FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1921. 



67 



The number of shad taken was 405,872, representing 1,160,438 

 pounds, with a value of $207,370, of which 49,681 shad, or 138,207 

 pounds, valued at $25,191, are credited to Maryland, and 356,191 

 shad, or 1,022,231 pounds, valued at $182,179, are credited to Vir- 

 ginia. The falling off of the catch of shad in these States in 1921 as 

 compared with 1920 amounted to 123,486 shad, or 819,342 pounds in 

 quantity and $127,094 in value. 



The catch of river herring numbered 10,303,510 fish, or 4,121,404 

 pounds,, valued at $44,041, of which 1,395,000, or 558,000 pounds, 

 valued at $9,010, are credited to Maryland and 8,908,510 river her- 

 ring, or 3,563,404 pounds, valued at $35,031, to Virginia. 



Shad and Alewife Fishery of the Potomac River, 1921. 



1 Includes 30,000 alewives salted by the fishermen, weighing 12,000 pounds, and valued at $300. 

 BRIEF REVIEW OF THE SHAD FISHERY OF THE POTOMAC RIVER. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The perpetuation of the important shad fisheries of the Atlantic 

 coast is a matter of concern to many of our fishermen. Beginning 

 with 1915 the bureau has made an annual canvass of the shad fishery 

 of the Hudson River, a river in which practically no fish-cultural 

 operations have been practiced. Beginning with 1919 the bureau 

 began a similar canvass of the shad fishery of the Potomac River, a 

 river in which the propagation of shad has been conducted on a con- 

 siderable scale for many years. In this connection it will be of inter- 

 est to review the history of the Potomac River fishery briefly in so 

 far as there are available data. In Figure 4 the catch of shad in the 

 river is shown. The figures used for the period 1866 to 1880, inclu- 

 sive, are based on an unpublished graph in the bureau's files that is 

 believed to be sufficiently authentic as an index of the trend of the 

 fishery to warrant publication, and those for later years are the re- 



