PROGRESS IN BIOLOGICAL INQUIRIES, 1937 23 



SHRIMP INVESTIGATIONS 

 Milton J. Lindnee. in charge 



During 1937, as in preceding years, the shrimp investigations have 

 enjoyed the cooperation of the Louisiana Department of Conserva- 

 tion,' the Texas Game, Pish and Oyster Commission, and the Georgia 

 Department of Natural liesources. The San Patricio Canning Co., 

 of Aransas Pass, Tex., has continued to furnish office space for the 

 Texas investigator. In addition, the City of Gulfport, Miss., during 

 the past yearsupplied dockage and locker space for the Pelican. 



There has been a steady addition to the shrini]) fishery of new, 

 larger, and more powerful boats drawing larger trawls. This con- 

 tinued increase in fishing effort has been under way for the last sev- 

 eral years and is especially evident on the Atlantic coast. The ex- 

 pansion of the fishing fleet, both in size of the individual boats and 

 in their aggregate numbers, has resulted in an increase in its fishing 

 radius. 



The South Atlantic fishery. — The Atlantic fleet, comprised mainly 

 of boats originating in Florida, moves along the coast from North 

 Carolina to Florida with the concentrations of shrimp. As a general 

 rule the summer and early fall fishery is most productive between 

 North Carolina and Georgia. During late fall and winter, however, 

 the shrimp and the fishing fleet are concentrated in the area between 

 St. Augustine and Cape Canaveral, Fla. During the past several 

 years, owing to intensive fishing in inore northern areas by the rap- 

 idly expanding fleet, the Florida winter fishery has diminished in 

 importance. It appears evident that the greater part of the shrimp 

 are being caught before they reach central Florida. As a result, it is 

 expected that a portion of the Atlantic fleet will move into the Gulf 

 during the winter of 1937-1938. 



While the supply shows no signs of serious depletion, the South 

 Atlantic shrimp fishery seems to have reached the maximum of pro- 

 duction possible under the present system of management. Although 

 the total catch has not declined, neither has it increased with the 

 augmented fishing effort. Obviously, if more and more gear con- 

 tinue to enter the fishery, the economic stability of each unit will be 

 lowered and a number of the marginal units will find it unprofitable 

 to operate. 



From our present understanding of the shrimp it appears that 

 an increase in the total poundage taken by the South Atlantic fishery 

 can be secured only through better protection afforded the young. 

 The intensified fishery is making greater inroads on the young 

 shrimp, a condition which in turn will cause a reduction in the 

 total pounds landed, even though depletion may not occur. As 

 fishing intensity increases, shrimp fishing will therefore become- 

 poorer from the viewpoint of the fisherman. 



Tagging ex]:)eriments conducted by William W. Anderson during 

 the past several years have shown that the larger Georgia and South 

 (^arolina shrimp move south into Florida during the winter. During 

 the fall of 1937 shrimp were tagged and released over practically 

 the entire northern range of the fishery in order to determine whether 

 or not large individuals from the northern limits also migrated 

 south to become a part of the Florida winter fishery. Tagged shrimp 



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