The Mexican Government in 1939 prohibited the operation of 

 foreign boats. The present-day fishery dates from this time. Two 

 Mexican-ovmed freezing plants began operating in I9UI, one at Topolo- 

 baripo, and the other at Guaymas. For several years these plants 

 operated vathout competition. VJith the termination of World War II 

 and the boom in the shrimp market, freezing plants began to spring up 

 all along the v;est coast. In 1955 there were 2? shrimp-freezing plants, 

 7 canneries, 9 freezing boats, and about 500 trawlers from Santa Rosalia 

 to Salina Cruz. 30/ 



When only Guaymas and Topolobampo had freezing plants, the 

 fishing fleet covered the area between the mouth of the Colorado River 

 and Altata. Later, iirhen a plant was established in Mazatlan, 

 the marine fishing grounds expanded to San Bias. Shortly thereafter, 

 the extreme southern grounds, extending from Salina Cruz to the Guatemalan 

 border, were invaded by the Guaymas and Mazatlan fleets. Finally, in the 

 early suraraer of 1952 these fleets extended their operations to the west 

 coast of Baja California. 



Shrimp are landed at many places along the west coast, but the 

 five principal ports are Guaymas, Mazatlan, Topolobampo, Salina Cruz, 

 and Puerto Penasco. GuajTnas and Mazatlan are about of equal importance 

 and between them account for about 50 percent of the west-coast landings. 

 About 10 percent of the west-coast catch is landed at Topolobampo, and 

 about 7 percent each at Salina Cruz and Puerto Penasco. 



East coast 



The catching of shrimp in various estuaries along the east 

 coast of Mexico, like the west coast, occurred before the Conquest. 

 Padre Antonio Vazquez de Espinosa, in about 1620, mentioned the prosperous 

 shrimp fisheries of Laguna Tamiahua. This same lagoon still produces 

 large quantities of small shrimp each year. The modern east-coast 

 fishery, like that of the west coast, is of recent origin. In the mid- 

 19301 s two Japanese trav/lers explored the entire coast between British 

 Honduras and the United States border, but it was not until 19ii5 that 

 trawling really became established. In that year various United States 

 fishing boats "rediscovered" the shrimp off Ciudad del Carmen and the 

 rush was on. In a relatively short time the entire east coast of 

 Mexico was explored by United States boats, and forces were combined with 

 Mexican citizens for the purpose of obtaining fishing and landing 

 privileges. It was not long before local Mexican capital became inter- 

 ested in the purchase and construction of boats and freezing plants, and 

 Ciudad del Carmen became a thriving shrimp port. It is now Mexico's 



30/ Since the peak production of 1950-51 some of the west coast operations 

 Have failed, and in 1955, 7 plants, 2 canneries, and 3 freezing boats were 

 not operating. 



75 



