There are no restrictions or regulations with respect to the 

 type of vessel or boat that may be used in the shrimp fishery, but some 

 of the States have restrictions on the size and type of gear that may be 

 used, subject to certain exceptions in the case of shrimp taken for use 

 as fish bait. For example, laws of the State of California stipvilate 

 that only beam trawls may be used in the ocean shrimp fishery, limit the 

 length of the beam, the circumference of the net, the mesh size of the 

 net, and specify how the trawl may be towed. In some States the only 

 restriction relates to the mesh size of the net. 



For the ostensible purpose of conserving the fishery by pro- 

 tecting small, young shrimp, most States have established periods during 

 which shrimp fishing is prohibited in inside viatersj and for the same ' 

 reason some waters of a State may be permanently closed to shrimp fishing. 

 The temporarily closed periods usually vary from one State to another, and 

 even within a given State they may vary from one area to another* 



There are no restrictions on the species of shrimp which may be 

 taken during the open seasons for shrimp fishing. The only restrictions 

 applicable here relate to the size of the shrimp permitted to be taken 

 and landed. The standard method for determining minimum sizes is by 

 weight, with a specified number of shrimp to the pound, Shrirap taken for 

 use as fish bait are generally excepted from the minimimi size limitations. 

 The State of Louisiana exempts grooved shrimp and sea bobs from this 

 limitation. 



Effect of State Regiaations 



Changes in fishing regulations often have an important bearing 

 upon shrimp landings. In addition to seasonal distribution of catch, 

 regulations may influence the division of the market between residents 

 and non-residents or between fishermen regularly engaged in the fishery 

 and casual fishermen. The landings at particular ports, and the extent 

 of foreign trade in shrimp may be affected by statutory provisions.As an 

 illustration of the impact of regulatory measures on the shrimp fishery 

 the following paragraphs from a review of the Gulf States fisheries in 

 19li7 (Denham 19li7) are quoted i 



Changes in the fishing regulations of certain Gulf 

 States had an important bearing upon shrimp landings 

 at a number of fishing ports. The Louisiana legislatxire, 

 in the summer of 19U6, revised the closed seasons for 

 commercial shrimping operations. The inside and out- 

 side waters of Louisiana were closed for fishing from 

 June 10 to the second Monday in August. Inside waters 

 were closed from December 15 to March 15, As Mississippi 

 adopted the same closed seasons, no shrimp were taken 

 commercially in Mississippi and Louisiana from June 10 

 to August 11, 19li7, Previous to the enactment of the 

 present closed season in Louisiana, only the inside 

 waters were affected by closed season regulations. 



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