F\ shen'es 



This program is in the Dreliminary stages and results presented here are 

 subject to expansion and more detail. ' -■ '' -■ ' 



Lobsters . Dr. L. Stewart of the Conn. Marine Advisory Service has studied 

 lobster distribution at the New London site by examining six locations (at the" '"- 

 corners and center of the dumping area and at the dumping buoy) and counting 

 lobsters seen in J5 hour. He concluded' that lobster density was a third of that 

 found in productive lobster grounds in the general area and that the monotonous 

 sandy bottom was poor lobster habitat. 



The seasonal pattern of the lobster fishery in this area varies with the 

 size of vessels. Smaller boats may begin fishing very close to shore in April 

 and work their way out to the Race and Plum Island by August. Larger boats will " 

 move from ledges along the Connecticut shore to deeper parts of the western 

 Sound by June and into Block Island Sound by the end of summer. Lobsters are 

 caught within hte Thames esturay in the spring. Waters around Fishers Island 

 are reserved for residents. The greatest concentration of pots is in the Race 

 where migrating lobsters are caught. 



At any one time, commercial lobstermen will occupy a continuous area, 

 frequently following a topographic feature. In the dump site area 2-3 pot 

 trauls are usually used. 



A fisherman who had pots just south of the disposal site in June, 1978, 

 reported that fishing at the site was ^ery good during its use for disposal of 

 organic waste by a pharmacentical manufacturer, but had dropped off when Navy 

 dredging began . 



Fin fish . The area inshore of the disposal site is used by a small number of 

 dragqers during the summer. The catch is predominant by winter and summer 

 flounder although some scup is also caught. A total of 10 boats may fish in 



