APPENDIX III APPENDIX III 
conducted for the northern Gulf. Also good data on age 
structure and mortality rates of the eastern Gulf herring- 
like stocks needs to be obtained in future research. 
Harvesting capability 
Thread herring can be taken with purse seines; however, 
the harvesting of other herring-like fishes have been unsuc-— 
cessful because their behavior makes capture with standard 
purse seines ineffective. These fish also avoid midwater 
and bottom trawls. 
When herring are used for fishmeal or fish protein con- 
centrate, they must be harvested inexpensively by capturing 
large quantities in a relatively short time, close to a proc- 
essing plant. Various techniques have been tested to locate 
schools; the most successful has been the use ot aircraft 
with spotter pilots. Although harvesting techniques and 
gear are inefficient, dockside processing of the catch has 
evolved to almost total automation. As a result, the cost 
of acquiring the raw material is the dominant factor control- 
ling the price of the end product. 
Product development and processing 
A status quo philosophy on the part of the sardine-pack 
and menhaden industries has contributed to the nondevelopment 
of herring-like fisheries. There is a feeling that less con- 
servative fishermen are moving into the menhaden industry. 
This is shown by the industry's recent interest in explora- 
tory fishing for thread herring. 
Market development 
No obstacles to market development are foreseen as in- 
dustrial and edible herring-like fish products now find ac- 
ceptance. An industrial thread herring fishery operated on 
the west coast of Florida in the 1960s. The thread herring 
landed were reduced in Florida to fishmeal, oil, and solubles. 
The industry closed down when Florida prohibited purse- 
seining. 
Management controls 
The legal ban on purse seining, except for bait fishing, 
within 3 leagues of the west Florida coast constrains the 
redevelopment of herring-like fisheries. The purse seine ban 
makes it impossible to harvest scaled sardines, and a large 
part of the thread herring is also inaccessible. Round 
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