[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                                                                     232









                    MIGRATION PATTERNS OF AMERICAN SHAD IN THE NEARSHORE

                          OCEAN WATERS OF SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA

































                                North Carolina Department of Environment,
                                      Health, and Natural Resources

                                      Division of Marine Fisheries
                                        Morehead City, NC 28557




         SH                                  September 1990
         167
         .S5
         M54
         1990














                             MIGRATION PATTERNS OF AMERICAN SHAD IN THE


                        NEARSHORE OCEAN WATERS OF SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA



                                                 @By


                                           Jerry A. Parker









                              North Carolina Department of Environment,
                                    Health, and Natural Resources


                                    Division of Marine Fisheries
                                      Morehead City, NC 28557





                                           CONTRACT NUMBER


                                             .90-1-PASRH



                                          Completion Report


                                    January 1990 - September 1990



                                       property of CSC Library





                                           September.1990



                   Prepared by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries as part
                   of the Interstate Fisheries Management Program administered by the
                   Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.  Funds provided by ASMFC/
                   Pennsylvania Interjurisdictional Fisheries Grant No. NA 89 EAD 00066
                                 US Department of Commerce
                                 VOAA Coastal Services Center Library
                                 2234 South Hobson Avenue
                                 Charleston, SC 29405-2413











                                               ABSTRACT



             A tagging study of American shad (Alosa sapidissima (Wilson)) utilizing 5 1/2
             inch mesh gill nets was conducted in the nearshore ocean waters off Wrights-
             ville Beach, NC. )A total of 101 American shad was captured between 18 January
             1990 and 8 May 1990.    Of those, 98 were tagged with Floy FT-1 dart tags.
             Returned tags totaled 16, with all returns recaptured south of the tagging
             site.  North Carolina rivers accounted for six returns and South Carolina
             rivers accounted for four returns. Catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) was based on
             a Standard Fishing Unit (SFU) of 100 yd of net at 5.7 yd depth (50 meshes) set
             for one hour.  Daily CPUE's ranged from zero on several dates to a high of
             3.50 on 16 March 1990 when 35 American sha  'd were captured and tagged. Temp-
             eratures at which American shad were captured ranged from 8.60C to 19.90C,
             with the maximum number of American shad captured at 13.20C.         Regulatory
             options -and recommendations are also discussed.











                                              TABLE OF CONTENTS



              ABSTRACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


              INTRODUCTION                                                                       I
              TAGGING SITE . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        3

              METHODS AND MATERIALS   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        3


                   Tags and Tagging Method   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       3

                   Recorded Data  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        5


                   Scale Samples  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        5

              RESULTS  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..   I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    5


                   Catch-Per-Unit-Effort   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       5


                   Age and Length Composition    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       8

                   Tag Return Data  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        8

                   Environmental Parameters    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .      8


              DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS   . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      8


                   Age and Size Data  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        8

                   Migrational Characteristics   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     15

                   Regulatory Options    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     18

                        Closed Fishery   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     18

                        Delayed Season   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     20

                        Landings Quotas    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     21

                        Reduced Fishing Effort   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   . . . . . .   21

                        Recommendation   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .     21


              LITERATURE CITED  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      22


              ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      25











                                                  INTRODUCTION

              The American shad (Alosa sapidissima (Wilson)) fishery.was once the most
              valuable fishery in North Carolina (Alexander 1905).         In 1897, American shad
              landings were almost   nine million pounds, which was the highest ever recorded
              for the state (Townsend 1900). Bowers (1913) reported that North Carolina led

              all other south Atlantic states with almost 1.3 million fish in 1910. North

              Carolina landings of American shad have precipitously declined since the early
              1900s with overfishing, construction of dams, and pollution generally regarded
              as the major factors.       Johnson (1938) reported that the decline in landings
              may have also been a result of a decrease in demand for shad from the late
              1800s to the 1930s.     Despite such obstacles, the American shad fishery still
              represents a significant industry to commercial and recreational fishermen in
              North Carolina with landings during 1985-1988 of over 1.25 million pounds with
              a value of over $740,000 (North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries data).


              American shad are the largest clupeids in the     United States. They are anadro-
              mous and reported to range from the St. Lawrence River, Canada to the St.
              John's River, Florida on the western Atlantic coast (Nichols and Massmann
              1962).   Adult American shad migrate to inland spawning grounds throughout
              their range along the Atlantic coast. Massmann (1952) reported that-spawning
              invariably takes places in fresh water.        Juvenile American shad spend their
              first summer in the river in which they were spawned and then migrate
              downstream to the sea in the fall* (McDonald 1884; Smith 1896; Smith 1899;
              LeIggett and Whitney 1972).     After reaching sexual maturity, they return to
              fresh water to spawn (LaPointe 1958; Neves and Depres 1979). Sexual maturity
              is reached by males in 3 to 4 years and by f emales in 4 to 5 years.           Studies
              by Leggett (1972) showed that American shad in the Connecticut River spent 40
              to 100 days in fresh water during spawning migrations.               Cornell (1955)
              reported American shad to remain in North Carolina waters for a few weeks
              during the spawning period.


