the mean for 1955-60. Forty-five percent 

 of the catch was landed in November, 54 

 percent in December, and 1 percent m January. 



Distribution of Purse Seine Sets 



The estimated numbers of purse seine 

 sets within 10-minute unit areas are shown 

 in figure 2. As in previous years, nearly all 

 sets were made within the 20-fathom contour, 

 between lat. 30° N. and 42° N., and the 

 greatest amount of fishing occurred in Chesa- 

 peake Bay and in coastal waters fronn Cape 

 Charles, Va., to Long Island, N.Y. 



A nnajor change from previous years was 

 the almost complete absence of fishing north 

 of Cape Cod. With the exception of approxi- 

 mately 15 sets in Massachusetts Bay, all sets 

 in this locality were restricted to the southern- 

 most waters in Cape Cod Bay. It was noted in 

 the report for 1960 (Nicholson and Hig- 

 ham, 1964) that north of Massachusetts Bay 

 fishing had been decreasing since 1956 and 

 did not occur at all in 1960. 



SAMPLING OF THE CATCH 



The numbers of samples taken at various 

 plant locations during the 1961 purse seine 

 season are given in table 2. In the summer 

 fishery, one sample was taken for every 888 

 tons of fish landed; in the fall fishery, one 

 sample was taken for every 1,099 tons. Sam- 

 pling procedures were the same as described 

 in the first report in this series (June and 

 Reintjes, 1959). 



Age Composition 



The percentage age composition and the 

 calculated number of fish in each age group 

 for each year, 1955-61, are shown in table 3. 



For the third consecutive year, the 1958 

 year class dominated the catch. As age -3 

 fish in 1961, it furnished 48 percent of the 

 purse seine catch, or approximately 1 .3 billion 

 fish. This was the largest percentage and 

 greatest number of fish contributed by age-3 

 fish in the 7-year period. The combined con- 

 tribution of age-4 and older fish (55.9 million) 

 was lowerthain in any year except 1958. Age-2 

 fish (1959 year class) and age-1 fish (1960 

 year class) contributed, respectively, 524.3 

 million and 832.2 million fish. For these two 

 age groups, the total number of fish ( 1 ,356.5 

 million) and the percentage of the catch (50 

 percent) were less than in any previous year. 

 Age-0 fish contributed the smallest number 

 of fish (0.25 million) and the smallest per- 

 centage "(0.01) of any year in the period. 



For the different areas, the percentage 

 composition of the catches is shown in figure 3 



and listed in table 4; the calculated number of 

 fish in the different age groups is listed m 

 table 5. 



Although the catch in the South Atlantic 

 Area included a greater number (57.7 million) 

 and a greater percentage (9 percent) of age-3 

 fish (1958 year class) than in any previous 

 year, it was dominated by fish of younger 

 age groups. Age-1 fish contributed 506.2 

 million fish (79 percent) and age-2 fish 81 

 million (12 percent). The total number of 

 fish caught (644.6 million) was greater than 

 in 1960, when age-2 fish constituted most of 

 the catch, but only about half of the ni-mber 

 landed in either 1956 or 1959, when age-1 

 fish of exceptionally strong year classes 

 dominated the catches. 



For the first time since records were 

 available, fish older than age 2 contributed 

 a substantial part of the catch in the Chesa- 

 peake Bay Area. Age-3 fish furnished 28 

 percent of the catch (the largest previous 

 percentage was 2 percent); age-2, 29 percent; 

 and age-1, 44 percent. The total number of 

 fish caught (716.6 million) was less than 

 1 billion for the second consecutive year 

 and was the smallest catch in the 7 years 

 of recorded data. 



In the Middle Atlantic Area, age-3 fish 

 dominated the fishery for the first time in the 

 7-year period, contributing 831.8 million fish 

 and accounting for 80 percent of the catch. 

 Only 187.6 million age-2 fish (18 percent of 

 the catch) and 3.6 million age-1 fish (less 

 than 1 percent of the catch) were caught. This 

 is the smallest number caught for either 

 of these two age groups during this 7-year 

 period. Fish older than age 3 contributed 

 13.0 million fish, or 1.25 percent of the catch. 

 Despite the relatively small number of younger 

 fish, the total number of fish caught was 

 again over 1 billion. 



In the North Atlantic Area, age-1 fish were 

 absent from the catches for the second con- 

 secutive year. Age-2 fish accounted for only 

 3 percent of the catch, in contrast to 45 per- 

 cent in 1960, and their number was less thjin 

 in any of the previous 6 years except 1955. 

 Age-3 fish accounted for 80 percent of the 

 catch. Their number in the catch (118 million) 

 was greater than the number of age-3 fish 

 caught in any of the previous 6 years. Fish 

 older than age 3 accounted for only 25.8 

 million fish, or 17 percent of the catch, the 

 smallest number except for 1958 and the 

 smallest percentage except for 1959. 



In the North Carolina fall fishery, age-3 fish 

 also constituted the most abundant age group, 

 accounting for 58 percent of the catch. Age-0 

 fish furnished less than 1 percent of the catch, 

 or 0.25 million fish, the smallest catch of 

 age-0 fish during this period. Except for 1955 

 and 1958, more age-2 fish were caught than 



