260 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



SHAD AND ALEWIFE FISHERY OF THE POTOMAC RIVER 



The regular annual statistics of the shad and alewife fisheries of 

 the Potomac River were taken for the season 1925. They show that 

 the shad fishery yielded 204,582 shad that weighed 696,632 pounds, 

 valued at $163,398 to the fishermen. While this is an increase over 

 1924 of 19 per cent in number, 21 per cent in pounds, and 85 per 

 cent in value, it marks one of the lowest catches upon which statis- 

 tics are available. 



The catch of alewives, amounting to 7,835,380 fish, with a weight 

 of 3,134,152 pounds, valued at $37,341 to the fishermen, was less 

 than the 1924 catch by 48 per cent in number and 34 per cent in 

 value, and was the smallest catch since 1915. 



The following tables give detailed statistics for 1925 and compara- 

 tive statistics on the shad and alewife catches in the Potomac River 

 for the years for which statistics are available. 



Shad and alewife fisheries of the Potomac River, 1925 



Production of shad in the Potomac River in various years, 1S96 to 1925 



Year 



1925 

 1924 

 1923 

 1922 

 1921 

 1920 

 1919 

 1915 

 1909 

 1904 

 1901 

 1896 



Value 



$163, 398- 



88, 450 



198, 619 



420, 022 



207, 370 



334, 464 



332, 397 



72, 127 



53, 732 



68, 052 



119,366 



63, 608 



