24 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
Narragansett Biological Laboratory and its director, Dr. Charles J. 
Fish, and the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory and its director, 
Dr. R. V. Truitt. 
SHORE FISHES 
Investigation of the shore fishes of the Middle Atlantic region 
during 1939 was continued by William C. Neville. The work in- 
cluded a study of fishery problems in Long Island, N. Y., conducted 
in cooperation ‘with Suffolk County (reported on pp. 27-29 of this 
publication), and observations on the winter trawl fishery off the 
Virginia Capes. 
Winter trawl fishery—The year 1939 marked the eighth anniver- 
sary of the winter trawl fishery off the Virginia Capes. The estab- 
lishment of this activity as a permanent part of the industry is 
indicated by continued large annual production. Approximately 
18,000,000 pounds of fish were landed at the principal ports in Vir- 
ginia, New Jersey, and New York during the 1939 season. This 
high level of catch has been maintained during the past several 
years. The most pressing need in the study of the probable effect 
of the winter fishery on the general supply of sea bass, scup, fluke, 
and croakers, which species comprise the major part of the catch, is 
to devise saving methods to release undesirable market sizes of fish, 
in good condition, at sea. It is hoped that such savings work can 
be started in the near future through the use of the trawler recently 
separa by the Bureau and now being remodeled and equipped at 
oston. 
ANADROMOUS FISHES 
Striped bass—The principal objectives of the striped bass study 
conducted by William C. Neville in 1939 were: (1) Continuation of 
the studies which led to the Bureau’s recommendation of a minimum 
size limit of 16 inches, measured from the snout to the fork of the 
tail (approximately 1714 inches overall). as the best means of secur- 
ing greater yields and larger profits from each brood of striped 
bass, regardless of its relative abundance. (2) To determine the 
extent to which the available supply in the various States depends 
on local reproduction, or on migrations of fish from other parts of 
the coast, and whether, on the basis of the source of the supply and 
the extent of withdrawal by the fishery, more restrictive or pro- 
tective legislation is necessary for the proper utilization of the 
supply. 
Mainly as a result of the Bureau’s recommendation. the legal limit 
of striped bass was raised to 16 inches, fork length. in New York 
State during 1939. A slightly higher size limit is in effect in New 
Jersey. Recommendations for substantial increases in the legal size 
limit for striped bass have been submitted to the fishermen by the 
Virginia Commission of Fisheries, and similar action is expected in 
Maryland and North Carolina. These three States comprise the 
most important striped bass production area along the entire Atlantic 
coast. Analysis of biological data obtained through tagging experi- 
ments reveals that the fishery is so intensive in certain parts of 
Chesapeake Bay as to remove a considerable quantity of the small 
sizes of bass. Hence, it is particularly important that Virginia and 
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