It is an almost universal practice throughout tho producing 

 industry that the crew pay for one-half of the cost of the ico and 

 the boat owner pay for the other half. 



Costs of fuel and maintenance of the vessel are commonly 

 borne by the boat owner. 



The gross receipts figure to which the share split is 

 applied is generally determined by the price obtained at the initial 

 title transfer after the shrimp are landed. If the shrimp plant takes 

 title, the price paid for the shrimp is divided according to the pre- 

 viously discussed share agreements. If, however, the shrimp plant 

 does not take title but merely unloads, washes, packs, and delivers 

 the shrimp to the buyer, charges for such services are deducted first 

 before the net proceeds are divided on the basis of the share agreement. 



Figure II -2? shows the distribution of catch receipts among 

 individual crew members j the form is the equivalent of the payroll of 

 a business enterprise. 



Statistics on Fishermen 



The increase in the number of fishermen employed in the 

 shrimp fishery has kept pace with the groirth of the fleet. While 

 the number of shrimp trawls in the South Atlantic and Gulf regions 

 increased from 2, 142? in 1930 to 7,^33 in 1956, the number of fisher- 

 men using these trawls rose from h,Qh9 to about 16,100 (see figure 

 11-26). Average number of fishermen using shrimp trawls, remained 

 relatively constant over the period. The average shrimp vessel crew 

 was approximately midway between two and three over the period, the 

 average motor boat crew slightly below two. 



While fishing capacity of shrimp fishing craft has been 

 expanding rather rapidly in recent years, the ratio of crew required 

 per ton of fishing capacity has been decreasing. In 19^6 average 

 shrimp fishing capacity per fisherman was 5.5 net tons, whereas the 

 comparable figure for 1930 was l.k net tons (see table Il-i;). 



The distribution of the shrimp fishermen over the 8' 

 states comprising the South Atlantic and Gulf region is shown in 

 table 11-5. According to this tabulation the States of Louisiana 

 and Texas are the domicile of well over one-half of the number of 

 shrimp fishermen in recent years. The 2 States employ approximately 

 the same number of fishermen. 



Labor Organizations 



In tho producing segment of the industry, organization of 

 labor is either non-existent or local in nature. Local union organi- 

 zations exist in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas. Because 



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