APPENDIX III APPENDIX III 
The 1973 landings, by State, follow. 
State Snapper Grouper Total 
(millions) 
Florida 65 BG 8) 254 
Mississippi 30, 3) = Died 
Alabama 0 52 1.52 
Texas ats! = 8 
Louisiana - - - 
Total 10.6 (See Teer 
Other -4 me) ao 
Total TIO 6.6 ENG 
Snappers and groupers landed at certain U.S. ports are 
often captured on grounds remote from the port of landing. 
Therefore landings, by State, are not always indicative of 
the production of each State's waters or of particular fish- 
ing grounds. 
Preliminary data for 1974 shows that 1.4 million pounds 
were caught from 0 to 3 miles; 2.5 million pounds, from 3 to 
12 miles; and 13 million pounds, from 12 to 200 miles off 
U.S. shores. About 1.4 million pounds were caught off Mexico 
and in the Caribbean Sea, combined. Both production and 
value are greatest from the high seas beyond 12 nautical 
miles. 
Products and processing 
Important ports of landing for snapper extend from 
northeast Florida to south Texas: the three major snapper 
port areas are Pascagoula, Mississippi and Panama City and 
Key West, Florida. Ports of landing for grouper extend 
primarily from Key West to Pascagoula; the three major ports 
are Madeira Beach, Fort Myers Beach, and Bradenton, Florida. 
The major center for processing the gulf snapper and 
grouper catch is Pascagoula. Snapper and grouper are cleaned, 
gilled, gutted, and iced immediately after being caught. 
When landed the catch are transferred from vessel to 
conveyer belts which carries the fish through a wash. This 
is the extent of mechanization for this fishery. The fish 
are hand graded and packed in 100-pound lots, with or with- 
out heads, and shipped either fresh or frozen. An alleged 
problem with frozen snapper flesh is that it turns brown in 
about 3 months. 
Markets 
Snapper and grouper are marketed mostly as fresh fish 
with some going into frozen fillets. The products are 
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