FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1930 341 



Fisheries of the Chesapeake Bay States, 1880 to 1929 — Continued 



CATCH OF CERTAIN SPECIES: By states— Continued 



[Expressed in thousands of pounds; that is, 000 omitted] 



3 Data not available. 



» Exclusive of the James and Potomac Rivers. 



SHAD AND AIEWIFE FISHERIES OF THE POTOMAC RIVER 



The shad and alewife fisheries of the Potomac River were prose- 

 cuted by 608 fishermen in 1930 or 21 per cent less than in 1929. 

 These fishermen used 440 motor and other small boats, 405 pound 

 nets, 698 gill nets having a combined area of 343,902 square yards, 

 and 1 haul seine having a length of 100 yards. 



The catch of shad amounted to 175,150 in number, with a weight 

 of 60^1,193 pounds, valued at $98,041 to the fishermen. This is a 

 decrease of 43 per cent in the weight of the catch as compared with 

 that for the previous year, and is less in weight than the catch for any 

 year for which there are records since 1896, except 1924. The average 

 price per pound as received by the fishermen increased from 13.5 

 cents per pound in 1929 to 16.3 cents per pound in 1930. More than 

 nine-tenths of the catch was made by Virginia fishermen and was 

 taken largely by pound nets in Northumberland County. The 

 catch by Maryland fishermen was taken chiefly by gill nets in Charles 

 County and by pound nets in St. Marys County. 



The catch of roe shad amounted to 47 per cent of the total number 

 of shadtaken. In 1929 the catch of roe shad amounted to 54 per 

 cent of the total number. 



