were fished on the night ebb tide in May, June, and July. The annual 

 production of these nets was around 100 tons, and although a portion of 

 brovm shrimp Penaeu s aztecus was present, the catch was chiefly immature 

 pink shrimp Penaeus~duo raruni . 



Undoubtedly small pink shrimp have supported small fisheries 

 in other bays along the Gulf coast, particularly a bait fishery along 

 the west coast of Florida, but the landings have never been great. 



In the northern Gulf the fishery for pink shrimp has been 

 insignificant, and although few data are available, it is probable that 

 it is less than one percent of the catch (Hildebrand 195)4). Springer 

 (1952) stated that at times the Mississippi fleet landed as much as 30 

 percent pinl: shrimp. However, he stated that in 1953 and 1951i the 

 fauna had changed and less than one percent pink shrimp were landed 

 (Springer and Bullis, 195ii)» 



The most highly publicized and the first really major develop- 

 ment of a pink shrimp fishery occurred In 1950 with the exploitation of 

 the Tortugas shrirnp groiinds. Idyll (1950) gives an account of the dis- 

 covery of these grounds off Key V7est and Tortugas from which the follow- 

 ing svunmary was abstracted. 



Exploratory fishing in the Tortugas area was begiui during 

 September 19li9 follovdng accounts of successful night fishing for grooved 

 shriivp in Texas. Results were encouraging and cormnercial operations be- 

 gan in Janu£iry 1950. I'lhen the discovery became generally kno^m, rapid 

 expansion folloired and during February 1950 an estimated 2,117,000 pounds 

 (whole shi'iiup) were landed© Two hundred and fifty to three hundred boats 

 were fishing there by March 1, 1950. The fishing grounds are located 

 north of a line dratm from K^ West to Loggerhead Key in the Dry Tortugas 

 group. They are approximately 70 miles long by 10 to 1.5 miles wide. The 

 bottom is covered by fine calcareous sediments ("coral mud") with some 

 coral obstructions. 



However, the large fleet dispersed by the end of March 1950 

 and there has been a steady though not spectacular production since that 

 time . 



Although the pink shrimp grounds off Campeche were prospected 

 by the Japanese in 1936-37, they were un]^:no•^m to Texas fishermen. A man 

 closely associated with shrimp developments in the Gulf of Cajnipeche, in- 

 formed Hildebrand that probably the first shipment from the banks v/as 

 made in 19li7 when 1,500 pounds wer-e sent to Brownsville. However, the 

 shrimp buyer in Brownsville requested that no more be sent because of 

 marketing difficulties. Exploitation of the Campeche Bank shrimp fish- 

 ery st,arted when the trawler, "Oro Lobo", brought a load of pink shrimp 

 into Broimsville on May 23, 1950. Because of a shortage of ice the catch 

 was only 30 barrels, but the boat captain knew that he had located exten- 

 sive new beds of shrimp* On the next trip the "Oro Zorro" and "Oro Lobo" 



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