MARINE PRODUCTS. 69 



SHRIMP. 



The shrimp is a crustacean and belongs in the same general class 

 as crabs, crayfish, and lobsters. There are a number of varieties found 

 in (his country, 1nt the one used for canning is the Gulf -hrimp, 

 P<tn(i<-i/x A/v/.sv'/OVW*. The shrimp found in the fresh waters and 

 west coast are used fresh, but are too small to be used in canning. 

 The Gulf shrimp resembles a large crayfish and is from 5 to 7 inches 

 lonir. They inhabit the deep waters and come to the shore twice each 

 year. They are active swimmers and are provided with very long 

 antenna 1 . The abdomen is the only part of the shrimp that is used, 

 the head and thorax being thrown away. 



The first attempt to can shrimp was made by Mr. G. W. Dunbar, 

 of New Orleans, in 18G7. His efforts did not meet with success until 

 1875, at which time he devised the bag lining for the cans. In 1880 

 a factory was started at Biloxi, Miss., and from that time to the 

 present the majority of all the shrimp canned has been put up in these 

 two cities. It is only within the past 10 years that the canning of 

 shrimp has assumed considerable importance, but is still limited to 

 about a dozen places in Louisiana and Mississippi. A cannery was 

 started in Texas but failed to secure a regular supply, and the 

 oyster canneries in Florida could not secure enough to make it profit- 

 able to prepare to receive them. The early supply of shrimp was 

 obtained from Barataria bayou or lake, which gave the distinctive 

 name, Barataria shrimp. The name is often improperly used now. 

 The shrimp sent to England are called prawns. 



Shrimp are caught in February^ March, and April, and in Sep- 

 tember, October, and early November. The run is uncertain, and a 

 catch depends upon the state of the weather; the quantity taken is 

 very irregular. The shrimp are caught only in shallow water along 

 the shore. Previous to this year (1911) , all catches had to be made in 

 less than G feet. Newer apparatus has been- invented making it 

 possible to take them in water 10 feet in depth. The shrimp are 

 located by coursing over the ground in a small sailboat or a skiff 

 and trying with a cast net. This is a circular net from 6 to 8 feet 

 in diameter with leads every few inches around the edge and a cord 

 attached for drawing it together. A man stands at the bow of the 

 boat and makes trial throws until a school is located. When the 

 shrimp are found the large seine is anchored on the shore at one end 

 and the boat rowed out and around as large an area as the seine will 

 cover. As soon as the second end is brought to the shore the men 

 bring the two ends together and begin to draw in the seine. If the 

 weights hang close upon the ground the chances for a catch are good, 

 but if the seine should rise the shrimp will find a way out very 

 quickly. The handling of the seine requires wading in water from 