              American shad exhibit a pronounced latitudinal cline       in postspawning survival
              (Glebe and Leggett 1981; Carscadden and Leggett 1975). Some authors (Leggett
              1972; Sykes and Talbot 1959; Chittenden 1975) report North Carolina to be the
              geographical boundary between s     emelparous (spawning once) and iteroparous
              (repeat spawning) populations of American shad, with populations south of










              North Carolina being semelparous and populations north of North Carolina.being
              strongly iteroparous. The incidence of repeat spawners enumerated from scale
              readings was zero in the St. John's River, Florida, compared with 3% for the
              Neuse River, North Carolina,   27% for the James River, Virginia, 38% for the
              Connecticut River, Connecticut, 72% for the St. John River, New Brunswick
              (Leggett and Carscadden 1978) and 85% for     the Annapolis River, Nova Scotia
              (Melvin et al. 1986).   Glebe and Leggett (1981) attributed the differences in
              spawning characteristics to the higher amount of energy expended by American
              shad to reach southerly spawning grounds.


              The North Carolina commercial fisheries for American shad have traditionally

              been located in estuaries and coastal rivers.        Likewise, most studies on

              American shad in North Carolina have been conducted in estuarine and riverine
              waters.  Holland and Yelverton (1973) conducted the most recent and thorough
              study on American shad distribution in the oceanic waters of North       Carolina.
              Their capture data suggested that adult American shad were migrating to their
              spawning grounds 'as late as March in 1971.      Tagging experiments during the
              study provided little information on migrational patterns because no tags were

              returned. -



              In 1985-862 South Carolina conducted a Territorial Sea tagging program
              involving American shad in their coastal ocean waters.       The purpose was to
              monitor shad stocks and gather information on migrational patterns.
              Information from the study revealed that all but one of the recaptured tagged
              fish were caught in rivets South of the tagging sites, suggesting a southern
              spawning migration pattern of shad in nearshore ocean waters off South
              Carolina. This finding led to speculation that the developing North Carolina
              ocean fishery for American shad,may be taking South Carolina's spawning stock.
              This.practice of ocean intercept fisheries for American shad is discouraged by
              the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's fishery management plan
              (ASMFC 1985) which encourages each state to fish on its own stocks in or near

              natal rivers.



              The purpose of this study was to determine the migration patterns of American

              shad in the nearshore ocean waters of southern North Carolina and to ascertain

              if the developing gill net fishery in that area for American shad may be
              intercepting South,Carolina's spawning stock.

                                                       2











                                                  TAGGING SITE


              The tagging site, which was a nearshore ocean area off Wrightsville Beach, NC
              north of Masonboro Inlet (Figure 1). was        selected b ased on success from a
              study conducted in 1989 (Parker 1989).       The location was particularly ideal
              because of its proximity to Masonboro Inlet and the relatively short boating
              distance required to reach the site. This situation enabled tagging effort to
              occur very frequently and to cover long periods.         The site was also located
              north of the Cape Fear River and its tributaries, which is the most southerly
              of the North Carolina rivers historically known for its "shad run."               Most
              commercial ocean American shad fishing in North Carolina occurs north of the
              Cape Fear River.     Selection of this particular site enabled the study to
              better assess the extent which North Carolina's ocean American shad fishery
              may be affecting its own rivers and/or those of more southerly sta      tes.

                                             METHODS AND MATERIALS

              One hundred yard drift gill nets of 5 1/2 inch stretched mesh were utilized
              during the study.. All nets were 50 meshes (approx. 5.7 yd) in depth and were
              f ished in sets of two tied end to end.      This gear has proven to be selective
              for female American shad, which are the principle target of the fishery. The
              nets were checked approximately every half hour, or during incidences of high
              catch, as often as possible.       With one exception, tagging effort occurred
              during daylight hours, and mostly during the morning.            This technique was
              based on findings by Neves and Depres (1979) who reported       that day catches of
              American shad occurred significantly more often (P < 0.01)       than night catches.
              All captured American shad were placed in an oval 115           gallon holding tank
              filled with ambient seawater where they remained until completion of that
              particular net fishing cycle. They were then transported to an area at least
              one thousand yards offshore from the drift nets. As quickly as possible, each
              American shad deemed suitable was measured (fork length (FL), mm), tagged, and
              released. Also, scales were removed and saved for age determination.

              Tags and Tagging Method

              Floy FT-1 dart tags were utilized for the study based on their success in a
              previous study (Melvin et al. 1986). Tags were orange-colored, individually
              numbered, and printed with the agency return address and a reward notifica-
              tion.   Tags were inserted with a 'canula immediately below the dorsal fin on
              the left side. Cash rewards of $2 were offered.for returned tags.


