OUTLOOK FOR PRODUCTION 



The only known nursery ground on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua 

 is in the Gulf of Fonseca. There probably is another, but not very 

 important, near Corinto, The west coast is not likely to produce any 

 quantity of shriiiip; production at best could reach a maxintum of 200,000 

 pounds, ho ads- on. 



The Caribbean coast might be able to produce 2 to 3 million 

 pounds, heads-on, of shrimp a year. There are certain conditions which 

 may prevent the development of a fishery. From reports of all knox-m 

 trawling operations, either the \-Jhlte shrimp bunch up only occasionally 

 or the schools are few and far betvreen. The pink shrinp seem to be 

 widely dispersed, though it may develop that they concentrate at certain 

 times in certain areas. This section of the coast has had a fair, but 

 not a sufficient, amount of exploration, 



PROCESSKG AND l-IARIffiTING 



Most of the shrinp caught in the lagoons on the Caribbean 

 coast are consumed fresh or dried. Some are frozen in home-type 

 freezers in Bluefields for local sale and for sale in Managua. Young 

 white shriinp, called "chacalin", ran botxjeen 25 and 1^0 to the pound, 

 headless. The fishermen receive about lit cents a poiuid (values in U.S. 

 currency) heads-on, and about 21 cents headless, 



Tlie government has granted an exclusive trawling contract 

 for a section of the Car-ibbeaji coast. The boimdaries of the section, 

 100 miles long, are to be decided upon by i7iut\ial agreement betueen the 

 contractor and the governrnonte The contract was published U9/in 1953, 

 and the duration, provided cortaln conditions are met, is for 10 years 

 from date of publication. The contract calls for payment to the govern- 

 ment of fp25 for each ton (2,000 pounds) of shriiip exported. 



FOR^ffGN TR-IDli; 



There are no s:rport duties on shriraju In 195U about 1 metric 

 ton, (220li,6 pounds) gross x;eight, of dried shrimp was recorded as 

 e:q:>orted, some to the United States and some to Costa Rica. 



Imports of shrimp, ttiough not shown separately in the Nicaraguan 

 reports, are uniiroortrjit. In 195h, less than :;:'.500 x:orth of fresh, frozen, 

 dried, or salted crustacec-jis and mollusks and only ii|;7,000 worth of canned 

 crustaceajis and mollusks were imported. 



ii9/ La Gaceta, Maj 28, 1953 



131 



