A historical review of the shad fisheries of North America Item Type monograph Authors Mansueti, Romeo; Kolb, Haven Publisher Chesapeake Biological Laboratory Download date 02/10/2021 23:42:48 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/27445 State of Maryland BOARD OF NATURAL REsOURCEhS DEPART-MElNT OF RESEAWClH AND EDUCATION A HISTORICAL REVIEW OF THE SHAD FISHERIES OF NORTH AMERICA BY ROMEO hlAN,SIUETI md HAVEN KQLB UBRART Unlvenity of Maviand, CES Chesapeake Biological Laboratog Solomom, Maryland 20688 US Publication No. 97 CHESAPEAKE BIOLOGICAL LABOlRATORY Solomcms, Maryland State of Maryland DEPARTMbENT OF RESEARCH AND EDUCATION Commissioners FRANKLIND. DAY, Chairman............................................................................................. Cenkrville EARLET. NAWKINS............................................................................................................................... Towson ERNESTN. CORY.................................................. ....................................................................College Park B. H. WILLIER- .....-....... "-......................... ........................ 1.................................................... B,altimore FREDERICKTRESSELT ................................................. "................................................................... Thurmont Director R. V. TRUITT......................................................................................... .......................... olomons Island State Weather Service YP8C)*i .9 G. N.f~~~c~~o,.Met~rglogjstin Charge ............................................................. Baltimore d $? - 9 A"" .*.-s : b "$; ,-, ) ' 2 Chesapeake Biological Laboratory BYRONL. ASHBAUGH,M-ED., Education Assistant G. F. BEAYEN,M.A., Biologist I, Oyster Investigations DAVIDG. CARGO,M.S., Biologist 11, Crab Investigations HAROLDJ. ELSER, PH.IM., Biologist 111, Aquatic Investigations ADALINE GALL, Secretary GEORGEB. GRAY,B.S., Administrative Assistant II HARRYA. HEHSEL, JR., Investigator LEAH BELLEJONES, Senior Stenographer JOHN R. LONGWELL,M.S., BiologiSt III, Game Investigations JOSEPH H. MANNING,M.S., Biologist 11, Oyster Investigations ROMM)MANSUETI, M.S., Biologist ZI, Fishery Investigations HARVEYMISTER, Captain, Fish Culturist, in Charge of Commercial Fish Hatcheries RUDOLF' 8. SCHELTEMA,B.S., Biologist IZZ F. Pi. SIELING,B.S., Biologist II, in Charge of Chincoteague Project RICHARDE. TILLER, PH.D., Biologist I, Fishery Investigations R. V. T~UITT,PH.D., Biologist R. D. VAN DEUSEN,[M.S., Biologist I, in Charge of Natural Resource Inventory EARLT. WALKER,B.S., Biologist 11, Fishery Investigations CRAIGD. WHITESELL,B.S., Biologist 111, Forestry Investigation BETTYANN WOODBURN,Senior Typist ii ABSTRACT During the past 50 years the relative productivity and value of the shad fisheries of North America have decreased as reflected in recorded commercial catches. In 1897, the United States catch aggregated almost 50,000,000 pounds, and, at the time, was a growing, valuable industry. In 1949, the fisheries ranked 38th in voIume (about 11,000,000 pounds), and 26th in value ($1,636,000). The reasons for the decIine are due to many conditions that are biological and socio- economic in nature. These differ from one area to another in varying degrees. The factors which have been held responsible are: (a) pollution; (b) destruction or impairment of spawning and nursery areas by siltation; (c) overfishing; (d) hydroelectric and canal dams; and, perhaps, (e) natural fluctuations in abund- ance. Natural catastrophes, parasites, and predators are not considered important in causing a decrease in commercial production. Attempts to rehabilitate the fisheries, by means of stocking artificially-reared fry and pond-reared fingerling shad, appear to have faiIed in every instance. The introduction of shad fry on the Pacific"Coast, however, has resulted in a major fishery. Early in the history of the decline, the first attempts at managing shad were in the form of week-end interdictions, limiting of seasons, and of declaring illegal, certain gear that were highly efficient. The most recent and significant program is a controlled catch man- agement plan, operating at this time only in Maryland, which attempts to control the fishing rate for shad by restricting the number of fishermen and gear through a licensing program in order to assure a greater escapement of brood stock and thus, in time, a greater sustained yield. An analysis of the conditions existing at three fishways at the following locations, (a) Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River, (b) Lawrence Dam on the Merrimack River, and (c) Holyoke Dam on the Con- necticut River, indicates that such passes are not fully successful despite the transportation of numbers of shad over dams. One of the reasons for difficulty in evaluating passes is that the percentage of the total run that ascends fishways cannot be determined. The total run is unknown for all but a few rivers in North America. In the final analysis, the prognosis of the shad fisheries does not appear promising. It appears doubtful that shad can be restored to the status of the late 19th century even with management programs and other devices. CONTENTS 1. Introduction ....." ............................................................................... ................................ ...-..................-..... I1. Life history ..................................................................................................................................... - ...-"...-. A . Name ..................................................................................................... .- .......... ................-..........-.-.- " ... B . Description ...................".- ................................................................-.... -..... - ................. .......... ............. C. Distribution .. ................................ ".............................. -.................... .. ................ " .... - .... -....... .... ..... D . Migration and tagging studies.. ...,.......................w.............................-..................-.-...... E. Factors affecting migrations.................................................................... -..-......-.... ...... ....... F . Shad in the ocean..... "..........*...........................................-....*.....-................ ...... .. ..-...... - ..-... ........ .G. Shad in rivers.- ................................." ................................................................ a .....-. .- ..... ........ H . Sexual maturity.................................... "....".........-................-............... ....................... -" ..... .. .... I . Courtship and spawning grounds.................................................................................. J . .Ovulation ......................".- ................................................................................................................. .. K . Number of eggs............................................... ............................................ .......................... ........ L . "Down-runners'' .......................................................................................................................... ....... M . Young shad................................................................................. .. ......................... ......... - .... "...... .... - ...- N . Movements of young shad.............................................................................................. '0. Food of young shad......................................................................................................................... P . Food of adult shad........................................................................................... "............... ....... ....... Q. Predators and parasites of shad............................................................................ ......... .. .. R . Ag-ing and growth analysis of shad...................................................................... ..-..... I11 . Shad fisheries of Florida.....l............................m..................................... ...-.......... -........ ........- ..... IV. Shad fisheries of Georgia .....................................................................................................-.... -....- ..... V . Shad fisheries of South Carolina....................................................................... ............ -.... " ..... VI. Shad fisheries of North Carolina .......................................................... .......................-........... VII. Shad fisheries of Virginia ................................;....................... "..................... -................ " .... - ........... VIII. S,had fisheries of Maryland ............................................................ " ..-.-..... -.. ....................... -..... IX. )Shad fisheries of Delaware State.................................................................. ..................-... ........ X . Shad fisheries of New Jersey........... ............................................................................................. XI . Shad fisheries of Pennsylvania ................................................................................................. XI1. Shad fisheries of New York State........................................................................... "....-... "..... XI11. Shad fisheries of .Connecticut..................................................................................