CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 



The fishery 1 



Catch by area 



Fishing intensity by area 



Drop in catch per standard vessel day and total catch 3 



Shift of fishing effort to different areas 3 



Average age of catch 8 



Estimates of abundance 11 



Literature cited 12 



TABLES 



1. Estimated numbers of menhaden of different year classes caught as age-groups 0, 1, 

 and 2 in the Chesapeake Bay and Middle Atlantic Areas, and percentage of the total 

 number taken in each area 8 



2. Average number of juvenile menhaden caught per 5-minute trawl tow in selected 

 Atlantic coast estuaries in June, 1963 and 1964 11 



3. Average number of juvenile menhaden caught per seine haul in selected Atlantic coast 

 estuaries, July and August, 1963 and 1964 11 



4. Areas of schools of juvenile Atlantic menhaden seen per mile of flight based on aerial 

 observations, 1963 and 1964 12 



FIGURES 



1. Annual catch of menhaden, 1942-64 iv 



2. Fishing areas for Atlantic menhaden 2 



3. Annual catch of Atlantic menhaden, by area, 1940-64 4 



4. Number of standard vessel days in the Atlantic menhaden fishery, by area, 1940-64 ... 5 



5. Annual catch of Atlantic menhaden, by area, 1955-64 6 



6. Percentage of Atlantic menhaden in the summer fishery caught in different areas, 

 1955-64 7 



7. Average age of Atlantic menhaden in the catch, by area, 1955-64 



8. Percentage of the total annual catch of Atlantic menhaden which were 0, 1, and 2 years 

 old, from the North Atlantic, Middle Atlantic, and Chesapeake Bay Areas combined, 

 1955-64 10 



