largest shrimp port, and more shrimp are landed there than in any other 

 Mexican port. 



Directly connected with the shrimp industry' on the east coast 

 of Mexico are 11 freezing plants (9 in Carmen, 1 in Lerma, and 1 in 

 Tampico, 31/)} h transport boats carrying frozen shrimp to the United 

 States, 2~freezing ships (not operating), and about 2^0 ti-awlers. 



Ciudad del Carmen, Canipeche, and T^Jnpico are the three important 

 shrimp-trawling ports on the east coast of Mexico. Tamiahua produces 

 the greatest amount of estuarine shrimp. About 85 percent of the east- 

 coast trawl catch is landed at Ciudad del Carmen, and about 8 percent at 

 Campeche. Practically all the rest (about 7 percent) goes to Tainpico. 



Mexican shrimp trawlers operate between Soto la Marina 

 and Campeche. 



CATCH 



Official Mexican catch records are not particularly good, as 

 shrimp are reported and classified into but three categories — fresh, 

 dry with shell, and dry peeled. The fresh category includes fresh whole, 

 fresh headless, fresh headless and frozen, whole cooked, and cooked 

 peeled. The vast bulk of the catch classed as fresh is actually frozen 

 headless. 



Table 10 shows the converted catches by type of product. 



The figures in the last column of table 10 can be considered 

 estimates of the annual catches of whole shrimp as they come from the 

 v;ater. According to these figures the greatest rate of increase in the 

 Mexican shrimp catch occurred between 19i;U and 19h8. Since 19^1 the 

 catch has been decreasing. Mexico caught over 8 million pounds mOre 

 shrimp in 1951 than in 195J4. 



31/ The Tampico freezing plant I'jas destroyed by the Septeiaber 1955 

 storms but is being rebuU. t. The ori^^inal plant iient into operation 

 in August 19Sh. There are also 2 freezing plants, one government- 

 owned, in Veracruz that freeze shriiap on occasions. 



76 



