MIDDLE ATLANTIC FISHERIES 



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Hard clams . Landings of 10.5 million pounds of hard clam meats worth a record $10. 6 million in- 

 creased 7 percent in volume and 11 percent in value compared with 1969 . New York fishermen took 

 7.9 million pounds — 7 5 percent of the total production. New Jersey landings of 2.6 million pounds 

 were 14 percent more than in 1969.' One reason for the improved harvest was the March opening of 

 an area formerly closed to clammers . There was also a clam rehabilitation program that helped 

 increase production. Beginning in August, a fisherman could lease 1.5 acres of bottom in unpol- 

 luted waters and then transfer 20 bushels of clams per day during a 3-day woric week from a pol- 

 luted area (designated by the State) to the leased area. Fishermen were not permitted to harvest 

 the replanted clams until October. 



Scup . Landings of 4 . 3 million pounds were 18 percent less than In 1959, and the smallest har- 

 vest since 1926. Landings have trended downward since the record 25. 5-million-pound production 

 of 1960; and in 1966, declined drastically to 8 . 4 million pounds — about one-half the yield of the 

 previous year. Since that time, landings have dropped at an average annual rate of about 1 mil- 

 lion pounds . 



In 197 0, the value of landings ($967,000) increased 3 percent compared with 1969. Be- 

 cause scup were scarce, the average exvessel value increased to 22 cents per pound — a gain of 

 4 cents . 



Whiting . Landings of 4.3 million pounds worth $496,000 declined 27 percent in volume, but in- 

 creased 3 percent in value compared with 1969. Landings declined for the third conseputive year. 

 In January, the otter trawl fleet operating off the New Jersey coast set a I-month landings' record 

 of more than 1 million pounds, but during February and March landings decreased by 75 percent 

 compared with February and March 1969. Fishermen received an average price of 11-1/2 cents per 

 pound in 1970 — compared with 8 cents per pound in 1969. 



Lobsters . Landings were a record 3.5 million pounds worth a record $3.5 million — an increase of 

 22 percent in volume and 34 percent in value compared with 1959. The greater landings may have 

 resulted, in part, because of increased use of lobster pots, especially in New Jersey. The aver- 

 age price per pound was $1.03 — about 9 cents more than in 1969. 



Tuna . Landings were a record 3.1 million pounds — the best harvest since the inception of the tuna 

 purse seine fishery in 1963. Bluefin tuna landings in New Jersey were 99 percent of the total pro- 

 duction. Most of the bluefin tuna catch was taken by three purse seine vessels operating off the 

 New Jersey coast. 



Bluefish . Landings of 2.7 million pounds were 48 percent greater than in 1969, and the best pro- 

 duction since 1935. New York landings were 60 percent of the total harvest. The value ($274, 000) 

 reflected a slight decline from a 13-cent average price per pound in 1969 to 10 cents in 1970. 



Sea trout . The 2 .4-million-pound landings of sea trout increased 20 percent in volume compared 

 with 1969, and were the best production since 1957. About 80 percent of the poundage was taken 

 with otter trawls, but an appreciable quantity was taken incidentally by gill netters in the bluefish 

 fishery. 



Mackerel . Atlantic mackerel landings of 1.7 million pounds worth $92,000 increased 113 percent 

 In volume and 67 percent in value compared with 1969. The New Jersey otter trawl production of 

 1.2 million pounds accounted for 9 2 percent of the mackerel landings in the State. The fish aver- 

 aged three-quarters of a pound during the season. The average price per pound in the Middle Atlan- 

 tic fishery declined from 7 cents in 1969 to 5-1/2 cents in 1970. 



