IV-298 



in coastal shelf waters. Almost all domestic harvesting of this 

 shellfish occurs in the Southern South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico 

 biophysical regions. Particular estuarine economic areas that sup- 

 port this fishery and allied processing are the Georgia-Eastern 

 Florida Coast, the Louisiana Coast, the Mississippi-Alabama-West 

 Florida Coast and the Texas North and South Gulf Coasts. 



Recent and projected trends show a strong and increasing demand 

 for shrimp although prices have increased rapidly. The ability to 

 supply these increasing demands in the future is deDendent, to a 

 great extent, on the continuing supply of domestic shrimp. It is 

 estimated that the shallow water shrimp fishery is already fully 

 utilized and perhaps over-fished in the traditional South Atlantic 

 and Gulf of Mexico grounds. While the deep water shrimp supplies are 

 estimated to be large and are relatively untapped, there are con- 

 siderable technological problems in locating and harvesting these 

 shrimp. 



The continued existence of domestic shrimp to meet rising market 

 demands is uncertain. Recent declines in shrimp landings have been 

 noted in estuarine areas of relatively little industrial and popula- 

 tion pressure and in areas of considerable economic and population 

 concentration. For example, in Florida's Apalachicola Bay, the 

 shrimp fishery experienced a dramatic decrease in the short period 



