The transfcrmation of shrimp from an item of specialized 

 regional consiimption to a nationally distributed commodity has forced 

 the fisherman to adapt his catch to the specific requirements of the 

 market he serves. These requirements relate to grades, quality, and 

 marketing terras specified by the buyer. As a result, the fisherman, 

 in some instances, has taken over some of the functions not directly 

 related to fish production, e.g., the heading, washing, storing, trans- 

 porting, and primaiy wholesaling of shrimp. In fact, the fisherman 

 now and then has gone even farther and branched out into processing. 



Simultaneously, the demand of the market for a steady year- 

 round supply has driven many wholesalers and processors to seek closer 

 control over production. For this reason, they have frequently acquired 

 boat operations of their own or tried to gain control over catch in some 

 other manner. 



In some areas the intermediary between producer and consumer 

 is a combination wholesaler-processor-buying agent. Through his 

 ability to store the product for longer periods of time and to trans- 

 port it over wide areas, this intermediary has achieved a hi^t degree 

 of control over the market. This development has encouraged the fisher- 

 men to defend their own position in the market by forming cooperatives 

 which take over some phases of processing or wholesaling operations or 

 both, or seek closer ties with local wholesalers. 



While at one time the boat owner entrusted nearly all of the 

 marketing functions to the shrimp plant, he finds himself forced now to 

 take an interest in the market processes, to keep himself informed about 

 prices, and to gear the production process to the qualitative and quanti- 

 tative demands of the market. 



MAfOCET CHAimELS 



General Considerations 



From the boat to the consumer's table, shrimp goes through 

 one of lour marketiiifj channels. 



More shrimp probably goes from the shoreside plant directly 

 to the processor and from there to the wholesaler who supplies the retail 

 trade than through any other channel. In this chajinel, the shoreside 

 plant, the processor and the wholesaler may all be separate and distinct 

 agents, or any two, or perhaps all three of them, may be integrated into 

 one operation. 



