Shrimp FMP - Division of Marine Fisheries

Biomass Percent (lbs) Chadwick Bay 2003-2004Invertebrates4%Shrimp21%Commercial40%Non-commercial35%Figure 1. Percent weight in pounds of trawl biomass in Chadwick Bay, 2003-2004.Samples were also collected by DMF staff in Chadwick Bay during May and June of1999-2001 using a 10 ft trawl with a ¼ inch body and a 1/8 inch tailbag. Tow times using thisgear were 1 minute in duration. Samples were taken in lower Fullard Creek (Map 1, hatchedarea) which is not classified PNA, nor included within the boundaries of the open shrimpingarea. On the same day, for comparison purposes, samples were also collected in the upperreaches of Fullard Creek, which is classified as a PNA. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) for thecommercial species (spot, southern flounder, Atlantic menhaden, Atlantic croaker, weakfish,silver perch, pigfish, brown, white and pink shrimp) captured at the PNA station are comparedwith CPUEs from the non-nursery area (Table 1). Catches of these species are similar andindicate that the non-nursery area should be classified as PNA. Furthermore, the commercialfinfish that were present in the sampling of the open shrimp area are probably the same fish,shrimp and invertebrates that were captured in the spring PNA sampling. Although, DMF hasclassified most of these species as healthy, there is the potential for substantial fish mortalitiesduring commercial shrimping operations in Chadwick Bay.250