December 1966 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



43 



TRENDS IN GULF OF MEXICO SHRIMP TRAWLING FLEET 



By Rolf Juhl* 



The design of Gulf of Mexico shrimp trawlers has kept step with 

 the expanding shrimp fishery. From small, shallow -draft, single- 

 rig vessels, operating in a predominantly inshore fishery, design 

 changes have produced larger and more versatile double -rigged ves- 

 sels that can fish offshore in depths of 50 fathoms and greater. The 

 present-day shrimp vessel design evolved from the Florida single- 

 rig trawler, which had the house forward and working deck aft. The 

 double-rig trawling method was initiated during 1955 and soon gained 

 acceptance throughout the Gulf of Mexico. 



Shrimp trawling in the Gulf has developed 

 in the last 3 decades from an inshore, estu- 

 arine, bay fishery in shallow water to the pres- 

 ent fishery on the broad shelf areas in depths 

 of 50 fathoms or more (Anderson, 1948). 



The design of shrimp-trawling vessels has 

 evolved as the fishery extended into new 

 shrimp grounds. Shallow -draft vessels suit- 

 able for sounds and bays were the mainstay 

 of the fishery before 1945 (Springer, 1951). 

 Typical boat designs of the northern central 

 Gulf areas favored the house aft with the work- 

 ing deck forward. A single shrimp trawl was 

 towed from warps leading from the winch, 

 mounted athwartships on the forward deck, 

 through blocks mounted on the port and star- 

 board aftercorners of the house. During this 

 same period, however, the shrimp vessels in 

 the eastern and western Gulf favored a ves- 

 sel design and deck arrangement similar to 

 the Greek sponge boats (Ringhaver, 1959); on 

 these, the house was located forward and the 

 working deck aft. The winch was installed just 

 aft of the house, and the net was towed from 

 double warps rove through two blocks mounted 

 on one outrigger boom. During the fishing 

 operation, the towing warps were held in po- 

 sition directly over the stern by a deck chain 

 and boom hook arrangement. With minor 

 modification, this deck arrangement gained 

 popularity among offshore shrimp -vessel op- 

 erators throughout the southeastern United 

 States. It was the first step towards double- 

 rig trawling. 



In 1955, Texas shrimp fishermen first at- 

 tempted to develop the double -rig methods in 

 the Gulf of Mexico (Knake, Murdock, and Gat- 



ing, 1959). These efforts evoked widespread 

 industry interest, and many individuals con- 

 tributed to further development in the follow- 

 ing 10 years. The popularity of double-rig 

 fishing led to the conversion of many conven- 

 tional shrimp vessels. It has so strongly in- 

 fluenced deck and gear arrangement that al- 

 most all new vessels are double -rigged. 



Although the double -rig method has 

 reached a fairly advanced stage of develop- 

 ment, it is still changing. A recent innova- 

 tion was the introduction of stabilizer planes 

 suspended from the midpoint of the outriggers 



Fig. 1 - Paravane -type stabilizer used by some Gulf 

 shrimp vessels. Shown is stainless; steel model; most 

 are galvanized steel. 



♦Fishery Biologist, Branch of Exploratory Fishing and Gear Research, Washington, D. C. 20240. 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

 Fish and Wildlife Service 

 Sep. No. 777 



