pati on by French, Ja panese, Portu guese, a nd Mexicans. To a considerable extent local personnel and investment .,." have repl aced the foreign involvement. T he shrimp fi she ri es of Latin Amer ica a re based on numerous species of CARIBBEA SEA large warm-water shrimps of the genus , J Pena e us. gen e ra ll y o f three types: white, brown, and pink. Commercially most important on the Pacifi c sid e are three white species, one brown, and one pink. The Atlantic and Gu lf coasts have two white species, two brown, a nd one pink that dominate the catc hes. Although priced somewhat diffe re nt ly and attaining varying maximum sizes, all are readily acceptable to the U.S. consumer. In some areas, several smaller species of shrimp, known as sea bobs, a re abundant. T hey are take n in growing amounts as new markets for them are being developed. Although the larger penaeid shrimps dominate the fis hery, the sea bobs form a resource in reserve for future use. All the white, brown, and pink shrimps have similar life hi stories, and their occurrence in significant quantities depe nds on their stri ct habitat require ments. They spend their ad ult li ves on muddy sea bottoms in depths of 1 to 50 fathoms, depending o n the species. MFR REPRINT 971 They spawn a t sea. The very young shrimp move into coastal lagoons or estuaries where th ey spend varying Shrimp Industry of Central America, peri ods of tim e in brackish water. As subadults they move from the lagoons Caribbean Sea, and Northern to nearby ocean waters, where th ey fin ish out their li fe span of a little over a South America year. Hence, fi hing a reas are confin ed to open waters over a mud bottom that are adjacent to large brackish lagoons, GEORGE B. GROSS and to the lagoons the mselves. A classic example is the treme ndous nu rsery a rea of Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela, where the subadult shrimp are ha rvested in INTRODUCTION Ame rica. The present report describes th e lake by beach sein es a nd cast ne ts, the fish e ri es of the last three named and the la rge shrimp are taken by trawl areas. The \\Jrm-\\ater shrimp fi shery of ing in the adjacent o pe n waters o f th e the 'Western Hemisphere can be divid ed The fish ery on the Pac ifi c coast of naturall, JIlto six area that have a Central America began at Panama and 111 I III 111 U;ll ~lf ~)\erlap: (1) the South spread both north and south, whe reas George B. Gross is Regional tlantic Coast of the nited States; th e Caribbean and Guiana fi heries Fisheries Attache for Latin Ameri 121 the Gulf of Mexico (United States are outgrowths of nited States fi shing ca, assigned to the U.S. Embassy and ,\le'lc~ll. (J) the Pacific coast of in th e Gulf of Mex ico, U.S. fishermen, in Mexico. This report was origi I\jc,iCll. (41 the Pacific coast from vessels, plant o perators, importers, and nally issued in a limited edition as Guatemala to Ecuador, inclusive; investors have been involved in nearl y Foreign Fisheries Leaflet No. 73-1 (~) the aribbean Sea: and (6) the all the shrimp fisheries in Latin Ame r by the NMFS International Ac Atlantic Cllasl nf nnrtheastern o uth ica. There has also been some partici- tivities Staff.
36 Gulf o f Venezuela. No s ubs ta ntia l Mex ican fi she ry in the G ulf of Tehuan BuenaH~ntura. CUJl.\(,r\ m(l~t imp\lr shrimp fi sheri es have been develo ped te pec developed in the early 1950's tant shnmp grounds are near [-\mer ove r rocky o r clean sand bo tto m , no r and reached its peak in 1959. aida and tn the Gulf llf uu~a4ull. dista nt fro m bracki sh wa te r lagoons. A o f 1972, the hrimp fis hery of the Along the PaCific COU\l, the large On the Pacific coast, the la rge Pacific coast from Mexico to cuador white hnmp I dnmtnant ctuulh penaeid shrimps a re fo und in a rel has been developed to about maximum the "I>I'hite" shnmp consists llf three atively continuo us band a ll alo ng the capacity, with the fo ll owing possible species: Pellaells .I/yltrrll/,.,1 (S" )I1H~times coast fro m no rthe rn Mexi co to no rthern exceptio ns: al 0 called blue shrimp), P \"(/1I11(//I/CI, Pe ru , with o nl y a fe w ga ps a lo ng a. Fishing in deeper wa ter principally and P. ocC/delllali.1 (the most Impllrt,lnt stretc hes of rocky a nd sandy ho res. fo r pink shrimp, could increa e species in Panama, olomblO, and Ecua On the Atla ntic sid e they a re fo und productio n in ome a reas; dor). The latter two are sometimes dark from the southern coast of th e United b. G reater utilizatio n of the mail er in color and are then called brll\\n States to Brazil , including th e G ulf of species of shrimp (as in Pa nama) shrimp, along with P. cull/omILIII;I, Mexi co and the Cari bbean Sea. How could inc rease landings in Central the true brol>l'n. The pink hnmp. P. ever. they are no t pl e ntiful alo ng the Ame ri ca; brel·iroslris. is of con Iderable impor sho res o f the Greate r and Lesser An c. Develo pme nt of suitable smallcraft tance in I alvador and Panama. This till es, and the re seem to be lo ng gaps harbors would resul t in the expan deeper water specie i fished \.. hen it in their occurre nce in apparently fa vo r sio n of the fi she ry in Guatemala; is plentiful and readily available (dunng able areas al o ng the mainland coast d. Use of la rger boats and additional dry season). This time cotncides \\ Ilh of the Caribbean. po rts coul d result in an