TABLE 36.— VENEZUELAN SHRE-IP PRODUCTION 



(In pounds, i^'esh shrimp, heads-on basis. 

 Dried shriirp are headed, peeled, and dried.) 



OUTLOOK FOR PROIUCTIOK 



Eventually Venezuela may produce 8 to 10 million or more 

 pounds, heads-on freight, of shrimp a year. It is injirobable that 

 maximum productivity will be reached in the near future • Chances 

 of exporting shriiiqp from Venezuela appear slim. 



The present catch estimated at 2 million pounds annually 

 comes mostly from Lake Maracaibo, the Gulf of Venezuela, and the 

 cirea between Puerto Cabello and Chichiriviche. Small white shrimp 

 are caught in Lake Maracaibo On leaving the lake these shrimp 

 appear to migrate to the southwest shores of the Gulf of Venezuela, 

 but they apparently do not concentrate in the Gulf. The brovm 

 shrimp come from the eastern shores of the Gulf of Venezuela. 



The catch in this area undoubtedly could be increased, but 

 trawling is prohibited within 8 miles of the shore everyvriiere in 

 Venezuela, 



The lagoons between Higuerote and Puerto de la Cruz now 

 produce small white shrimp. Trawling offshore should increase the 

 catch appreciably in this area. 



In the G\ilf of Paria and around the delta of the Orinoco 

 there is evidently a large population of sea bobs. No immediate 

 prospects are in sight for developing a fishery for these small shrimp. 



Owing to high costs in Venezuela and hard currency, it is 

 not likely that an export market will develop. The catches of shrimp 

 should increase as the local market develops and as additional pro- 

 cessing equipment is installed in plants. 



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