July 1951 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



of the landings from Provincetovm to Stonington, as shown in table 2, may be re- 

 garded as reliable for species present, but the poundages shown are only an esti- 

 mate of the true quantities. 



It will be noted in table 2 that red hake was the predominant species, with 

 eel pout and skates following in that order. Of the important edible species, 

 whiting were landed in the greatest numbers, comprising 10.8 percent by weight of 

 the trash fish landed in ports where catches were sampled. 



New Bedford landings included only small quantities of such edible species as 

 yellowtail and blackback flounder, dab, butterfish, scup, haddock, and cod. Per- 

 centages of these species ranged from 1 to 4 percent by weight, except for one sam- 

 ple which contained 9.2 percent yellowtail flounder. 



At Provincetown, yellowtail flounder was the only important edible species ap- 

 pearing in large numbers. Three samples contained by weight 11, 1^ , and 23 percent, 

 respectively, yellowtail flounder. Other edible 

 species, such as blackback flounder, cod, and 

 haddock ranged from less than 1 percent to a max- 

 imum of 4 percent. •, 



At Point Judith, one sample contained 40 per- ^ 

 cent butterfish. Other samples at this port yield- <;_^_^ 

 ed less than 1 percent of blackback flounder, scup, ^ '" " 

 and fluke. 



Conversations with fishermen during field 

 trips indicated landings of small yellowtail floun- 

 ders at Provincetown in greater numbers than were 



, J • 4.1. T ■ J J. 4.1. 4. 4. ONE OF THE SKATES INCLUDED IN THE 



Observed m the samples examined at that port. ^^^ England trash fish landings. 



Other reports dealt with landings of small butter- all skates compose about 15.2 per- 

 fish at Sandwich, Iv:kssachusetts, and at Point Ju- cent of the total, this particular 



,.., Q, , T 1 \j -r -u-i 4. ^i 4.^ species is THE BARNDOOR SKATE RAJA 



dith, Rhode Island. I was unable to confirm the laevis). 



Sandwich report. One vessel's catch at Point 



Judith, as mentioned earlier, contained 40 percent butterfish by weight. Such re- 

 ports often become exaggerated and the fishermen, with few exceptions, are conser- 

 vation-minded enough to try to avoid taking trash fish in areas known to contain 

 large numbers of the young of important edible species. Therefore, the unconfirmed 

 reports cannot be accepted as seriously affecting the estimate of landings by species 

 which appears in table 2. 



SUMMARY AND (INCLUSIONS 



The 1950 trash fish landings for southern New England were 9O.3 million pounds. 

 Vftiile greater than the 1949 landings of 75.2 million pounds, a reversal of the I949 



whiting I MERLUCCIUS 81 LINEARIS ) ALTHOUGH INCLUDED IN NEW ENGLAND TRASH 

 LANDINGS, COMPOSES ONLY ABOUT 10.8 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL 