                                                     3


















                                                  Chowan     r



                                   Roano   River
         36 COASTAL NORTH CAROLINA                                    lbemarle Soun          36-




                             Tar    r




                                                                                  Pamlico
                         Neu   River                               co iver         Sound

                                                                                            ape
                                                                                        Hatteras


         35                                                                                   35-

                 Northeast ape Fear.River

                                          White     River

                                                                MIR
                                      New    er
                                                              ape Lookout

          Cape     River



                                           Tagging site


                                                                            SCALE
         .34                                                                                  34-


                                                                  10                00 AIL669713%
                            Cape Fear




              Figure 1. Tagging site of American shad captured in the nearshore ocean off
                         Wrightsville Beach, NC, December 1989 -.May 1990.


                                                4









              Requested t ag return information included tag number, name and address of
              fisherman, place caught (water body and nearest landmark), date of capture,
              gear used in capture, and length of fish. Posters advertising the study were
              placed at local fish markets, boat landings,       and other pertinent locations.

              Posters were also distributed to Atlantic states marine fisheries officials

              for distribution in their respective states.

              Recorded Data


              'Data from captured American shad included fork length, location, and date.
              Data monitored and recorded from tagging sites included date; location,
              surface and bottom temperatures and salinities, water depth, wind speed and
              direction, gear parameters, and duration .(length of time net fished).
              Pre-tagging morta lity of American shad was noted, as well as all other species

              collected.


              Scale Samples

              Scales from the left side of the American shad posterior to the pectoral fin
              were removed and saved in individually numbered envelopes.            Scale removal
              simply involved scraping a dull knife against the fish from rear to front to
              obtain approximately ten to twenty scales.       Scales were used to provide data
              on age and spawning characteristics of American shad as described by Judy
              (1961).    Scales were cleaned with a 5% NaOH solution and read by use of a
              microfiche projector.

                                                     RESULTS


              Tagging took place between December 1989 and May 1990. American shad captures
              began in late January, peaked during March, and precipitously declined
              throughout the remainder of the study (Figure 2).         A total of 101 American
              shad was captured and measured.       Of those, 98 were considered sufficiently
              healthy to be tagged. Scales were taken from all captured American shad. All
              American shad were captured near the bottom of the net which was consistent
              with findings by Neves and Depres (1979) and Parker (1989).                Incidental
              species captured are listed in Table 1.


              Catch-Per-Unit-Effort

              Catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) was based on a Standard Fishing Unit       (SFU) of 100.
              yd of net at 5.7 yd depth (50 meshes) set for one hour. C.atch-per-unit-effort
              was calculated from total catch divided by number of SFU's. Daily CPUE's

                                                    5















                     60



                     50-



                     40-
                N
                U
                -M   30-
                B
                E
                R
                     20-



                     10-



                       0
                             DEC           JAN          FEB           MAR          APR           MAY
                             1989                                     1990
                                                            MONTH

                           Figure 2. Number of American shad captured by month from the nearshore ocean
                                      off Wrightsville Beach, NC, December 1989 - May 1990.









             Table 1. Incidental species captured in drift gill nets in the nearshore
                       ocean area off Wrightsville Beach, NC, December 1989 - May 1990.




             Scientific name                                   Common name



             Petromyzon marinus                                sea lamprey

             Mustelus canis                                    smooth dogfish

             Rhizoprionodon terraenovae                        Atlantic sharpnose shark

             Squalus acanthias                                 spiny dogfish

             Rhinoptera bonasus                                cownose ray

             Acipenser oxyrhynchus                             Atlantic sturgeon

             Alosa pseudoharengus                              alewife


             Brevoortia tyrannus                               Atlantic menhaden


             Pomatomus saltatrix                               bluefish


             Echeneis naucrates                                sharksucker


             Euthynnus alletteratus                            little tunny

             Callinectes sapidus                               blue crab





























                                                 7









             ranged from zero on several dates to a high of 3.50 on 16 March 1990 (Table
             2).


             Age and Length Composition

             Based on scale readings, the age composition of the captured American shad was
             4.3% four-year-olds, 53.3% five-year-olds and 42.4% six-year-olds (Table 3).
             There were no repeat spawners. Size ranged from 434 mm to 546 mm (Figure 3),
             with an average length of 496 mm. Mean fork length (mm) and length ranges by
             age group are shown in Table 4.

             Tag Return Data

             Of the total number (98) of fish tagged, sixteen were recaptured (Table 5).
             Of those, six were recaptured in the Cape Fear,.Northeast Cape Fear, and Black
             rivers of North Caroliha. All three rivers are near the tagging area and have
             historical gill net fi sheries for American shad.    There were also six f ish
             recaptured in the Atlantic Ocean off North Carolina and four fish were
             recaptured in South Carolina rivers. All American shad recaptured were taken
             south of the tagging site (Figure 4).    The average distance traveled was 82
             miles, with the farthest travel being 370 miles (.Still Creek, Savannah River,
             SC).   The average number of days at large was 10.2 with a range of 1 to 47
             days out.


             Environmental Parameters


             Temperatures at which American shad were captured ranged from 8.61C to 19.91C,
             with the maximum number of American shad caught at 13.20C.     Salinity during
             the sampling period ranged from 33.9 to 36.0 parts per thousand (Table 6).
             Water depth at the tagging site was an average of 6.0 meters.

