CHAPTER I 



THE DOMESTIC SUPPLY 



ABSTRACT 



ONLY THREE OF THE MANY SPECIES OF SHRIMP FOUND IN WATERS 

 ADJACENT TO THE COASTLINE OF THE UNITED STATES ARE CURRENTLY OF SUB- 

 STANTIAL COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE, WHITE SHRIMP PENAEUS SETIFERUS . BRO'WN 

 SHRIMP PENAEUS AZTECUS . AND PINK SHRIMP PENAEUS DUORARUM . ALL THREE 

 ARE TAKEN IN ABUNDANCE IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC AND GULF AREA, EACH OF 

 THEM HAVING ITS OWN HABITAT PREFERENCE WITHIN THIS AREA. THERE IS, 

 HOWEVER, SOME OVERLAP OF GEOGRAPHIC RANGES. IN THE FUTURE, THE SUPPLY 

 ACCESSIBLE TO THE DOMESTIC FLEET WILL BE INCREASED BY THE ROYAL RED 

 SHRIMP HYMENOPENAEUS ROBUSTUS RESOURCES RECENTLY DISCOVERED IN THE 

 DEEP WATERS OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC AND GULF. COMMERCIAL FISHING FOR 

 ROYAL RED SHRIMP ON A MODEST SCALE WAS INITIATED IN SOUTH ATLANTIC 

 WATERS IN THE FALL OF 1956. 



OUTSIDE THE SOUTH ATLANTIC AND GULF AREA, SHRIMP FISHERIES 

 EXIST IN THE MIDDLE AND NORTH ATLANTIC COAST , THE PACIFIC COAST, 

 AND SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA AREAS. THESE FISHERIES ARE NOT OF SUBSTANTIAL 

 SIZE. THE ATLANTIC COAST SHRIMP ARE UTILIZED MAINLY FOR BAIT PURPOSES. 

 THE WEST COAST FISHERIES, FOR THE MOST PART, SUPPLY SPECIAL MARKETS 

 FOR DRIED AND FROZEN COOKED SHRIMP BUT MAY IN THE FUTURE BECOME 

 IMPORTANT IN THE CANNING INDUSTRY. 



THE EXPANSION OF THE GULF COAST FISHERY IN RECENT YEARS, 

 AS THE RESULT OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE GROOVED (BROWN AND PINK) SHRIMP 

 GROUNDS IN THE GULF OF CAMPECHE AND OFF THE DRY TORTUGAS, HAS WROUGHT 

 MANY CHANGES IN SHRIMP PRODUCTION AND MARKETING. ONE CONSEQUENCE OF 

 THE EXPLOITATION OF THE NEW GROUNDS HAS BEEN A SMOOTHING OUT OF THE 

 SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION OF CATCH. THE INCREASE IN FREEZINGS, IN 

 SIMILAR FASHION, HAS CONTRIBUTED TO STABILIZING SUPPLY ON THE 

 MARKETING SIDE. 



AMONG OTHER CONSEQUENCES OF THE OPENING UP OF NEW FISHING 

 GROUNDS HAS BEEN A SHIFT IN THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF THE FISHERY TO 

 THE WEST AND TO WATERS FARTHER OFFSHORE. THE CHANGING GEOGRAPHY OF 

 THE FISHERY HAS AFFECTED THE SCALE OF OPERATIONS. THE GREATER DIS- 

 TANCE FROM SHORE OF SOME OF THE NEW SHRIMP GROUNDS HAS BROUGHT ABOUT 

 THE ADDITION OF LARGER AND STURDIER VESSELS TO THE FLEET. THIS IN 

 TURN HAS INFLUENCED COSTS OF OPERATION. 



SINCE THE EXPLOITATION OF THE DOMESTIC SUPPLIES OF SHRIMP 

 HAS REACHED A LEVEL CLOSE TO ITS ESTIMATED MAXIMUM POTENTIAL, SATIS- 

 FACTION OF DEMAND IN THE FUTURE WILL LARGELY DEPEND ON THE SUCCESS IN 

 (a) the MANAGEMENT OF DOMESTIC SUPPLIES, (b) DISCOVERY OF NEW GROUNDS 

 ACCESSIBLE TO THE DOMESTIC FLEET, AND (C ) MEETING DOMESTIC SUPPLY 

 DEFICITS BY IMPORTS. 



