01-nier's lack of knowledge conccrnin!;; the at-soa operation of the 

 vessal, thoro are many lnr:tances whoro his proparty is boinc i-dllfully 

 destroyed, his gear sold \vitliout his knowledge, and tho actual catch 

 itself disposed of behind his back. The oimer is in constant danger 

 of havilng a dishonest captain and crew get the better of him. This 

 is particularly true of the Campeche operation, where vessels are 

 away from their home ports for extended periods of time and may 

 return to other ports for unloading. 



These conditions are largely responsible for the recent 

 tendency of processors and other outside interests to divest them- 

 selves of ovmership control of fishing operations. At the same time, 

 pressing economic considerations have encouraged independent ovmer- 

 operators to seek affiliation with fleets, a development which has 

 contributed to the transformation of fishing to a large scale opera- 

 tion. The fleet operators in these instances are content to have the 

 fishermen ovm their vessels, finding the economic forces conducive to 

 fishermen's loyalty just as effective as a control device as outright 

 ownership by the fleet operator. 



Some boats are absentee -owned and operated by individuals 

 or companies specializing in this type of work. One company at Key 

 West, Florida operates 20 vessels ovnied by the company and over 30 

 vessels ovmed by others. The operating company is given almost com- 

 plete control over the vessels and hires the captains. It is also 

 responsible for the maintenance of the vessel. All costs of opera- 

 tion are taken out of the profits, if any, and the balance is divided 

 heti-jeon o'^^-ner and operator. If qDerations of an individual boat have 

 resulted in a net loss, the ovmer reimburses the operator for exi^enses 

 incurred. 



Boat management for absentee oimers, in some instances, is 

 a function performed by shrimp plant operators on a fee basis. The 

 fee usually charged for such services is one to two cents per potmd 

 of shrimp landed. 



Ordinarilj'- only the captain is hired directly by the operator. 

 The captain, in turn, hii-es the crew. The division of the proceeds of 

 a trip is bettreen tho owner and the captain v/ho then settles with the 

 crew. In the majority of cases the proceeds are split on a ^0-SO basis 

 between the owner and the captain. In some instances the vessel gets 

 a fixed price per pound for the catch. 



The captain divides the employee's share with the crew on a 

 percentage basis which either depends on arrangements customary in the 

 region or in proportion to the individual crew member's e:qoerience and 

 efficiency. Usually, the captain keeps ^0 percent of the emploji-ees' 

 share for himself. In general, the operator is responsible for vessel 

 maintenance and overhead and supplies either fuel or ice or both. Stores 

 and groceries usually are supplied by the captain and the crew and these 



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