Biological Analysis of Two Management Options for the Atlantic Menhaden Fishery

Biological implications of two managment options (the closed corridor and the recommended shortened season (Option 7) options) for the Atlantic menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus, fishery are reported based on purse-seine landings and port sampling data from 1970 to 1984 and captain's daily fishing reports from 1978 to 1982. Large catches of age-O menhaden raise concern for growth overfishing. Area-specific yield-per-recruit analyses are used to investigate the biological consequences of these management options. The closed corridor option indicates coastwide gains in yield-per-recruit ranging from 0.3 to 7.2% depending on changes in fishing activity with most areas showing gains. The shortened fishing season indicates coastwide gains in yield per recruit ranging from O. 4 to 10.2% depending onf ishing year with most geographic areas showing gains. The shortened fishing season option offers the greatest gains when large numbers ofy oung menhaden would be caught late in the fishing year, while gains from the closed corridor option depend on how the fishing fleet responds to that management plan. The shortened season offers greater potential coastwide gains to the fishery, but also may result in greater losses to the North Carolina fall fishery. The analytical approach is applicable to the management of other coastal migratory fish stocks that fall under the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission or other interstate management groups.

U. S. Trade in Tuna for Canning, 1987

U.S. tuna fleet activity, canned tuna processing, ex-vessel, wholesale and retail prices and imports in 1987 are described and compared to their counterparts in previous years. Industry statistics gathered from government agencies and industry contacts are presented in 14 figures and 8 tables. In 1987, U.S. tuna fisheries delivered 253,136 short tons (tons) of tuna to U.S. canneries. Domestic deliveries of albacore (white-meat) tuna were 2,836 tons, down 20 percent from 1986 levels. Domestic deliveries of tropical (light-meat) tuna (bigeye, blackfin, bluefin, skipjack, and yellowfin) were 251,000 tons, up 12 percent. Contract prices for tuna delivered by U. S. vessels to U. S. canneries increased dramatically in 1987. Depending on the size of fish in the delivery, ex-vessel prices of white-meat tuna increased as much as 27 percent, and prices of light-meat tuna increased as much as 47 percent. U. S. cannery receipts of imported and domestically caught raw frozen tuna for canning totaled 532,704 tons in 1987, up 2 percent from 1986 levels. U.S. cannery receipts of white-meat tuna were 104,197 tons, down 10 percent from 1986. Imports made up 97 percent of the total cannery supply. Total 1987 U. S. cannery receipts of raw, frozen light meat tuna were 428,507 tons, up 5 percent from 1986 levels. Imports made up 41 percent of the total cannery supply. The 1987 U.S. pack of canned tuna was 33.6 million standard cases, up 3 percent from 1986. The pack of white-meat tuna was 7.2 million standard cases, down 11 percent from 1986; the pack of light-meat tuna was 26.4 million standard cases, up 7 percent. U. S. imports of canned tuna in 1987 were 10.8 million standard cases, down 11 percent from 1986 levels, the first time in recent years that imports have declined. Per capita consumption of canned tuna in the United States was 3.5 pounds in 1987, down slightly from 1986. The retail composite price was $2.26 per pound, unchanged from 1986.