Relative abundance of Maryland shad, 1944-52 /

Before Maryland can intelligently manage her shad fishery, Virginia must establish a system of collecting catch and effort statistics. With each State collecting these statistics, the shad fishery of Chesapeake Bay could be studied as a unit to determine the best management methods.The evaluation of the relation between factors which might cause changes in the size of the Maryland shad population is complicated because the effect of the Virginia shad fishery on the Maryland shad population is unknown. Without knowledge of this effect, the influence of other factors affectig the Maryland populationis obscured.Each year, the Maryland Department of Research and Education obtains catch and effort statistics from all commercial shad fisheries in Maryland waters as part of the Maryland Management Plan. These data for the years 1944 to 1952 wre used in conjunction with a tagging experiment, to estimate fishing effort, fishing rate, catch, size of run, and spawning escapement for each of these years. It was found that effort had increased almost twofld, despite the operation of a plan designed to keep it constant.Research supported by the United States Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service.Includes bibliographical references (p. 16-17).Literature cited.Summary.Recommendations.Changes in the Maryland shad fishery and shad runs.Estimates of total population, 1944-51.Tagging study, 1952.Catch and effort statistics.History of the fishery.Description of the fishery.Before Maryland can intelligently manage her shad fishery, Virginia must establish a system of collecting catch and effort statistics. With each State collecting these statistics, the shad fishery of Chesapeake Bay could be studied as a unit to determine the best management methods.The evaluation of the relation between factors which might cause changes in the size of the Maryland shad population is complicated because the effect of the Virginia shad fishery on the Maryland shad population is unknown. Without knowledge of this effect, the influence of other factors affectig the Maryland populationis obscured.Each year, the Maryland Department of Research and Education obtains catch and effort statistics from all commercial shad fisheries in Maryland waters as part of the Maryland Management Plan. These data for the years 1944 to 1952 wre used in conjunction with a tagging experiment, to estimate fishing effort, fishing rate, catch, size of run, and spawning escapement for each of these years. It was found that effort had increased almost twofld, despite the operation of a plan designed to keep it constant.Mode of access: Internet