FISHES OF CHESAPEAKE BAY 27 
for the market. The number retained, however, depends somewhat upon the 
abundance of more desirable species and market conditions. 
CONCLUSION 
It is evident from the foregoing discussion and the tables presented herewith 
that a number of important species in the fishery under discussion have declined 
during the period covered by the records at hand; one, at least, appears to have 
remained nearly stationary, and for two the catch has increased. It must be borne 
in mind, however, that a change in the gear used took place during the earlier years 
for which records of catches are at hand. The extent to which this change affected 
the trend, exclusive of the catch of shad and herrings (which was not influenced), is 
not known. Moreover, it has been shown that the change in the gear undoubtedly 
resulted in a somewhat larger catch, at least from 1912 to 1917. The calculated 
trend shown on the graphs, as well as the percentages of increase and decrease given 
in the preceding section, therefore, is subject to an error of unknown significance. 
Yet, it seems certain that for most of the species considered the decline was less 
rapid or the increase more pronounced than indicated, according to whether an 
increase or a decrease in the catch took place. 
It is very interesting, and possibly significant, that the majority of the species 
discussed suffered a serious decline during about the middle of the period for which 
records are available, and that several species (shad, herrings, butterfish, starfish, 
spot, and flounder) during the last several years, when a set of two pound nets only 
was operated, showed a tendency to recover. The increase in the catches is regarded 
by the writers as a hopeful sign. 
It is impossible to estimate the exact significance of these statistics in relation to 
the fisheries for the rest of the bay, as few records for the entire bay are available for 
comparison. Limited evidence has been produced to show that the records of this 
fishery of the catch of shad and herrings does reflect the status of these species for the 
entire bay, and the writers know of no reason why the same should not be true of 
the other important commercial species of this pound-net fishery. Inasmuch as no 
more reliable statistics are available, the present ones are offered for what they may be 
worth in this connection. Certainly, they are of interest as a local study and in 
showing when the species appear in the mouth of the bay in commercial numbers, 
the month or months during which they are the most abundant, and when they again 
become scarce. 
Buchanan brothers’ fishery 
ACIPENSER OXYRHYNCHUS (STURGEON) 
[Amounts given show the number of pounds of sturgeon taken at the Buchanan brothers’ fishery from 1916 to 1922. It is evident 
that the sturgeon is of small importance in this pound-net fishery] 
1916 
1917 
1918 
1919 
1920 
1921 
1922 
Average 
April _ _ . 
285 
150 
150 
175 
109 
May _ 
40 
185 
275 
230 
100 
o 
o 
100 
240 
148 
June . .. 
100 
25 
125 
68 
July 
260 
37 
August 
40 
50 
13 
September .. _ 
50 
7 
October _ 
50 
290 
40 
100 
68 
November ... . 
50 
7 
Total. . 
190 
510 
1, 305 
315 
100 
375 
415 