                                       DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS


             Age and Size Data

             Data analysis on age  and size of American shad is limited due to the type of
             fishing gear and mesh size selected for the study. The use of a single mesh
             size of 5 1/.2 inch stretched mesh obviously diminishes the chances.of captur-.
             ing all sizes of American shad while favoring the capture of adult roe female
             shad. It was selected for the study because it was the preferred mesh size of
             commercial shad fishermen, who were the primary source of recapture data. The
             use of other size meshes woul d have likely resulted in fewer recaptures, thus


                                                 8







             Table 1. Comparisons of daily standard fishing units, total catch and catch-
                        per-unit-effort for American shad in the nearshore ocean off
                        Wrightsville Beach, NC, December 1989 - May 1990.

                                         Standard                Total
                                          fishing                catch
             Date                          units               (number)                   CPUE


             12 Dec  89                      4                      0
             18 Dec  89                      4                      0
             121 Dec 89                      4                      0
              4 Jan  90                      4                      0
             10 Jan  90                      6                      0
             12 Jan  90                      4                      0
             11 Jan  90                      6                      0
             18 Jan  90                     40*                     1                     0.025
             23 Jan  90                      4                      0
             26 Jan  90                      7                      4                     0.571
             30 Jan  90                      4                      0                         -
              2 Feb  90                      4                      0                         -
              5 Feb  90                      4                      1                     0.025
              7 Feb  90                      8                      0                         -
              9 Feb  90                      4                      0
             12 Feb  90                      4                      0                         -
             14 Feb  90                      4                      6                     1.500
             16 Feb  90                      4                      8                     2.000
             19 Feb  90                      4                      0
             20 Feb  90                      3                      1                     0.333
             21 Feb  90                      5                      3                     0.600
              2 Mar  90                      4                      0
              6 Mar  90                      8                      3                     0.375
              8 Mar  90                      2                      1                     0.500
             14 Mar  90                      8                      1                     0.125
             16 Mar  90                      10                     35                    3.500
             19 Mar  90                      8                      5                     0.625
             23 Mar  90                      4                      7                     1.750
             26 Mar  90                      4                      2                     0.500
             28 Mar  90                      2                      0                         -
              3 Apr  90                      4                      1                     0.250
              4 Apr  90                      5                      3                     0.600
              5 Apr  90                      5                      1                     0.200
              6 Apr  90                      6                      0                         -
              9 Apr  90                      4                      0                         -
             10 Apr  90                      5                      1                     0.200
             12 Apr  90                      6                      4                     0.667
             16 Apr  90                      5                      4                     0.800
             17 Apr  90                      4                      0                         -
             20 Apr  90                      4                      7                     1.750
             23 Apr  90                      4                      0                         -
             27 Apr  90                      4                      1                     0.250
              2 May  90                      4                      0
              4 May  90                      2                      0
              8 May  90                      4                      1                     0.250




               Overnight sampling effort.

                                                  9









                             Table 3. Number and percent of     American shad captured by
                                        age in the nearshore ocean area off Wrightsville
                                        Beach, NC, December 1989      May 1990.



                             Age (yr)                      Number                       Percent



                             IV                               4                            4.3


                               V                             49                           53.3


                             VI                              39                           42.4













              Table 4. Mean fork length (mm), standard deviation, and length ranges (mm) by
                         age for American shad captured in the nearshore ocean off Wrights-
                         ville,Beach, NC, December 1989       May 1990.


              Age             Number           Mean       +        S.D.             Min.         Max.
              (yr)                             (mm)               (mm)             (mm)          (mm)

              IV                4              450                 14              434           467


               V               49              488                 18              450           520

              VI               39              5.10                16              475           546















                                                      10















                            25

                                                                                                       21%

                                                                                                      N=21


                            20.-                                                      17%
                                                                                     N=18



                                                                                              15%

                                                                                             N=15
                     N      15-
                     U                                                       12%
                     M                                      11%              N-12
                     B                                      N=11
                     E      10-
                     R
                                                                                                                7%
                                                                     6%                                         N-7

                                                                     N=6

                                                    4%
                             5     3%
                                   N=3      2%
                                            N.2                                                                          1%       1%
                                                                                                                         N=1     Nml


                             0
                                  435 445 455 465 475 485 495 505 515 525                                              535 545
                                                                       LENGTH(mm)

                                   Figure 3. Number and percent of America          n shad captured by length from the
                                                nearshore ocean off Wrightsville Beach, NC, December 1989                    May
                                                1990.










              Table 5.   Recapture locations, dates tagged and recaptured, distance from
                         release site, and days at large for American shad tagged and
                         released in the nearshore ocean.off-Wrightsville Beach, NC, 1990.


