Texas Game and Fish, Volume 9, Number 4, March 1951 Page: 2
This periodical is part of the collection entitled: Texas State Publications and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
MENHADEN OPERATIONS
By JACK BAUGHMAN
Chief Marine BiologistT HE effects of menhaden opera-
tions on other fisheries has long
been a point of argument, particularly
among fishermen who know little
about the menhaden fishery. Many ex-
ceedingly misleading statements have
been made about the matter.
Most sportsmen and many com-
mercial fishermen are wrongly con-
vinced that menhaden fishing is harm-
ful to the spawning grounds of com-
mercial and sporting fish and shrimp;
that menhaden fishing destroys large
numbers of commercial and sporting
fish and shrimp; and that menhaden
fishing destroys the food of large num-
bers of commercial and sporting fish.
On the basis of present research,
these statements are almost entirely
incorrect.
Briefly, the menhaden fishery has
little or no effect on the spawning
grounds or the spawning of any of the
common game or food fishes, or on
commercial shrimp.
Speckled trout and drum spawn in
shallow grassy bays where purse seines
are never used. Redfish spawn offshore
in October and November, after the
menhaden season is over. Spanish
mackerel eggs are very tiny, having
a diameter of from 1/22 to 1/28 of an
inch. When discharged from the par-
ent they rise to the surface, where they
float at the mercy of wind and tide
until hatched, hence any net would
have little effect on their number,
especially as one female may discharge
in excess of 1,500,000 eggs. Sheephead
spawn along sandy shores of the Gulf
during the summer, and the eggs are
no more affected by the menhaden
fishery than those of the Spanish
mackerel.Shrimp, both red and white, spawn
offshore, during the entire summer,
and their tiny eggs, smaller than grains
of sand, immediately sink to the bot-
tom, where they are untouched by
(Editor's Note: The Menhaden Fish-
ery in Texas has been an undeveloped
resource until the recent action of the
Texas Game, Fish and Oyster Com-
mission which gave two companies
limited permits to use purse seines for
the purpose of catching these valuable
off-shore species. Biologists of the
Game Department have supervised
these operations to determine the ef-
fect of purse seines on game and com-
mercial fish. Their findings and other
research conducted by the Marine
Laboratory at Rockport, concerning
this controversial subject, are the basis
for this article.)
purse seines as they are generally used.
Furthermore, the fact that one of our
shrimp spawning grounds off Aransas
Pass is being constantly disturbed by
nets of shrimp fishermen, with no ap-
parent harm whatever, would point
to the fact that such disturbances
cause little damage.
The assertion by many fishermen
that the very small shrimp frequently
seen on the webbing of shrimp trawls
and other nets are the young of the
commercial species is incorrect. Micro-
scopical inspection will disclose, in
most cases, that these tiny quarter-
inch shrimp have egg masses on the
outside of their bodies. They belong to
the genus Acetes which carries its eggs
in this manner. The commercial
shrimp does not spawn at this size,D O E S T H E U S E
2
and it carries its eggs within its body.
Interest in the effect of menhaden
fishing on the adult population of
commercial and sporting fish and
shrimp has always been keen, as can
be shown by an examination of find-
ings from various locations where
purse seining for menhaden is a com-
mon fishery. Space does not permit
more than a brief review of this re-
search at this point. Smith (1896)
found that in 1,078 sets of a menha-
den purse seine, far less than one-half
of one per cent of the fish taken were
either food or game fish. Greer (1915)
saw only eight mackerel and ten blue-
fish taken in one day's fishing in which
240,000 menhaden were caught.
Filipich (1947) made surprise visits to
various menhaden operations in Mis-
sissippi. In one boat which unloaded
70 tons of menhaden, there was not a
single game or commercial fish. Eight
boats inspected by him and a group
of sportsmen had no game or com-
mercial fish. Two boats unloading 70
tons of menhaden had one mackerel
and six sand trout. Therefore, out of
a total of eleven boats inspected, only
one mackerel and six sand trout were
taken.
Simmons (1949) saw, in 62 days,
during which 59 hauls of a purse seine
were made, 42 bluefish, 3 drum, 7
flounders, 1 redfish, 77 sand trout, 107
mackerel, 2 speckled trout and 7
whiting. During these same sets 2,500,-
000 mehaden were taken.
Breuer (1950) saw, in 95 days, dur-
ing which 143 hauls of a purse seine
were made, 205 mackerel, 304 blue-
fish, 3 speckled trout. 242 sand trout,
8 whiting, and 5 flounder.S E I N E
TEXAS GAME AND FISHOF P U R S E
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Matching Search Results
View 17 pages within this issue that match your search.Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas. Game and Fish Commission. Texas Game and Fish, Volume 9, Number 4, March 1951, periodical, March 1951; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1588346/m1/4/?q=%221951~%22: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.