488 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



believed they offer a fair statistical picture of the trend of our fish- 

 eries in this section. On the other hand, it may have been that 

 during one of the years for which a canvass was not made the catch 

 may have been greater or smaller than during any year for which 

 statistics were taken. It must be remembered that a true picture 

 can be obtained only by having annual statistics. In spite of the 

 intervals between canvasses, sufficient data are available to afford 

 comparisons, and the statistics of the more important species of fish 

 and shellfish of these States have been assembled in comparable 

 form and are published herewith. In the following discussion the 

 phrase "year upon which statistics are available" has been omitted, 

 as the reader is to understand that only 12 canvasses, in most cases, 

 are under consideration. 



Total catch. — Production of fishery products in the Middle Atlantic 

 States has shown a decline from 1880. In that year, 408,202,000 

 pounds of fishery products were taken, which is the largest catch on 

 record. Since then the annual production has fluctuated, that for 

 1926 (the last year for which statistics were collected) amounting to 

 168,013,000 pounds. 



Bluefish. — The production of the highly-prized bluefish in 1926 

 was but a fraction of what it has been in former years. Beginning 

 with a production of 6,711,000 pounds in 1880, the catch increased 

 to the high point of 16,323,000 pounds in 1897. Since that time it 

 has declined, at first slightly and then at an alarming rate, until in 

 1926 the catch amounted to only 922,000 pounds. 



Bojiito. — The production of bonito never attained very large 

 proportions, and the catch for 1926, while only about one-third that 

 for 1921 (the high point), nevertheless is about the average for the 

 years 1880 to 1926. 



Butterfish. — The catches of this well-liked pan fish have increased 

 in size during late years. Statistics were not shown in the reports 

 until 1889, when 602,000 pounds were produced. Since then the 

 catch has fluctuated, although there was a steady upward trend until 

 1926, when the production was the greatest on record and amounted 

 to 4,089,000 pounds. 



Cod. — The amount of this staple fish caught has remained fairly 

 constant over the period under discussion. In 1880, 5,247,000 

 pounds were taken. Slight fluctuations occurred through the years. 

 The peak was reached in 1908, with 6,823,000 pounds, and the low 

 year was 1920, with 1,355,000 pounds. In ,1926 the production 

 amounted to 4,874,000 pounds, which is nearly four times the amount 

 taken in 1921. 



Croalcer. — This species of fish, which formerly was given little con- 

 sideration, now is esteemed highly. Statistics for the catch of croak- 

 ers for this section were not reported until 1897, when 578,000 pounds 

 were taken. During late years the catch has increased, 4,237,000 

 pounds having been taken in 1921. The catch then decreased some- 

 what, and reports showed 3,358,000 pounds as the production for 1926. 



Scup or porgy. — This species appears in the catch in 1889, when 

 360,000 pounds were taken. Since then there has been a general 

 upward trend in catch until 1921, when 5,555,000 pounds were taken. 

 The catch in 1926 was smaller (3,504,000 pounds), although this year 

 ranks second in size of catch. 