                                                                                  Distance     Days
                                                        Date           Date       from site      at
              Recapture location                        tagged       recaptured    (miles)    large

              Baldhead Island, NC                     26 Jan 90      27 Jan 90         25         1

              Waccamaw River, SC                      14 Feb 90      14 Feb 90         99        28

              Carolina Beach,   NC                    16 Feb 90      18 Feb 90.        13         2

              Carolina Beach, NC                      16 Mar 90      .18 Mar 90        13         2

              NE Cape Fear River, NC                  16 Mar 90      28 Mar  90        88        12

              Carolina Beach, NC                      16 Mar 90      18 Mar  90        13         2

              Black River, NC                         16 Mar 90      21 Mar  90        92         5

              Cape Fear River, NC                     16 Mar 90      22 Mar  90       100         6

              Cape Fear River, NC                     16 Mar 90'     30 Mar  90        58        14

              Black River, SC                         16 Mar 90      21 Mar  90       160         5

              Black River, NC                         23 Mar 90      27 Mar  90        92         4

              Savannah River (Still Cr.), SC          23 Mar 90        8May  90       370        47

              Baldhead Island, NC                       4Apr 90        5Apr  90        25         1

              Waccamaw River, SC                        4Apr 90      .10 Apr 90       119         6

              Baldhead Island, NC                     10 Apr 90      11 Apr  90        25         1

              Black Riv er'. NC                       12 Apr 90        4May  90       104        22

















                                                        12








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               Table 6.. Water temperature, salinity and number of American shad captured by
                          date in the nearshore ocean area off.Wrightsville Beach, NC,
                          1989-90.


                                                                                                 No. of
                                     TemperatuEe (IC)                  Salinity (ppt)              shad
                  Date             Surface        Bottom            Surface         Bottom     captured

               12 Dec  89            11.1           10.5              35.1           34.7               0
               18 Dec  89            11.0           10.9              35.2           35.7               0
               21 Dec  89            10.9           10.8              35.0           35.4               0
                4 Jan  90             7.5            7.4              35.8           35.4               0
               10 Jan  90             7.4            7.5              36.0           36.0               0
               12 Jan  90             7.6            7.6              35.3           35.4               0
               17 Jan  90             8.6            8.6              34.2           34.7               0
               18 Jan  90             8.8            8.6              34.6           35.1               1
               23 Jan  90            10.1           10.2              35.3           35.4               0
               26 Jan  90            10.2           10.2              35.4           35.5               4
               30 Jan  90            10.0           10.0              35.2           35.3               0
                2 Feb  90            11*1           10*6              34.8           34.8               0
                5 Feb  90            10.5           10.4              34.6           35.5               1
                7 Feb  90            11.1           10.7              35.4           35.4               0
                9 Feb  90            11.6           11.0              35.0           35.1               0
               12 Feb  90            11.2           11.3              34.8           34.8               0
               14 Feb  90            11.6           11.4              34.9           34.9               6
               16 Feb  90            11.7           11.5              35.0           35.1               8
               19 Feb  90            12.2           12.0              34.7           34.7               0
               20 Feb  90            12.2           12.1              34.9           34.9               1
               21 Feb  90            11.4           11.5              35.1           34.9               3
                2 Mar  90            11*5           11*1              34.7           35.0               0
                6 Mar  90            11.8           .11.9             34.6           34.3-              3
                8 Mar  90            11.0           11.0              34.7           34.9               1
               14 Mar  90            12.5           11.8              34.9           35.0               1
               16 Mar  90            14.1           13.2              33.9           34.8              35
               19 Mar  90            13.7           13.1              35.0           35.1               5
               23 Mar  90            14.0           13.9              34.9           35.0               7
               26 Mar  90            14.7           14.7              34.9           34.9               2
               28 Mar  90            13.7           13.8              35.4           35.2               0
                3 Apr  90            14.5           14.5              35.0           35.2               1
                4 Apr  91            14*0           14,0              35.2           35.0               3
                5 Apr  90            14.4           14.2              35.0           35.2               1
                6 Apr  90            14.5           14.8              35.3           35.3               0
                9 Apr  90            14.6           14.4              35.0           34.8               0
               10 Apr  90            15.3           1S.2              35.0           35.1               1
               12 Apr  90            14.8           14.9              34.7           35.1               4
               16 Apr  90            16.3           15.9              34.9           34.9               4,
               17 Apr  90            17.9           17.2              34.9           34.9               0
               20 Apr  90            15.8           15.9              35.0           35.0               7
               23 Apr  90            17.4           17.3              34.7           35.0               0
               27 Apr  90            18*5           18,4              34..8          35.0               1
               .2 May  90            20.5           19.9              34.6           34.9               0
                4 May  90            22.6           21.0              35.1           35.0               0
                8 May  90            19.8           19.9              35.6           35.5               1



                                                           14










             defeating the primary purpose of the study.   However, since collection methods
             were virtually the same, comparisons can be   made between age and length data
             from this study and those of a study (Parker 1989) conducted in         the same
             vicinity a year earlier (Figure 5). Data from this study showed an increase
             in mean length of shad of approximately 12 mm from 484 mm to 496 mm.         When
             'lengths between the two studies were compared, a significant 'difference was
             found (d.f.=192, t=-4.0, and P<0.0001).    The age composition between studies
             also varied with this study yielding a higher percentage of older fish (Table
             7). Changes in age and length of fish can signify the effects of fishing on a
             population or differences in year-class strength. Ricker (1958) reported that
             increased fishing reduced mean age over a period of years while entry of a
             weak year-clas.s into a fishery increased the mean age, length, and weight.
             Other factors (disease, parasites, predation, etc.) being negligible,
             increases in mean length and age of American shad from 1989 to 1990 are
             probably due to differences in year-class strength.


