Of the total catch of 0-, 1-, and 2-year-old 

 menhaden from the 1954 year class in the 

 Chesapeake Bay and Middle Atlantic Areas, 

 only 33 percent were caught in the Chesapeake 

 Bay Area, and 67 percent in the Middle Atlan- 

 tic Area (table 1). The percentage of fish of 

 these ages caught in the Chesapeake Bay 

 Area increased consistently for subsequent 

 year classes. For two of the last three year 

 classes on record (I960 and 1962), over 75 

 percent of the fish in the 0-, 1-, and 2-year- 

 old age groups were caught in the Chesapeake 

 Bay Area. Thus, under present fishing in- 

 tensities and catches per unit of effort in 

 these two areas, even if the 1962 and 1954 

 year classes had been equally abundant, the 

 catch from the 1962 year class in the Middle 

 Atlantic Area would have been only about 

 one-third as large as it was from the 1954 

 year class. 



The percentage of fish less than 3 years 

 old in the catches from the North Atlantic, 

 Middle Atlantic, and Chesapeake Bay Areas 

 (data combined) has changed markedly in 

 1955-64 (figure 8). The catch data from the 

 North Carolina fall fishery are not included 

 in the figure, because the 0- and 1-year-old 

 fish caught in this fishery probably are from 

 a different stock of menhaden than those 

 caught in the other four areas; likewise the 

 relation and interchange of the menhaden 

 stocks in the South Atlantic Area and the other 

 areas are not understood completely. The 

 comparatively low percentage for 1955 was 

 due to the abundance of 4-year-old fish of the 

 strong 1951 year class. As the 1951 year 

 class became less abundant in succeeding 

 years, the percentage of younger fish in the 

 catch increased. The sudden drop in catch 

 to less than 40 percent in 1961 was caused by 



Table 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 



■"■Preliminary. 



AVERAGE AGE OF CATCH 



The annual average age of Atlantic men- 

 haden in the catches varies among areas 

 (figure 7). From 1955 through 1964, the an- 

 nual average age in the catch in the North 

 Atlantic Area varied between 2.9 and 4.5 

 years; in the Middle Atlantic Area, between 

 1.6 and 3.2 years; in the South Atlantic Area 

 between 1.0 and 1.7; and in the Chesapeake Bay 

 Area, between 1.1 and 1.8 years. The average 

 age in the North Carolina fall fishery, although 

 fluctuating between 0.3 and 3.0 years, has 

 increased. The increased average age in sev- 

 eral areas in 1960, 1961, and 1962 was caused 

 by the dominance of the 1958 year class. By 

 the time the menhaden from the 1958 year 

 class were 5 and 6 years old in 1963 and 1964, 

 the decrease in abundance of this year class 

 was reflected by the decreased average age 

 of fish in the catch. 



the large catch of 3-year -old fish from the dom- 

 inant 1958 year class. The very large 1958 year 

 class was the main support of the North Atlantic 

 Area in 1960-63 and the Middle Atlantic Area in 

 1959-62, but these fish no longer are present in 

 sizeable numbers. Since 1961, as thefishfrom 

 the 1958 year class have become older and less 

 abundant, the percentage of younger fish in the 

 catch has increased. Except when older fish 

 from an exceptionally strong year class were in 

 the fishery, the catch in the North Atlantic, 

 Middle Atlantic, and Chesapeake Bay Areas 

 in 1955-64 has been composed principally 

 of menhaden less than 3 years old. The older 

 fish, which helped to stabilize violent fluc- 

 tuations in the catch resulting from variation 

 in the strength of year classes, no longer are 

 present in significant numbers. The present 

 fishery, which relies principally on young 

 fish, will be much more sensitive to fluctua- 

 tions in year-class strength. 



