CENTRAL BERING SEA SHRIMP FISHERY 



Japan expanded her fisheries on Alasi<a's Continental 

 Shelf in 1961 with a shrimp fishery in the central Bering 

 Sea north of the Pribilof Islands (fig. 7). This venture 

 was the first foreign fishery for shrimp off Alaska. 



Factory ships accompanied by trawlers are employed 

 in this fishery. The number of vessels increased from 1 

 factory ship and 16 trawlers in 1961 to 3 factory ships 

 and 38 trawlers in 1963. Each year thereafter the 

 number of vessels was reduced and by 1 966 had dropped 

 to 1 factory ship and 13 trawlers (table 4). 



Cans of hand-packed king crab meat being checked for 

 appropriate weight on Japanese factory ship in eastern Bering 

 Sea. Inspected cans are conveyed to next compartment where 

 they are sealed and then cooked in retorts. 



The crabs are butchered, the meat is extracted (after 

 cooking), and the cans are packed by hand aboard the 

 factory ships. After processing, the cans are packed in 

 cardboard cartons and stored for shipment to Japan 

 aboard cargo or supply ships. 



In 1965 and 1966 the Japanese fished experimentally 

 for king crab with pots in the eastern Bering Sea. The 

 pots were of two types— rectangular and beehive. The 

 Japanese reported that neither type of pot has been very 

 successful, but that neither type has been fished very 

 extensively. 



Japanese factory ship engaged in the shrimp fishery in the 

 central Bering Sea. An accompanying fleet of trawlers delivers 

 the shrimp catches to the factory ship for processing. 



Figure 7. -Japanese central Bering Sea shrimp fishing area. 

 11 



