISHERMEN 



Seasonal fishing for little tuna inshore try fishing boats 

 nomiariy engaged in the Gulf of Mexico fishery for king mackerel, 

 Spanish mackerel or for shrimp is a practical possibility. Many 

 fishermen along the coasts of Florida and adjacent States have 

 sufficient experience and either own or have satisfactory boats 

 and gear available for inshore trolling for little tuna. No 

 dependable market to the fishermen for these fish has ever 

 evcisted, and the development of much activity in the fishery would 

 require solution of special problems in handling the catches ashore 

 because the landings would be seasonal and not large at any one 

 point o 



During June 1952 the exploratory fishing vessel Oregon took 

 ijSOO to IijOOO pounds of little tuna on several successive days in 

 and near the Dry Tortugas shrimp fishing grounds. The fish, 

 weighing an average of lit po\inds, were taken ty hand lines using 

 dead bait and scrap fish for chum. The fishermen present on the 

 grounds at that time were interested in the possibility of catching 

 little tuna as a part-time activity during the summer season of 

 relatively low shrimp production because the bait can be taken 

 :.acidental to the shrimp trawling at no extra cost and because 

 the daily period of fishing activity for little tuna occurs in a 

 one or two hour period at dawn immediately after shrimp trawling 

 stops o However, there was no aj:>preciable production in 1952 

 because of the absence of a dependable market at the docks where 

 shrimp were landed. 



Larger catches and larger landings of little tuna at one 

 port :;ould presumably be made by fishing with purse seines. It 

 remains to be demonstrated, however, that little tuna can be 

 •taken regularly and in sufficient number by purse seines to 

 ju?bxfy the relatively high investment in gear and vessels. If 

 markets warranted the use of purse seines for little tujia, some 

 of the vessels of the menhaden fleet would be available. Some 

 Ox the smaller ones having load capacity too small to profitably 

 compete in handling the comparatively low- value menhaden might 

 operate more successfully on a higher value product such as tuna. 



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