GULF FISHERIES 



Shrimp. Landings of 170.1 million pounds valued at a record $178.3 million decreased 9 percent in volume, 

 but increased 29 percent in value compared with 1974. The quantity landed was the lowest since 1962 and 20 

 percent below the average of the previous 5 years. The Gulf States accounted for 49 percent of the total 

 shrimp landings and 79 percent of the total value in 1975. Brown shrimp, the mainstay of the industry in 

 recent years, declined 12.0 million pounds (17 percent) compared with 1974. Gulf States biologists said that 

 flood waters, which caused low salinity and abnormally low water temperatures during the postlarval stage, 

 were responsible for the low survival of the juvenile brown shrimp. Short supplies caused exvessel prices to 

 increase steadily throughout the year. Fishermen received an average price of $1.05 per pound compared 

 with 74 cents in 1974. Because many raw shrimp processors increased their processing capability to meet the 

 increasing demand for small peeled shrimp, the market became more competitive at the fishermen level. In 

 the past, canning plants were the primary volume users of small shrimp. 



Landings declined in aU five States in 1975. Texas with 70.6 million pounds was down 10 percent; 

 Louisiana, 53.1 million, down 11 percent; and Mississippi, 4.0 million pounds, down 25 percent. Landings of 

 28.2 million pounds in Florida, West Coast, and 14.1 million pounds in Alabama were down less than 1 percent. 



Fishing declined on most major grounds. The Sanibel and Tortugas grounds yielded 11.0 million 

 pounds (down 9 percent from 1974); Pensacola to Mississippi River, 9.2 million (down 5 percent); Mississippi 

 River to Texas, 38.6 million (down 10 percent); Texas Coast, 35.3 million (down 8 percent); off Mexican Coast 

 west of long. 94°, 5.6 million (down 14 percent); and off Obregon and Campeche, 1.8 million pounds (down 50 

 percent). Increases occurred in waters off the Apalachicola area, 5.5 million pounds (up 1.5 million pounds); 

 and Atlantic Ocean, 13,500 pounds (up 11,200 pounds). 



The species composition was much the same as in 1974. Brown shrimp was 54 percent of the total 

 landings; white shrimp, 26 percent; pink shrimp, 15 percent; sea bobs, 4 percent; and royal red and rock 

 shrimp together, 1 percent. 



Other information . Condensed summary data on the operating units and landings , by States, appearing in 

 the following pages have been published previously in Current Fishery Statistics No. 7409. Additional data 

 may be found in the monthly and annual landings bulletins for Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and 

 Texas published in the Current Fishery Statistics series by the Data Management and Statistics Division in 

 cooperation with the respective States. 



Acknowledgments. The following organizations helped collect the data appearing in this section: Florida 

 Department of Natural Resources, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Mississippi 

 Marine Conservation Commission, Louisiana Wild Life and Fisheries Commission, and Texas Parks and 

 Wildlife Department. 



