466 MARINE FISHERIES OF NORTH CAROLINA 



high prices by reason of the great and perhaps temporary shortage; the 

 white perch is highly esteemed as one of the most sought-after fresh water 

 varieties in its class. It would seem to be the part of good judgment for 

 economic studies to be made (over the shorter term of fifteen or twenty 

 years) pointing the directions in which biological research or surveys would 

 yield the greatest economic returns. If, as a result of such studies, favor- 

 able combinations of market demand and biological supply were brought to 

 the attention of the fishermen, the State as a whole would be making the 

 most of what it has. Possibly some changes in the regulations might also be 

 indicated. Such study, for example, might indicate that the State is not 

 taking full advantage of its favorable position in the soft crab fishery. 

 The soft crab is available in North Carolina before it is available farther 

 north. It is understood that Maryland dealers have come to North Carolina 

 in the early spring and exploited the soft crab until such times as their own 

 fisheries in Chesapeake Bay open, when they desert North Carolina and set 

 up competition from their own headquarters, leaving the North Carolina 

 business flat. However, our data suggest that the demand for soft crabs is 

 exceedingly limited perhaps because of a certain psychological repugnance 

 on the part of many people. 



We understand also that there is a conservation law for soft crabs in 

 New York which prohibits possession or sale of soft crabs of less than 5 

 inches. There are no soft crabs in New York during the spring when, of 

 less than 5 inches, they are available in and could be supplied by North 

 Carolina. The New York law therefore operates directly contrary to the 

 interests of North Carolina and does no good in New York during that 

 period. 



The flounder appears to be an opportunity in North Carolina which is 

 not adequately prosecuted. The attention of the fisherman is apparently 

 so engrossed with shrimp that the flounder and perhaps other equally good 

 fishes are being neglected. 



For the country as a whole, there is the classical relationship among 

 supply, demand, and price, so that increased production of any species 

 evokes response in price. However, in those fisheries in which North Car- 

 olina produces a small percentage of the total, an increase of a large per- 

 centage of North Carolina production would be a very small increase on 

 the national total; for example. North Carolina's production of shrimp 

 (in 1945) was 5>^ per cent of the national total, and the value 4 per cent. 

 The effect of doubling North Carolina's production of shrimp, if all other 

 States remained the same, would be to increase the total by 5^ per cent. 

 This small increase could hardly have much if any effect on the price of 

 shrimp, but could easily add nearly a million dollars to the fishing com- 



