208 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
arrivals in New Orleans; prices in the New Orleans French market; 
and marine weather and river forecasts which are furnished by the 
Weather Bureau. The report also includes daily prices at New York 
and Chicago for species of local interest; daily cold storage movements 
and holdings of shrimp; weekly cold storage movements and holdings 
of all fishery commodities in the Gulf States, and of shrimp im other 
areas; weekly data on the pack of shrimp by canneries operating under 
the Seatood Inspection Service of the Food and Drug Administration 
of the Department of Agriculture; and a weekly summary of the 
production, shipments, and prices of Gulf fishery products. 
Late in January 1940 arrangements were completed with radio 
station WWL in New Orleans for the broadcasting twice daily of 
summarized market information. These broadcasts have enabled the 
industry and allied interests to obtain market formation earlier than 
through the mimeog graphed releases distributed by mail. Considerable 
interest has been manifested in the inauguration of this new service, 
and it has been followed by the establishment of radio market news 
services in other cities in which the Bureau has Market News offices. 
While many species of fish and shellfish contribute to the important 
fishery industry of the Gulf States, shrimp is by far the most important 
species, both with respect to volume and value. Although the bulk 
of the catch of shrimp is canned, large quantities also are marketed 
either fresh, dried, frozen, or ‘‘cooked and peeled.”’ There is a con- 
siderable concentration of the shrimp canning industry at Biloxi, 
Miss., and in the area surrounding Houma,. La., both of which are 
within a 100-mile radius of New Orleans. <A large part of the shrimp 
consumed in New Orleans and its adjacent territory is landed in the 
Buras, La., area, near the mouth of the Mississippi River. This 
shrimp is usually sold “heads on,’’ due to a local preference for it in 
this form. On the other hand, fresh shrimp handled by dealers in the 
vicinity of Morgan City and Berwick, La., is prepared as ‘“headless”’ 
shrimp for the northern markets. The shrimp-drying industry, 
which is centered in Terrebonne and Jefferson Parishes, south of 
Houma, commonly utilizes shrimp which is small or mixed in size. 
A large part of this product is normally exported to the Orient. 
Shrimp is frozen in several localities along the Gulf coast, the most 
important freezing centers being New Orleans and Galveston, Tex. 
Considerable quantities of fresh shrimp are utilized in the production 
of shrimp meat or as “‘cooked and peeled” shrimp. This product is 
normally packed in 5-pound cans, iced, and shipped to both local and 
distant markets. It is produced principally in the region between 
Berwick, La., and Biloxi, Miss. 
The oyster and crab industry of the Gulf coast is also of importance. 
Large quantities of oysters are canned, some sold in the shell, and the 
balance shucked. After cooking crabs, the meat is usually removed 
and packed in cans, iced, and shipped to local and northern markets. 
One cannery in Louisiana is engaged in the processing of crab meat in 
hermetically sealed cans. There also is a considerable fishery for soft 
cr oe in the vicinity of New Orleans, although it is primarily for nearby 
markets. 
The production of fish in Louisiana and Mississippi is mainly of 
local interest, with only small quantities being shipped to other 
markets. However, larger quantities of fish are produced in Alabama 
