July 1966 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



to the hold of a buy-boat. This boat transports the iced catch to the fish plant where edible 

 species are separated fromthetrashfish. The trash fish are iced and transported to a process- 

 ing plant. 



Fishermen receive one dollar a box for 

 trash fish averaging 125 pounds per box. 



SAMPLING METHOD 



Sampling of the industrial fish catch was 

 planned so that normal handling procedure at 

 the fish plant was not hindered. A sample 

 consisted of one wooden commercial fish box 

 of trash fish; during the years of the study 

 samples varied from 86 to 150 pounds. A 

 sample box was filled directly from the sort- 

 ing table. If the load had already been sorted 

 prior to arrival of the investigator, the first 

 full box encountered on the truck or loading 

 platform was taken as the sample. When 

 samples were taken from vessels unloading 

 at a dehydrating plant, trash fish were shov- 

 eled from the boat into a box. The fish were 

 sorted according to species; this species sub- 

 sample was weighed, the number of individu- 

 als counted, and the information recorded. 



THE 1962 SURVEY 



Although the sample year extended from 

 February 1962 through January 1963, it is 

 considered to represent 1962. A total of 104 

 samples was collected, 53 from trawling op- 

 erations and 51 from long-haul and pound-net operations. A total of 108,217 individual fish 

 were counted with a total weight of 13,020 pounds. This weight represents almost 0.2 percent 

 of the industrial fish catch. Samples from long-haul and pound-net operations were not sep- 

 arated according to gear because catches from these two were mixed aboard the buy-boats. 

 Samplesfrom trawling operations were taken throughout the sample year, but those from long- 

 haul and pound-net operations were takenthrough most of the May-October fishing season. At 

 least 95 percent of all trash fish landed was takenby trawlers, therefore, it would be unrealistic 

 to consider samples from the long-haul and pound -net fishery equally representative with trawl 

 samples in describing the industrial fishcatch. Data from long-haul and pound -net samples are 

 presented only to provide a comparison of species composition of catch accordingto gear used. 



SPECIES COMPOSITION OF THE CATCH IN THE TRAWL FISHERY : Table 1 gives the 

 species composition of 53 samples from the trawl fishery. A total of 79 fish species were 

 caught. Nine species, each accounting for 1.0 percent or more of the total sample weight 

 (column4), are listed individually; these comprised 85.0 percent by weight and 86.4 percent 

 by number of individuals of the total trash sample. Thirty-one species, each accounting for 

 less than 1.0 percent by weight of all samples and shown collectively, constitute 8,8 percent 

 by weight and 8.4 percent by number of individuals. Thirty-nine species, each occurring in- 

 frequently, collectively contributed 2.3 percent of the weight and 5.0 percent of the number of 

 individuals. Invertebrates, chiefly nonedible crabs and squid, contributed 3.9 percent of the 

 trash sample by weight. 



The first three species--croaker, spot, and butterfish--are edible species and comprised 

 67.5 percent of the catch by weight and 68.7 percent by number of individuals. Three other 

 edible species included in the first nine--hogfish, gray sea trout, and sand perch- -accounted 

 for an additional 9.3 percent of the sample by weight and 8.6 percent by number of individuals. 



Fig. 2 - Trash fish caught incidental to regular fishing operations 

 being shoveled from trawler at dock. 



