ICE CONSUMPTION OF BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI, VESSELS (WHICH RANGED FROM 

 6.4 TO 7.9 POUNDS OF ICE PER POUND OF SHRIMPI WAS LOWEST DURING THE 

 SUMMER MONTHS BECAUSE OF THE LARGE QUANTITY OF SHRIMP LANDED THEN. 

 IN THE SAME PERIOD KEY WEST, FLORIDA, VESSELS AND VESSELS OPERATING 

 OUT OF TEXAS PORTS USED FROM 10.5 TO 18.0 POUNDS OF ICE PER POUND 

 OF SHRIMP CAUGHT. VESSELS HAVING INSULATED HOLDS WERE SUBSTANTIALLY 

 MORE ECONOMICAL IN THEIR CONSUMPTION OF ICE THAN VESSELS NOT 

 INSULATED. 



BJTROrUCTORY COISffilSTS 



Cost factors in shrinrp production and processing were studied 

 by several of the organizations under contract to the United States Fish 

 and Wildlife Service. 



VJorking from the books of vessel ovraers and shrimp processors. 

 Federal Trade Ccsamission accountants obtained cost information for a 

 sample of operations for the 3-year period 1952 to 195^. Harwell, 

 ICnowles and Associates accorded special emphasis to such important 

 elements of coot as fuel and ice in their study of vessel efficiency. 

 The Bureau of Easiness and Economic Research of the University of l-ttsinl 

 noted the customary charges made by vessel suppliers, shrimp plants, and 

 processors for specific services or items needed on board ship describing 

 the character of the industry on a local basis. 



The smiple of creif t for which data were collected by the Federal 

 Trade ComiuisDion Included 8l vessels and 2? motor boats. Because of the 

 relative liapoirtance of the industry doaiciled along the isouth Atlantic and 

 Gulf coaats compared to elsewhere, operations were surveyed in this area 

 only. 



Collection of data on costs was complicated by the difficulties 

 encoimtered in tracing o^mers of vessels included in the original prob- 

 ability stjiiple, by refusals to cooperate, and by inadequate or inaccurate 

 methods of record keeping. In order to obtain a sufficient number of 

 reeponces the Federal Trade Commission accovmtants, where necessary, were 

 obliged to substitute operations for which pai'ticviiars ^rere readily avail- 

 able. Tha data collected by these accountants are considered generally 

 representative of the Industry. 



Because of the marked regional differences in the character of 

 the shrlHp fishery the data collected are sui^iiarized sepai-ately for four 

 areas, vis. (l) the South Atlantic, (2) the vest coast of Florida, (3) 

 the noi'thcrn Golf i*egion couprlslng Alabcima, Mssissippi, and Louisiana, 

 and (4) the State of Texas. 



With feu exceptions, the vessels for which data \jere obtained 

 ranged frca kO to 6o feet in length and had rated capacities from 7 to 

 kO net tons. Vessels, In most Instances, were acquired by present oimers 

 since the end of VJorld T7ar II and the total original inveetiiont in hull, 

 engine, and cpecial ectuip-isnt varied froai $600 to $50,000. Motor boat 

 oper'ationa uere carried on In craft usually measuring less than 30 feet 

 In length. By this definition, the capacity of these craft is less than 

 5 net tons. A miiiiber of the aaaller vessels and many of the motor boats 

 were operated by their o\mers. 



178 



