FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1931 199 



BIOLOGICAL ASPECT 



In 1931, the fishing fleet landing fares at Boston and Gloucester, 

 Mass., and Portland, Me., and operating on the fishing banks of the 

 North Atlantic from Plemish Cap to New York, numbered 427 steam, 

 motor, and sail vessels, of over 5 net tons, as measured by the United 

 States Customs Service. These made 11,543 trips to the fishing 

 grounds, and were absent from port 54,932 days, or an average of 

 about 4.8 daj^s per trip. This is 0.1 of a day less than the average 

 length of a trip during 1930. Their catches of edible fish landed at 

 the three ports amounted to 266,037,858 pounds when the salted 

 fish had been converted to the basis of fresh gutted or round fish as 

 landed. This does not represent the entire catch of edible fish of these 

 vessels, for small quantities, estimated at not more than 5 per cent 

 of their total catch, were landed at ports in New England other than 

 these three, at New York City, and at ports in New Jersey. 



Otter trawls on all sizes of vessels accounted for 153,566,035 pounds, 

 or 58 per cent of the total catch. Line trawls were next in importance, 

 accounting for 62,619,353 pounds, or 24 per cent of the total catch 

 landed at the three ports in 1931. 



The catch taken on Georges Bank was considerably larger than 

 that taken on any other fishing ground and landed at the three ports 

 in 1931. It amounted to 100,142,605 pounds, or 38 per cent of the 

 total catch. It was taken mainly by otter trawls. The grounds near 

 the shore. Browns Bank, and South Channel were next in importance, 

 each accounting for about 15 per cent of the total catch. The catch 

 on the grounds near the shore was taken mainly in purse seines; 

 that on Browns Bank, mainly by line trawls; and that on South 

 Channel, largely by otter trawls. 



