242 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



Winter trawl fishery off New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, 



1933— Continued 



SHAD AND ALEWIFE FISHERIES OF THE POTOMAC RIVER 



The catch of shad in the Potomac River in 1933 amounted to 

 611,425 in number, 1,837,623 pounds in weight, and their total value 

 to the fishermen was $149,114. The catch of alewives for the same 

 season amounted to 17,238,850 in number, with a total weight of 

 6,895,540 pounds, and a value to the fishermen of $23,845. These 

 figures show a decrease of 19 percent in the weight and 14 percent in 

 the value of shad as compared with 1932, and an increase of 1 percent 

 in the weight but a decrease of 1 percent in the value of alewives. 



About 57 percent of the shad, in weight, were taken with pound 

 nets, and 43 percent, with gill nets. Less than one-half of 1 percent 

 were taken with haul seines. More than 99K percent of alewives 

 were taken with pound nets, only small quantities being taken with 

 gill nets, haul seines, and fyke nets. 



Statistics of the catch of shad and alewives in the Potomac River 

 are included also in the catch data for Maryland and Virginia which 

 are published elsewhere in this report. 



