CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction. 



The 1961 purse seine fishery 1 



South Atlantic Area 1 



Chesapeake Bay Area 3 



Middle Atlantic Area 4 



North Atlantic Area 4 



North Carolina fall fishery 4 



Distribution of purse seine sets 5 



Sampling of the catch 5 



Age composition 5 



Length composition 7 



Weight composition 7 



Mean length and weight 7 



Discussion 13 



Summary 15 



Acknowledgments 16 



Literature cited I 6 



Appendix tables '7 



FIGURES 



1. Map showing location of places mentioned in the text, menhaden 

 reduction plants, and areas used m summarizing Atlantic men- 

 haden catch data Z 



2. Distribution of purse seine sets for Atlantic menhaden, 1961 .... 6 



3. Age composition of Atlantic menhaden in samples from pur se seine 

 catches, 1961 9 



4. Length composition of Atlantic nnenhaden in samples from purse 

 seine catches, 1961 12 



5. Length frequencies of male and fennale Atlantic nnenhaden in 

 samples from purse seine catches, 1961 13 



6. Weight composition of Atlantic menhaden in samples from purse 

 seme catches, 1961 14 



TABLES 



1. Mean annual catch, mean number of purse seine sets, and mean 

 catch per set, 1955-60; and the catch, number of sets, and catch per 



set, 1961, Atlantic menhaden purse seine fishery 3 



2. Number of samples of Atlantic menhaden taken from purse seine 

 catches, by season and locality, 1961 7 



3. Age composition {in percent) and calculated number of Atlantic men- 

 haden (in millions) at each age in purse seine catches, 1955-61 . . 8 



4. Age composition (m percent) of Atlantic menhaden purse seine 

 catches, by area and season, 1955-61 10 



5. Calculated number of Atlantic menhaden (in millions) in purse 

 seine catches, by age, season, area, and year, 1955-61 11 



6. Sex ratio of Atlantic menhaden in purse seine catches, by season 



and area, 1961 13 



7. Mean fork length (mm.) of Atlantic menhaden in purse seine catches, 

 1 96 1 , and mean of the mean lengths, 1 955 -60, by age, season, area, 



and year 14 



