APPENDIX III APPENDIX III 
Gulf of Mexico 
About 40 percent (using 1975 statistics) of the shrimp 
Gaught, by U.S. fishing craft,/Ofbe U.S. Shores: are am che wo] 
to-200-mile zone. Thus, the 200-mile extended jurisdiction 
will provide protection for a large part of the domestic 
shrimp fishery. 
The 200-mile limit will permit regulating foreign 
vessel activity, but the foreign activity in recent years 
has, not been signiticant in relation to U.S. vesselvactiy— 
ities off foreign shores (primarily Mexico and the North- 
eastern coast of South America). 
Unless other countries permit U.S. vessels to continue 
using their waters, the extended jurisdiction policy will 
force many U.S. vessels into U.S. waters. This increase in 
the U.S. shrimp fleet may not be offset by the exit of 
foreign vessels and may add to the fishing effort, result- 
ing in a lower catch per unit of effort exceeding the rela- 
tive stock available to U.S. shrimpers. Cuban vessels, 
active in U.S. waters, harvested less than 2 million pounds 
of ‘shrimp, in 1973 ,, 1974, and 1975; Mexican activity inwWese 
waters was not Significant. 
.In addition, the extended jurisdiction will provide 
protection for the deepwater crustaceans if extensive com- 
mercial development moves in that direction. 
Pacific coast 
Since the majority of all Pacific coast shrimp re- 
sources are within the 12-mile contiguous fisheries zone 
and are already protected from foreign fishing fleets, 
establishing a 200-mile limit would have no effect on the 
shrimp fisheries. 
As discussed above, problems exist in the shrimp fish- 
ery along each coast. Some of the problems which are inter- 
related and common to more than one coast are: 
--Lack of or limited availability of shrimp resources. 
--Excess harvesting capacity. 
--High operating and financing costs. 
--Biological data gaps. 
--Habitat environment deterioration. 
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