Most of the catch is composed of Penaeids ( Petiaeus and 

 Metapenaeus ) . The shrimp reportedly average 20 to the pound. The catch 

 is made up about as follows: 



Penaeus indicus ^0 to 55 percent 



Metapenaeus sp. 1$ to 20 percent 



Penaeus metguiensis 10 to IS percent 



P. semisulcatus 10 to 15 percent 



Parapeneopsis sp. $ percent 



Catches of shrirrip are recorded in all months of the year, but 

 most are taken from November through March in the Indus delta and from 

 February through April on the Mekran coast. On the east coast of 

 Pakistan the shrimp fishing season extends from October through April. 

 Fishing in the creeks is on a year-round basis. 



A fleet of 150 to 200 small sailboats is used in the shrimp 

 fishery. By the end of 1956, modern facilities for the construction and 

 repair of boats v;ill be available in a new shipyard. 



More than 80 percent of the catch is made with beach seines; 

 tidal barriers account for 12 to lii percent; cast nets take 6 to 8 percent, 



The potentialities of the Pakistani shrimp fisheries appear 

 very great. At present, fishing for shrimp is limited to the shallow 

 creeks and to limited areas of the coastal beaches to a depth of 3 to 1; 

 fathoms only. Further expansion of the industry depends upon the intro- 

 duction of modern methods of processing and catching, the organization 

 of marketing and trade both local and foreign, and the provision of 

 mechanized transport. 



Most of the catch is processed as dried or smoked shrimp. 

 During 1953, a freezing plant was established at Karachi. This plant 

 began to operate on a commercial scale late in 1955. Another firm opened 

 a freezing plant in November 1957. A small^ shrimp-canning plant, built 

 in 195U, is novj canning up to 500 or 600 pounds of shrimp a day. The 

 pack of this plant is exported to the United Kingdom and Italy. In 1957, 

 the freezing plants exported over 8 million po-onds of prawns. 



A company financed jointly by United States and Pakistan 

 capital operates the pioneer freezing plant at Karachi mentioned above. 

 Shrimp-fishing grounds within 30 miles of Karachi permit freezing within 

 12 hours after capture. Efforts are being made to enlist Japanese 

 fishing vessels to fish for this plant. 



53 