             The sex of American shad captured was influenced by gear type and mesh size.
             Weinrich et al. (1988) reported that gill nets bias the length range and sex
             ratios of captured adult shad. The sex composition of American shad captured
             during this study was not positively determined because of time and health
             restraints on the fish and difficulty in visual sex               identification.
             Therefore, the sex variable was not used in data analysis.       However, it was
             assumed that most or all of the American shad tagged during      this study were
             female based on the bias of the mesh size toward capture of      females and the
             fact that all recaptures and all untagged American shad          were positively

             identified as female.


             Migrational Characteristics

             As most studies suggest, American shad migration appears to be influenced by
             water temperature.    McDonald (1884) reported that American shad occupy a
             specific thermal range and migrate within'that range along the coast into and
             up rivers.    Leggett and Whitney (1972) also proposed that the oceanic
             distribution of American shad was temperature- controlled and quantified the
             temperature regime -that shad occupy as between. 130 and 180 C.    This offshore
             temperature regime was disputed by Neves and Depres (1979) on the basis that
             it was established from inshore data and extrapolated to include offshore
             distribution.   They proposed that near-bottom temperatures between 30 and 150

                                                  15















                           25



                           20-


                      p
                      E    15-
                      R
                      C
                      E
                      N    10-
                      T


                              5-


                                425 435 446 455 465 475 485 495 505 515                        525 535 545
                                                          LENGTH (mm, FL)


                                                               1989            1990

                                  Figure 5. Length-frequencies of American-shad from the nearshore ocean off
                                              southeastern North Carolina, 1989 and 1990.








              table 7. Comparisons of age composition of American shad captured in near-
                         shore ocean waters off Wrightsville Beach, NC in 1989 and 1990.

              Age                          1989                                       1990
              (yr)              Number             Percent                  Number            Percen-t

              IV                  32                  15.6                      4                 4.3


               V                 157                  76.6                     49                53.3


              VI                  16                   7.8                     39                42.4
















              Table 8. Total American shad landings and ocean caught Amnerican shad
                         landings for North Carolina in pounds and dollars by year, 1985
                         1989 (from DMF data).


                                        Total landings                        Ocean landings
              Year                 Pounds             Value               Pounds             Value


              1985               329,639             $152,547               3,159            $    766

              1986               373,794              228,819             63,086              28,626

              1987               327,646              215,115             39,580              28,875

              1988               283,050              171,962             50,088              40,844

              1919               323,396              214,896             38,548             -34,309

              Total             2,668,604            $983,359             194,461            $133,420

              % of total              100%               100%                7.3%               13.5%















                                                      17









             C provide a better basis for predicting American shad distribution in offshore
             waters.   Their collections were made in the ocean at depths between 27 m and
             366 m extending from Nova Scotia to Cape Hatteras.


             Data from this study were collected in nearshore ocean waters, approximately 6
             m in depth. American shad were captured within      a bottom temperature range of
             8.60 to 19.90 C. The peak period of captu    re occurred at a bottom temperature
             of 13.20 C (Figure 6).     The temperature ranges from this study more closely
             resembled those established by Leggett and Whitney (1972), who recorded water
             temperatures when American shad first entered Atlantic coast rivers.             The
             higher temperature range established from inshore waters by Leggett and
             Whitney (1972) and from nearshore watersby this study may ref     lect physiologi-
             cal changes in prespawning adults resulting in higher temperature tolerances
             as they become sexually   'ripe."


             Distances travelled (up to 370 miles) from the tagging site by some American
             shad suggest that fish were not necessarily occupying the nearshore waters of
             the tagging site because of its proximity to natal rivers and streams, but
             possibly because of its location along their migratory route.            Neves and
             Depres (1979) hypothesized that south Atlantic American shad migrate within a
             narrow, coastal corridor between the coast and the Gulf Stream to reach

             southern rivers. Information from this study support their hypothesis.


             This study clearly reveals that American shad captured in nearshore ocean
             waters off southeastern North Carolina exhibit a pronounced southerly
              igrational pattern.     All tag returns were reported captured south of the
             tagging site with four recaptures in South Carolina.            Although most tag
             returns were from North Carolina waters, the study confirms that the ocean
             gill net fishery in North Carolina is, to some extent, intercepting the stocks
             of more southerly states.      If North Carolina is to comply with the ASMFC
             policy of fishing only on its own stock, then some restrictions on ocean shad
             fishing are probably necessary.

