18 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



from Nantucket Shoals to New Jersey in the fall and the return in 

 the spring can be clearly traced. 



Number of fish 

 Oct( )her : retaken 



Nantucket Shoals 54 



New Jersey 1 



November : 



Nantucket Shoals 2 



Rhode Island G 



New York 16 



New Jersey 6 



December : 



Nantucket Shoals 1 



Rhode Island 3 



New York 10 



New Jersey 13 



January: 



Rhode Island 1 



New York 4 



New Jersey 5 



In reviewing this table consideration must be given to the changes 

 in the intensity of fishing along various parts of the North Atlantic 

 coast. The large catch made in October on Nantucket Shoals was 

 due to the fact that the Halcyon made most of the recaptures while 

 engaged in tagging. Very little fishing is done on Nantucket 

 Shoals during the winter, and this accounts in part, at least, for 

 the absence of tagged fish taken during this period. On the Long 

 Island and New Jersey coasts there is considerable fishing from 

 April 1 to December 15. Practically no cod are to be found in 

 this region from June until October. Besides commercial fishing 

 with pound nets and hand lines, hundreds of boats engage in sport 

 fishing throughout the spring, summer, and fall. While commer- 

 cial fishing is almost at a standstill during the winter, many anglers 

 fish for cod at this time whenever the weather permits. This mid- 

 winter fishing accounts for the few tags taken in New York and 

 New Jersey during January, February, and March, all by sport 

 fishermen. During April both sport and commercial fishing are 

 revived, but cod are taken in considerably less numbers than during 

 the fall. Only three records of recaptured tagged fish were received 

 from this region during April. 



The future movements of the fish tagged during 1923 are awaited 

 with interest. While the data 'at hand are not sufficient to warrant 

 final conclusions, it has been established without question that a 

 definite migration of codfish occurs in the fall from Nantucket 

 Shoals to points between Khode Island and New Jersey and prob- 

 ably farther south. Furthermore, it is clear that the great majority 

 of these migrated cod return in the spring to Nantucket Shoals. 

 Wliether most of them remain in this vicinity during the summer or 

 scatter to various localities is not yot known. Some of them jjass 

 on to Georges Bank, since one tagged fish was caught here on April 

 15, 1924. It is probable that other tagged fish have been taken on 

 this great fishing bank but have been overlooked by the fishermen. 



Although three species were tagged — cod, pollock, and haddock — 

 only the cod has furnished sufficient data for a study of migrations. 

 Of 2,215 pollock tagged, only 12 were reported recaptured, and most 

 of these were taken by the Halcyon ne'ar the locality where they were 



