NETHERLANDS 



In 1956, shrimp landings in the Netherlands amounted to 36.9 

 million potuids. Of the total catch, 23.8 million pounds were of small 

 immature shrimp used for fish meal for poultry feed. Production of 

 shrimp for the years 19^1 to 19^6 ranged as follows (as reported in the 

 FAO Yearbook of Fishery Statistics and United States Foreign Service 

 Despatches) : 



Immature or small Common or mature 



The production of the larger mature shrimp averaged about 9 

 million pounds in the years prior to 1955. Shrimp exported ranged from 

 270 to 320 to the pound; shrimp consumed domestically, from 360 to iilO 

 per pound. 



The shrinp are cooked aboard the fishing craft immediately 

 after being caught. Shrimp destined for export are generally cooked in 

 heavily salted vjater, while those destined for domestic consumption are 

 only slightly salted. 



The fishing fleet consists of very small cutters of about 26 

 feet in length and a tonnage of about 9 tons. About 350 vessels engage 

 in the shrimp fisheiy. The gear used is the otter trawl or the beam trawl, 

 depending upon the nature of the sea bottom. In the Ems Estuary, shrimpers 

 also use a special shrimp net called the hose net, an elongated tubelike 

 net used in the tidal cxirrents and fixed to stakes. 



The principal shrimp fishing areas are the Ems Estuary, the 



coasts of the Provinces of North and South Holland, the estuaries around 



the Province of Zeeland, and the Waddenzee. The best catches are made 



from March to June and from August through November. Netherlands boats 

 frequently land their catches in Belgium, 



Shrimp fishing is limited throu^ the licensing of vessels, and 

 there appears little prospect for expansion of the fishery. The shrimp 

 fisherman pays a levy to a fund from which payments are made to fishermen 

 for shrimp which do not reach a minimum price fixed by the Marketing 

 Board for Fisheries Products. This agency is a semiofficial body repre- 

 senting all sectors of the industry. The Board's agents control the size 



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