             Regulatory Options

             Closed Fishery - According to DMF data, the North Carolina ocean fishery for
             shad has produced less than 200,000 pounds of American shad at a value of



                                                  18















                      50




                      40-



                N     30-
                U
                M
                B
                E
                R     20-



                      10-



                       0                                            1 J
                                  8        10        12       14        16       18        20       22
                                                  TEMPERATURE (OC)

                                Figure 6. Relationship of water temperature and number of American shad
                                           captured in the nearshore ocean off Wrightsville Beach, NC,
                                           December 1989 - May 1990.









             approximately $133,000 from 1985 through 1989. This figure represents 7.3% of
             the, total poundage and 13.5% of the total value of American shad landed in
             North Carolina during the same period (Table 8).     The slightly higher values
             for American shad captured in the ocean typically reflect the prices of ocean
             shad which are captured earlier in the season when the market demand has not
             yet been affected by. catches from inshore commercial fishermen.      Considering
             the relatively low poundage of American shad landed from the ocean, the low
             number of ocean fishermen, and the seasonal nature of the fishery, one
             regulatory option is to close the ocean fishery for American shad.           This
             strategy would affect.a small number of commercial fishermen while maintaining
             most of the state's (>92%) total landings.         However, the same line of
             reasoning could be used to justify the continuance of ocean shad fishing since
             its impact has already been determined to be relatively small while at the
             same time yielding a higher price per pound. Inasmuch as the major purpose of
             a closed fishery for American shad would be to discontinue the intercepting of
             other state's American shad stock, the argument for a closed fishery is
             further weakened by the fact that the majority of tag returns were from North

             Carolina waters.



             Delayed Season -    One of the aims of this study was to determine if the
             majority of American shad captur ed earlier in the season were destined to more
             southerly rivers. This would present a management option of a delayed opening
             of ocean shad fishing and thus allow American shad with fidelity to rivers in
             states south of North Carolina to escape capture.         However, findings in
             support of the hypothesis were inconclusive.         Three of the first four
             recaptures (27 January 1990 to 18 March 1990) were reported in ocean. waters
             off North Carolina, south of the tagging site and prior to reaching a major
             river. Therefore, the destination of those fish could not be determined. The

             fourth return was from Waccamaw River, SC.            Therefore, a number of
             possibilities exist as to the destination of  the earliest tagged American shad
             since a confirmation could be attained on only one of the returns. American
             shad tagged on the comparatively late dates of 23 March 1990 and 4 April 1990
             and recaptured in Savannah River (Still Creek), SC and Waccamaw River, SC
             respectively, suggest that certainly not all of the more southerly bound
             American shad migrate earlier.    This point basically renders ineffective the
             option of a delayed shad season.


                                                20










             Landings Quotas    This option would involve limiting the number of American
             shad taken from ocean waters.       It would not necessarily eliminate the
             interception of other state's stock but might reduce the impact of North
             Carolina's ocean shad fishery.    Disadvantages include the allowance of some
             interceptions through continued ocean fishing, problems in establishing quota
             type (per day, per season, per boat, per area, etc.), likely enforcement
             difficulties, and difficulty in accurately assessing the extent of this
             option's effect on reducing interceptions.


             Reduced Fishing Effort - Reduced fishing effort basically affords the same
             advantages and disadvantages as the option for landings quotas.        It would
             probably involve limiting ocean American shad fishing to a certain number of
             days per week, hours per day, and/or establishing an ocean shad season.
             Implementation should at least allow some migrating shad to escape capture
             during periods of non-harvest and should reduce the impact of North Carolina's
             ocean shad fishery. However, the success or failure of reduced fishing effort
             would be very dif ficult to assess.    This action would likely bring protest
             from North Carolina's ocean shad fishermen and result in little or no

             cooperation if not strictly enforced.       Both landings quotas and reduced
             fishing effort present a number of enforcement problems which may make each
             option impractical to implement.


             Recommendation - Implementation of any of the above options would involve
             significant rule changes and/or enforcement difficulties based on mostly
             speculative data.   Furthermore, advantages gained from enacting any of the
             options may be too vague and/or slight to warr     ant such action.     The most
             practical course of action may involve monitoring South Carolina.        for any
             significant decline in American shad landings while also monitoring North
             Carolina for significant increases in ocean landings of American shad.
             Increases   in either should result. in       implementation of one of        the
             aforementioned options which could be selected based on the severity of the
             divergence in landings. Annual review of South.Carolina's total American shad
             landings and North Carolina's ocean and total American shad landings is
             recommended to serve as an indication of, whether or not regulatory action in

             North Carolina is war ranted.





                                               21











                                                 LITERATURE CITED


              Ale xander, A.B.
                    1905.     Statistics of the fisheries of the South Atlantic states, 1902.
                    U.S. Commissioner of Fish and Fish., Rep. for 1903, p. 343-410.

              Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
                    1985.     Fishery management plan for American shad and river herrings.
                    Atl. States Mar. Fish. Comm., Washington, DC.


              Bowers   G.M.
                    1913.     Shad fisheries.     U.S. Commissioner of Fisheries, Rep. for 1911,
                    p. 35-37.
              Ca@scadden, J.E., and W.C. Leggett.
                    1975.     Life history variation in populations of American shad, Alosa
                    sapidissima (Wilson), spawning in tributaries of the St. John River, New
                    Brunswick. J. Fish. Biol. 7:595-609.


