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U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



The collection of shad eggs at the bureau's hatchery at Fort Hum- 

 phreys amounted to less than 3,000,000 eggs in 1930, while during 



1929, this station hatched 65,851,000 shad. The unsuccessful egg 

 collecting operations are attributed to the light run of shad brought 

 about by drought and low-water conditions, which caused greater 

 saline conditions farther up into the spawning grounds. 



The catch of alewives amounted to 7,785,500 in number, with a 

 weight of 3,114,918 pounds, valued at $49,315. This is an increase of 

 1 per cent in the weight of the catch as compared with that for 1929, 

 but is smaller than any other catch on record since that for 1915. 

 The amount of the catch in 1915 was but little less than that made in 



1930. The average price per pound as received by the fishermen 

 decreased from 1.8 cents per pound in 1929 to 1.6 cents per pound in 

 1930. Nearly nine-tenths of the catch was made by Virginia fisher- 

 men, largely in Northumberland County. The catch by Maryland 

 fishermen was made chiefly in St. Marys County. By far the larger 

 part of the catch in both States was taken by pound nets. 



Shad and alewife fisheries of the Potomac River, 1930 



Catch of alewives in the Potomac River for various years, 1896 to 1930 



> Data for the two States not enumerated separately. 



