Total catch and catch by species during the 2007 annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby recorded large increases over last year’s derby.

The catch was the best since 2004 and among the best in the past eight years for all of the four species.

The total catch of 3,099 fish was 35 per cent higher than in 2006. Compared with 2006, striped bass were up eight per cent, false albacore were up almost 376 per cent, bonito were 204 per cent higher and bluefish nearly four per cent higher.

The striped bass was also nearly eight per cent higher than average for the period since 2000. False albacore were 79 per cent higher, bonito were 44 per cent higher and bluefish were 10 per cent higher than the average between 2000 and 2007.

Total registrants, at 3,042, was slightly lower than average in the preceding four years. The highest number of registrants in the eight-year period, 3,126, occurred in 2003.