              Chittenden, M,E,, Jr,
                    1975.     Dynamics of American shad, Alosa sapidissima, in the Delaware
                    River, Fish. Bull. 74(2): 343-352.

              Cornell, J.H.
                    1955. The white shad. Wildl. in N.C. 19(6): 14-17.

              Glebe, B.D., and W. C. Leggett.
                    19  81.   Latitudinal differences in energy allocation and use during the
                    fresh water migrations of American shad (Alosa sapidissima) and their
                    life history consequences. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 38: 806-820.

              Holland, B.F., Jr., and G. Frank Yelverton.
                    1973. Distribution and biological studies of anadromous fishes offshore
                    North Carolina. N.C. Dept. Nat. and Econ. Res., Div. of Comm. and Sports
                    Fish. Spec. Sci. Rep. No. 24, 132 p.

              Johnson, F.F.
                    1938. 'Marketing of shad on the Atlantic coast.                 U. S. Bureau of
                    Fisheries. Invest. Rep., No. 38, 44 p.

              Judy, M.H.
                    1961.     Validity of age determinations from scales of marked American
                    shad. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. Fish. Bull. 61: 161-170.


              LaPointe, D.F.
                    1958.     Age and growth of the American shad from three Atlantic             coast
                    rivers. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 87: 139-150.


              Leggett, W.C.
                    1972. Weight loss in American shad (Alosa sapidissima) during the fresh
                    water migration. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 1010): 549-552.





                                                    22










              Leggett, W.C., and J.E. Carscadden.
                    1978. Latitudinal variation in reproductive characteristics of American
                    shad (Alosa sapidissima): evidence for population specific life history
                    strategies in fish. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 35(11):1469-1478.

              Leggett, W.C., and R.R. Whitney.
                    1972.    Water temperature and the migrations of American shad. Fish.
                    Bull. 70(3):659-670.

              Massmann, W.H.
                    1952.    Characteristics of spawning areas of shad, Alosa sapidissima
                    (Wilson) in some Virginia streams. Trans. Amer. Fish. @o-c.81: 78-93.

              McDonald, M.
                    1884.    The shad,     Clupea sapidissima, p. 594-607, In: G.B. Goode and
                    Associates, The fisheries and fishery industries of the United States.
                    Section I.    Natural history of useful aquatic animals. 47th Congr. 1st
                    Sess. Senate  Misc. Doc. 124.


              Melvin, G.D., M.J. Dadswell, and J.D. Martin.
                    1986. Fidelity of American shad, Alosa sapidissima (Clupeidae), to its
                    river of previous spawning. Can. J. f7ish. Aquat. Sci. 43(3): 640-646.

              Neves, R.J., and L. Depres.
                    1979.    The oceanic migration of American shad, Alosa sapidissima.along
                    the Atlantic coast. Fish. Bull. 77(l): 199-212.

              Nichols, P.R., and W.H. Massmann.
                    1962. Abundance, age and fecundity of shad, York River, Va. 1953-59.
                    Fish. Bull. 63(l): 179-187.

              Parker, J.A.
                    1989.    American shad migration study. N.C. Dept. of Environ., Health,
                    and Nat. Resour., Div. Mar. Fish. Compl. Rep. Proj. AFC-35, 25 p.

              Ricker, W.E.
                    1958.    Maximum sustained yields from fluctuating environments and mixed
                    stocks. J. Fish. Res. Brd. Canada 15(5): 991-1006.

              Smith, H.M,
                    1896. A review of the history and results of the attempts to acclimatize
                    fish and other water animals in the 'Pacific states.            Bull. U.S. Fish
                    Comm. 15: 379-472.


              Smith, H.,M.
                    1899.    Studies of young shad in Potomac River, p. cxxxviii-cxxxix, In:
                    Report on the inquiry respecting food-fishes and the fishing grounds.
                    U.S. Comm. Fish., Part 24, Rep. Comm. 1898..

              Sykes, J.E., and G.B. Talbot.
                    1959.    Progress in Atlantic coast shad investigations-migration. Proc.
                    of the Gulf and Carib. Fish. Inst., (11): 82-90.


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            Townsend, C.H.
                 1900.   Statistics of the fisheries of the South Atlantic states. U.S.
                 Comm, of Fish and Fish. Rep. for 1899, pt. 25, p. 171-227.

            Weinrich, D.R., N. Butowski., and J.P. Mowrer.
                 1988.   Investigation of anadromous alosids. Maryland Dept. of Nat.
                 Resour., Tidewater Adm., Proj. F-37-R, Annual Rep., 143 p.


















































                                                  24











                                           ACKNOWLEDGEMIENTS


            I wish to   acknowledge the efforts of many Division of       Marine Fisheries
            personnel, without whom this project would not have been possible; especially,
            Federal Aid Coordinator Maury Wolff, Research Section Chief Mike Street,
            Biologist John Schoolfield, and Technicians Jack Hunter and Otto Rutten.
            Special thanks are also given to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
            Commission for providing partial funding for the project and to the commercial
            shad fishermen whose cooperation was sincerely appreciated.













































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