FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1930 263 



MACKEREL FISHERY OF THE ATLANTIC COAST 



The 1930 mackerel catch totalled 43,156,885 pounds, an amount 

 that has been exceeded only twice in the last 40 years. The season 

 was characterized by good runs of medium and large fish in the 

 southern area off Block Island, and in South Channel up to the end 

 of July. At that time the catch was 42 per cent above that of the 

 previous year. Then the large fish disappeared and small year- 

 lings made up most of the catch during August, September, and 

 October. They were not exceedingly abundant and the catch 

 dropped off severely. In fact, landings during October were almost 

 negligible. The net fishery off Cape Ann in November yielded only 

 moderate quantities. 



Statistical summaries appear in the accompanying tables. As 

 heretofore, only the purse seine and drift gill net fisheries have been 

 included. They have been designated as "seiners" and "netters," 

 respectively. Because of their importance in certain seasons, boats 

 under 5 net tons and fishing with purse seines or gill nets have been 

 included insofar as data were available. The catch of shore gear, 



Figure 15.— Catch of mackerel in the North Atlantic fishery, 1905-1930 



such as pound nets and traps, were omitted. Practically all of the 

 statistics were collected by the bureau's agents at Cape May, N. J., 

 New York City, N. Y., Boston, Gloucester, and Woods Hole, Mass., 

 and Portland, Me. A few of the landings, particularly at ports not 

 having a bureau representative, were secured from unofficial sources 

 and often consist of estimated, rather than "weighed-out" fares. 

 The error involved is probably well under 5 per cent in the vessel 

 fishery. The figures on the boat fishery are probably less complete. 

 The catch of bull's-eye mackerel. Scomber colias, was not included. 

 It amounted to 450,140 pounds as compared with 54,170 pounds 

 in the previous year. 



Southern fishery. — This includes the catch of mackerel in waters 

 oft" New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The 

 area is bounded on the east by longitude 72° W., which passes through 

 the eastern end of Long Island about 9 miles west of Montauk Point. 



Most of the vessels participating in this fishery sailed south from 

 Gloucester during the first and second weeks of April. The first 

 catch was made by netters on April 9 and landed at Wildwood, 

 N. J., on April 10. 



At this season of the year the seiners operate only on dark nights. 

 The netters may fish on both dark and moonlit nights, but usually 



