July 1951 Washington 2S,D.C. Vol.l3,No. 7 



THE TRASH FISHERY OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND 



IN 1950^ 



By Richard E. Sayles* 



GROWTH OF THE FISHERY 



Greatly increased landings of "trash fish" (species formerly discarded during 

 trawling operations) at New England ports during 1949 caused concern because of their 

 possible effect on the existing fisheries in the area, especially since there were 

 rumors that large numbers of young haddock, cod, and 

 flounders were included in these trash landings. 

 With the continuing growth of the trash fishery dur- 

 ing 1950, the U, S. Fish and Wildlife Service began 

 a systematic sampling of the landings, so as to ob- 



. . J.- * „^ 4.v,« ^.^^.^„„ „«„+^< v,,+«^ v,„ RED HAKE ( UROPHYCIS CHUSS ) IS ONE 



tain an estimate of the quantities contributed by ^^ ^^^ leading speciesTncluded 

 each of the several species landed at southern New in new England trash fish landings 

 England ports during that year. and composes 28.9 percent of the 



As reported by Snow (I95O), trash fish had been landed in small amounts prior 

 to 1949 for use as mink food. The increased use of fish meal in poultry and hog 

 feeds led to an expanded demand by reduction plant operators for raw material to 

 augment that afforded by the existing production firom meahaden, cannery waste, and 

 offal. This situation, together with the fact that flounder fishing (the mainstay 

 of the small draggers) was poor, led fishermen to land trash fish in ever- increas- 

 ing quantities. 



If tnis new and growing fishery were dependent in a measurable part on the 

 young of important edible species, it might adversely affect the established fish- 

 eries. However, this concept can be accepted only if the mortalities between juve- 

 nile and adult stages were proved to be low, and if the advantage to the marketable 

 species in having their competitors and predators removed were disregarded. 



TOTAL LANDINGS 



Landings of trash fish at southern New England ports totaled 9O.3 million pounds 

 (table 1) during I95O, an increase of 20.1 percent over the I949 landings of 75.2 

 million pounds. Ihis rise, while not as large as that of the previous year when 

 trash fishing commenced, indicates that the market for trash fish in this area is 

 being maintained. 



New Bedford was again the leading port with 56 million pounds, or 62.1 percent 

 of the total. Landings at all southern New England ports increased steadily during 

 the first five months, to a peak of 15.8 million pounds in May. Then, during the 

 last week in that month, the price offered by dealers at New Bedford was reduced 

 from $20 to $15 a ton. Similar reductions took place at other ports, resulting in a 

 steady decrease in trash landings for the last six months of I95O at all ports, as 

 fishermen concentrated on more profitable species. Landings at all ports for Novem- 

 ber were only 2.2 million pounds. Th us, while the total poundage exceeded' that of 



l/PREPARED at the REQUEST OF THE ATLANTIC STATES MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION. THE FISH AND 



wildlife SERVICE IS THE STATUTORY RESEARCH AGENCY OF THE COMMISSION. 

 * FISHERY AID, BRANCH OF FISHERY BIOLOGY, U. S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE 



INTERIOR. 



