projected to 129 million pounds, and, by 2020, to l63 million pounds., Long Island 

 Sound supplied only a small percent of the 1974 demand; much of the regional fish 

 consumption includes products such as tuna, salmon, and sardines which are not 

 caught in the Sounds If the commercial harvest in the Sound remains at the 

 current level, the percentage of finfish product s supplied by the Sound can 

 be expected to decline as population and demand increaseo Fishery products 

 imported into the study region will continue to be the main source to meet these 

 rising demands,, The principal commercial finfish species are shad, winter flounder, 

 scup, menhaden, bluefish, Atlantic mackerel, and striped basSo However, the 

 commercial harvest of striped bass in Connecticut waters is illegal o Lobster, 

 hard clams, and oysters are the principal commercial shellfish species, with 

 lobster being the most important commercial species in the Sound from an econ- 

 mic viewpoint. 



Sport fishing. Lnlike the commercial fishery, the sport fishery has 

 been constantly increasingo Striped bass, bluefish, winter flounder, summer 

 flounder, Atlantic mackerel, tautog, and scup form the backbone of the sport 

 fishery, with shad fishing being important in the Connecticut River. With the 

 increased affluence and leisure time of the LIS population, sport fishing has 

 become big business. This fact is particularly evident when striped bass and 

 bluefish migrate through the Sound. In 1971, there were about 30 charter boats 

 operating on the Sound, mostly at the extreme western and eastern ends. 



No exact records are available, but it has been estimated that in 1970 

 there were about 341,000 salt-water anglers in Connecticut (Table 3). This is 

 over 10 percent of the state's population! Estimates of fishing pressure from 

 the north shore of Long Island and from Westchester County place the number of 

 salt-water anglers there at about 477,000 salt-water fishermen; however, creel 

 censuses are needed to determine more accurate statistics regarding the number 

 of salt-water anglers and the relationship between salt-water sport fishing and 

 the dynamics of fish populations. 



The annual demand for salt-water sport fishing in the Sound is currently 

 estimated at 9o8 million activity days (818,000 fishermen x 12 days f ishing/f ish- 

 arman) c Long Island Sound is capable, at present, of supplying its sport fishermen 

 with an adequate catch practically year-round. During January and February, 

 persistent anglers can find striped bass near the heated discharge waters of power 

 plants. Flounders are available from March until late June, with another run 

 available in October. Striped bass, scup, bluefish, tautog, and (presently) weak- 

 fish are plentiful all through the summer months. Bluefish are especially prevalent 

 in the late summer and into the fall, as are tautog and striped bass. Also, cod 

 are available in the eastern end of the Sound in November and December. 



With increasing human populations, sport fishing and recreational 

 shellfishing demand is expected to increase significantly in the next 30 to 50 

 years in the LIS area. Table 3 shows that by 2020, the number of salt-water 

 anglers in the Sound is expected to increase to 1,422P00. Recreational shell- 

 fishermen in the Sound are expected to increase from 12,000 to 19,000 by 2020. 



10 



