﻿SOUTH 
  ATLANTIC 
  FISHERIES 
  

  

  Oysters 
  . 
  The 
  production 
  of 
  1.6 
  million 
  pounds 
  of 
  meats 
  was 
  11 
  percent 
  less 
  than 
  in 
  1969 
  — 
  con- 
  

   tinuing 
  the 
  downward 
  trend 
  that 
  began 
  in 
  1966. 
  Landings 
  were 
  the 
  smallest 
  recorded 
  since 
  1880. 
  

   The 
  value 
  was 
  $974 
  ,000 
  — 
  a 
  decline 
  of 
  10 
  percent 
  compared 
  with 
  1969. 
  North 
  Carolina 
  was 
  the 
  only 
  

   State 
  with 
  landings 
  greater 
  than 
  in 
  1969, 
  but 
  the 
  increase 
  was 
  only 
  13,000 
  pounds. 
  In 
  October, 
  

   more 
  oyster 
  grounds 
  became 
  available 
  when 
  the 
  Newport 
  River 
  was 
  reopened 
  to 
  oyster 
  fishermen. 
  

   They 
  found 
  it 
  difficult, 
  however, 
  to 
  market 
  the 
  oysters 
  taken 
  there 
  because 
  most 
  prospective 
  buyers 
  

   were 
  aware 
  that 
  the 
  oyster 
  grounds 
  had 
  been 
  closed 
  the 
  previous 
  year 
  because 
  of 
  pollution 
  and 
  were 
  

   often 
  unwilling 
  to 
  buy 
  them. 
  In 
  South 
  Carolina, 
  always 
  the 
  leading 
  producer 
  in 
  the 
  South 
  Atlantic 
  

   States 
  , 
  landings 
  of 
  85 
  2, 
  000 
  pounds 
  were 
  the 
  smallest 
  since 
  1945 
  when 
  7 
  22, 
  100 
  pounds 
  were 
  landed. 
  

   In 
  March 
  and 
  April, 
  oysters 
  were 
  scarce 
  and 
  the 
  South 
  Carolina 
  Wildlife 
  Resources 
  Department 
  ex- 
  

   tended 
  the 
  spring 
  season 
  from 
  April 
  30 
  to 
  May 
  15. 
  Landings 
  did 
  not 
  improve, 
  however, 
  because 
  ' 
  

   few 
  oysters 
  were 
  available 
  on 
  the 
  grounds. 
  Compared 
  with 
  1969, 
  landings 
  in 
  Georgia 
  (179,000 
  ( 
  

   pounds) 
  declined 
  30 
  percent 
  and 
  in 
  Florida, 
  East 
  Coast 
  (212,000 
  pounds), 
  12 
  percent. 
  5 
  

  

  Other 
  information 
  . 
  Seasonal 
  variation 
  in 
  landings 
  of 
  fish 
  and 
  shellfish 
  in 
  North 
  Carolina, 
  South 
  j 
  

  

  Carolina, 
  Georgia, 
  and 
  Florida 
  can 
  be 
  ascertained 
  from 
  the 
  monthly 
  and 
  annual 
  landings 
  bulletins 
  5 
  

  

  published 
  in 
  the 
  Current 
  Fishery 
  Statistics 
  Series 
  by 
  the 
  Statistics 
  and 
  Market 
  News 
  Division 
  in 
  I 
  

  

  cooperation 
  with 
  the 
  respective 
  States. 
  Additional 
  data 
  on 
  many 
  aspects 
  of 
  the 
  South 
  Atlantic 
  ' 
  

   fisheries 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  daily, 
  monthly, 
  and 
  annual 
  reports 
  published 
  by 
  the 
  NMFS 
  Fishery 
  

   Market 
  News 
  Service 
  in 
  New 
  Orleans, 
  La. 
  

  

  Acknowledgments 
  . 
  The 
  following 
  organizations 
  helped 
  collect 
  the 
  data 
  appearing 
  in 
  this 
  section: 
  

   North 
  Carolina 
  Department 
  of 
  Conservation 
  and 
  Development, 
  Division 
  of 
  Commercial 
  Fisheries; 
  

   South 
  Carolina 
  Wildlife 
  Resources 
  Department, 
  Division 
  of 
  Commercial 
  Fisheries; 
  Georgia 
  Game 
  

   and 
  Fish 
  Commission, 
  Coastal 
  Fisheries 
  Division; 
  and 
  Florida 
  State 
  Board 
  of 
  Conservation. 
  

  

  