PROGRESS IN BIOLOGICAL INQUIRIES, 1939 29 
ators, not only to small weakfish but to butterfish as well. As much 
as 80 percent of the smaller sizes can be released by sifters of appro- 
priate mesh more quickly than by hand sorting, and with less mor- 
tality. Unfortunately, this method is not applicable at all seasons, 
for at times the runs are made up of several species so that sifters 
of appropriate mesh for one species will permit the escape of mar- 
ketable sizes of other species or will cause objectionable gilling. 
Results of these studies will be included in a report to be submitted 
to the Board of Supervisors of Suffolk County by July 1, 1940. 
SHRIMP INVESTIGATIONS 
Minton J. LINDNER, in charge 
During the past several years the shrimp fishery has been char- 
acterized by the rapid expansion of the market for the “fresh- 
headless” product. This industry first came into prominence along 
the Atlantic coast in the early thirties. With the initiation, in the 
winter of 1937-38, of an offshore fishery in Louisiana for the large- 
sized shrimp, generally known as “jumbo,” this phase of the shrimp 
industry has now become of considerable importance in the Gulf of 
Mexico. The rapid rise in the fresh-headless shrimp business, to- 
gether with a growing demand for canned shrimp, has led to con- 
siderable increase in fishing effort. The augmentation of fishing, due 
to the increase in the number of boats, size of craft, and the efficiency 
of their operation, has placed a strain on the supply of shrimp along 
the Atlantic coast. The greatly increased fishing intensity has not 
resulted in an appreciable increase in the catch, but, on the contrary, 
it has resulted in a decrease in the catch of the individual fisherman 
with respect to the amount of effort expended. In Florida the in- 
creased intensity has resulted in a lesser total catch during the winter 
fishery, which is composed of migrants from North Carolina, South 
Carolina, Georgia, and northern Florida. Apparently the fishery on 
the Atlantic coast is so heavily prosecuted that a great proportion 
of the migrant shrimp are captured by the fishermen before they 
reach their wintering ground between St. Augustine and Cape 
Canaveral, Fla. 
Extreme competition, together with the discovery of jumbo shrimp 
off the Louisiana coast, has led a number of Atlantic coast shrimp 
boats to migrate to Louisiana to enter the offshore fishery. The 
Atlantic coast shrimp vessel is much better suited for the offshore 
work than is the Gulf-style shrimp boat which has been developed for 
use in the shallow inland bays and bayous. 
During 1939, as in previous years, the shrimp investigators were 
furnished office quarters by the Louisiana Department of Conserva- 
tion, at New Orleans. The city of Gulfport, Miss., supphed dockage 
and storage space for the Pelzcan and its gear. Due to the curtail- 
ment of funds it was necessary, in February, to temporarily suspend 
the Texas investigations which were being conducted in cooperation 
with the Texas Game, Fish, and Oyster Commission. For the same 
reason the tagging operations with Launch 58 and the exploratory 
work with the Pelican were interrupted during February and March, 
vespectively. Both boats were again placed in commission after 
241635—40—3 
