BRAZIL 



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Brazil is estimated to produce between 20 

 and 25 million pounds, heads-on weight, of shrimp a 

 year. Eventual production may reach 60 to 100 mil- 

 lion pounds, heads-on weight. About half the pro- 

 duction comes from near the mouth of the Amazon River. 

 Most of the catch is small-sized shrimp taken on or 

 near the nursery grounds. Practically the entire 

 catch is consumed within the country. More than half 

 the catch is sold partially dried and heavily salted. 

 There is only one plant freezing shrimp in northern 

 Brazil. The remaining processing plants are near 

 the Urugu^an border at Rio Grande. Brazil has im- 

 port, export, and exchange controls. 



COMMERCIAL SPECIES AND FISHING GROUNDS 



Five species of shrimp are talcen commercially along the coast 

 of Brazil, In the North, in the states of Para and Marantiao, the sea 

 bob, Xiphopeneus kroyeri , is the most abundant species. In this area 

 it is called "piticaia" but in Rio de Janeiro and Santos it is known as 

 "caraarao de sete barbas". Penaeus aztecus and P. schmitti are also taken 

 in the north, where both are called white shrimp, "camarao branco." In 

 Rio de Janeiro P. aztecus and small P. brasiliensis are usually called 

 dark shrimp "caiiiarao lixo," and P. schmitti is known as tnie or white 

 shrimp, "camarao verdadeiro" or ""camarao branco." P. duo r arum and 

 apparently some of the larger P. brasiliensis in Rio de Janeiro and Santos 

 are called pinlc shrimp, "camarao rosa." in the far south, at Rio Grande, 

 only one species, P. brasiliensis , is of commercial importance. 



Large and jumbo shrimp are usually taken only by trawlers 

 operating out of the ports of Rio de Janeiro and Santos. Most of the 

 Brazilian shrimp catch is of small-sized shrimp. This is because about 

 one-third of the catch is sea bobs, a species that does not attain large 

 size, and much of the remainder consists of the young of the other species 

 taken on or while leaving the estuarine nursery grounds. 



U/ The survey of Brazil was made during April, 1956, and this date, 

 unless otherwise specified, is implied when ciirrent events or prices 

 are alluded to . 



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