GENERAL REVIEW 



Whiting . Landings of 44.5 million pounds worth a record $3.9 million Increased 2 percent in vol- 

 ume and 47 percent In value compared with 1969. New England landings accounted for 90 percent 

 of the volume and 87 percent of the value. When the season opened, New England fishermen re- 

 ceived 10 cents per pound for whiting — compared with the average price of 5. 5 cents per pound paid 

 In 1969. The sharp Increase was caused principally by the unusually small landings and consequent 

 short supply In 1969. Plant owners were willing to pay high prices for whiting in order to replen- 

 ish depleted inventories. In 1970, the New England price finally stabilized at an average price of 

 8.4 cents per pound. 



Lobsters . Landings of American (northern) lobsters were a record 34.2 million pounds worth are- 

 cord S33.5 million — a gain of 365 ,000 pounds and $4. 5 million compared with 1969. New England 

 landings of 30.4 million pounds were slightly less than In 1969, but the Middle Atlantic and Ches- 

 apeake States had record harvests . A small quantity was also landed in the South Atlantic States 

 for the fourth consecutive year. Lobster fishermen received an average price of 98 cents per pound — 

 compared with 86 cents in 1969. The United States domestic landings of American lobsters plus 

 Imports from Canada increased from 51.2 million pounds In 1969 to 51.3 million in 1970--the best 

 available supply since 1964. 



Landings of spiny lobsters were a record 10.3 million pounds worth a record $6.3 million — 

 an increase of 1.6 million pounds and $22,000 compared with 1969. Record landings of 7 . 1 mil- 

 lion pounds in the Gulf States accounted for the greater production. The harvest declined in all 

 other areas . 



Sea scallops . Landings of 7 . 3 million pounds of meats worth $9.4 million declined 22 percent in 

 volume and 3 percent in value compared with 1969. The harvest was far less than the record 27.5 

 million pounds taken 10 years earlier. Landings declined in all areas. In the New England States , 

 always foremost in the sea scallop fishery, landings of 4.5 million pounds were 13 percent less 

 than in 1969, and the smallest production since 1945. During the 1946-50 period, landings of 

 sea scallop meats at New England ports, chiefly New Bedford, averaged 12.6 million pounds an- 

 nually; during 1951-55, they averaged 16.5 million; 1956-60, 19.0 million; 1961-65, 18.0 million; 

 and 1966-70, 7.4 million pounds. 



Record imports of 16.8 million pounds (principally from Canada) were 18 percent greater 

 than in 1969. They supplied 70 percent of the total quantity of sea scallops available in the U- 

 nited States (24.1 million pounds) — compared with 61 percent in 1969. 



High-seas fishery . U.S. fishermen landed 403.8 million pounds of fish and shellfish taken on the 

 high seas off the coasts of foreign countires. Landings in the Pacific Coast States of 353.7 mil- 

 lion pounds accounted for 88 percent of the total. The 324 .0-million-pound landings of tuna taken 

 off Central and South America increased 58.5 million compared with 1969. The tuna harvest was 

 80 percent of the total U.S. landings off foreign coasts and 82 percent of the total domestic tuna 

 landings . 



Whales . In 1970, the U.S. Department of the Interior placed eight species of whales on the en- 

 dangered species list — reflecting a mounting national concern over the prediction of biologists that 

 certain species are approaching extinction. The endangered whales were thebowhead, blue, hump- 

 back, right, gray, fin or finback, sei, and sperm. The last three were the only species sought re- 

 cently by U.S. commercial whalers. Only one whaling station, located in California, was active 

 in 1970. The catch numbered 73 whales — 110 less than in 1969. There were 5 fin, 4 sei, and 64 

 sperm whales taken in 1970. 



