866 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



SHAD AND ALEWIFE FISHERIES OF THE POTOMAC RIVER 



In 1929, these fisheries were prosecuted by 773 fishermen who 

 used 449 motor and other small boats, 424 pound nets, 483 gill nets 

 having a combined area of 472,780 square yards, and 5 haul seines 

 having a combined length of 3,900 yards. 



The shad fishery yielded 317,253 fish that weighed 1,052,284 

 pounds, valued at $141,589, to the fishermen. Compared with the 

 yield for 1928, this is a decrease of 56 per cent in number, 49 per 

 cent in weight, and 34 per cent in value. Of the total number, 78 

 per cent were taken by Virginia fishermen and the remaining 22 per 

 cent bv fishermen from Marvland. 



The'alewife fishery yielded 7,711,030 fish that weighed 3,084,412 

 pounds, valued at S54,916, to the fishermen. This is a decrease of 

 48 per cent in number, 48 per cent in weight, and G per cent in value 

 as compared with the yield for 1928. Of the total number, 89 per 

 cent were taken by Virginia fishermen and the remaining 1 1 per cent 

 by Maryland fishermen. 



Shad and alewije fisheries of the Potomac River, 1929 



Catch of shad in the Potomac River for various years, 1896 to 1929 



Year 



Maryland 



Virginia 



Total 



1896 

 1901. 

 1904 

 1909 

 1915 

 1919 

 ]920 

 1921 

 1922 

 1923 

 1924 

 1925 

 1926 

 1927 

 1928 

 1929 



Number 

 233, 238 

 146, 000 

 «.i, 147 

 31, 158 

 17, 196 

 94,512 

 80,944 

 49, 681 

 203, 682 

 93,619 

 37, 505 

 46, 008 

 51,601 

 30, 720 

 138, 490 

 68,613 



Pounds 



874, 643 

 547, 500 

 311,801 

 116,843 

 64, 485 

 3.54, 420 

 302, 237 

 138, 207 

 706, 501 

 308, 729 

 127, 285 

 157, 786 

 162,861 

 103, 728 

 383, 126 

 225, 797 



Value 

 $20, 524 

 14, 800 

 16, 343 

 9,232 

 6,827 

 56. 833 

 55, 963 

 25, 191 

 95, 140 

 52,917 

 20. 469 

 35, 310 

 34, 808 

 17, 894 

 37, 588 

 22, 676 



Number 

 450, 825 

 648, 462 

 289, 500 

 172, 813 

 165, 206 

 449, 957 

 448,414 

 356,191 

 680. 494 

 257, 927 

 134, 805 

 l.')8, 574 

 285, 061 

 191,601 

 577, 924 

 248,640 



Pounds 



1, 690, 594 



2,431,733 



1, 085, 625 



648, 049 



619, 523 



1, 687, 339 



1, 677, 543 



1, 022, 231 



2, 409, 070 



878, 653 



450, 925 



538, 846 



871, 345 



582, 853 



1, 694, 496 



826, 487 



Value 



$43,084 



104, 506 



51,709 



44, 500 



65, 300 



275, .564 



278, 501 



182,179 



324, 882 



145, 702 



67, 981 



128, 088 



182, 653 



95, 931 



177, 099 



118, 913 



Number 

 684, 063 

 794, 462 

 372, 047 

 203,971 

 182, 402 

 544, 469 

 529, 358 

 405, 872 

 884, 176 

 351,546 

 172. 310 

 204, 582 

 336, 662 

 222, 321 

 716,420 

 317,253 



Pounds 



2, 565, 237 



2, 979, 233 



1,397,426 



764, 892 



684, 008 



2, 041, 7.59 

 1, 979, 780 

 1,160,438 



3, 11,5.571 

 1, 187,382 



578. 210 



696, 632 



1, 034, 206 



686, 581 



2, 077, 622 



1, 052, 284 



Value 

 $63, 608 

 119,366 

 68, 052 

 53, 732 

 72, 127 



332. 397 

 334, 464 

 207, 370 

 420, 022 

 198, 619 



88, 450 



163. 398 

 217, 461 

 113,825 

 214, 687 

 141, 589 



N'OTE.— The number of shad taken in the Potomac River in 1878 was 186,000: in 1880, 652,872; in 1889 

 868,900; in 1890, 731,453; and in 1891, 621,977. 