increase in the time when \\ hite are not plentiful Thro ugho ut this repo rt, weights are Costa Rican production; and The whites are larger and command a given in po unds, and price a nd va lu es e. Catches in Colombia could be in higher price. are expressed in U.S. dollars. Altho ugh creased if more vessels were per In addition to the big penaeld hnmps, most of the countries in the area use the mitted to enter the fis hery. which are the mainstay of the export metri c system of we ights and have dif shrimp indu try, ignificant quantities O the rwise, harvesting of known ferent c urrenc ies, the industry is ti ed of four pecie of smaller. hrimps CI)l1- shrimp stocks appears near maximum, so closely to U.S. practi ces and th e U.S. tribute to the catche , particularly tn and future fl uctuation in catches will market tha t even th e fi shermen and EI al'.ador, Panama, Ecuador. and be d ue to changes in the natural abun plant wo rkers ta lk in terms of po unds Costa Rica. The e are: the purplish dance of shrim p, or to changing market and do ll ars. brown Xiphopenaells /"I\ 'e u and the conditions. yellow and orange Prolrachypene pre THE SHRIMP FISHERY OF THE S h ri m pare tound in commercial cipua, which are known as . ea bllb or q uanti ties along most of the Pacific "titi;" and Trachypenaell.\ hyrdi and PACIFIC COAST OF CENTRAL coa t of Central America. The Guate AND SOUTH AMERICA T. /llOe, I>I'hich are vanousl) calit'd mala grounds are actually an extension "tigre," "indio," "zebra"' (or "cehra"l, of the Mexican grounds in the Gulf of and "carabali." In some area. all the General T ehuantepec. In fact, several incidents mall shrimps are collecti'.ely called have occurred involving the trawlers of "chacalin "; elsewhere they are knl\\\ n Shrimp fi shing o n the Pacific coast both countries fishing off the coa t of as "camaroncillo." sta rted in northe rn Mex ico as earl y as the o ther as fishing success varies north 194 1, but it wa no t until the 1950's th a t o r south of the border. In turn, the any la rge-scale fi shing began elsewhere G ua te mala grounds merge into tho e Guatemala o n th e coast. Commercia l shrimp fi sh o ff I Salvador, which are probably the ing in Pana ma began in 1950 a nd within most productive of any along the Cen Guatemala has a PaCific coastline of a few mo nths had become a n importa nt tral American coast. Surprisingly, the about 155 mile. The two port. ham industry. G ulf of Fonseca produces little shrimp. perico and an Jose , are open. un The Panamani an industry ex pa nded Accordingly, Honduras, which faces protected roadstead \.. ith pier hut n o rapidly that ma ny producers left the Pacific on only part of the Gulf, harbors. hamperico i about 25 mile for' less c rowded wa te rs. From Pana ma, has only a small-scale fi hery. The ic from the Mexican border an J\ Ise I th e industry spread south to Colo mbia araguan coast. lacking uitable lagoons about 0 miles to the sl)utheast. S\)llle and Ecuado r, partic ul arl y the la tter. and off hore habitat, contributes in only 50 miles from the border \\ Ilh EI . ah a a U .. o pe rato rs expanded th eir opera a minor way to the total production. dor. Both to\\ n are shrimp ports. ti o n . De ve lo pme nt no rthward was Co ta Rican fishing grounds are mostly Shrimp are fi hed along the enllre somewhat slowe r, altho ugh small -scale in or near the Gulf of icoya, but rel coast, e\cept for a fe\\ fllck) pIllS. The opera ti o ns began in Costa Ri ca as early atively unused ground exist in the Gulf fleet ba ed in Guatemala runf!es .. II the as 1952 and had ex panded con ide~ of Dulce. The highly producti'.e fishery \\a\ from the. le\lcan borda to 11 ably by 195 , whe n the commercial of Panama is located in the Gulf of al~adllr. Guatemalan \ esseb orne fi shery in EI Salvador began. Develop Chiriqui and the Gulf of Panama. time fih be)lll1d the fwntlers. und \c - ment o f the fi sheri es in G uatemala and hrimp are caught along most of the sel from the nelghbllring countne icaragua foll owed . Meanwhile, the Colombian coast, particularly near stray at times tnlO Guatemalan .... aters
37 At the end of 1970, Guatemala's growing market for G ua temalan shrimp; grew rapidly. The industry was, and is, shrimp fleet consisted of 26 vessel, 20 erra Commercial is the distributor. well organiL.ed, has governmental sup fishing out of Champerico for Pe ca, port, uses only good vessels and plant Table 1 . - United States imports of shrimp from S.A., and 6 fishing out of San Jose for eq uipme nt, and ha~ established high Guatemala, 1961 -71 El Ganadero, S.A., a new firm that quality standards from the start. on entered the shrimp business in May Year Volume Value sequently, it has thrived ever since its 1970. Both companies are increa ing inception. their production of peeled and deveined 1.000 pounds $1000 U S The 54 to S5 million of foreign ex 1961 743 405 shrimp. 1962 2.298 1,491 change earned by the shrimp industry Neither Champerico nor San Jose 1963 1 .943 1,062 is important to th e economy of EI Salva 1964 2,207 1.135 has a harbor, which means that lighter 1965 1.515 962 dor. hrimp ranks third in importance, ing is required between shrimp boats 1966 2.481 1,968 behind coffee and cotton, among non anchored in the open ea and the com 1967 1,924 1,589 1968 1 ,315 1,135 manufactured exports from EI Salvador. mercial piers at the two ports. This 1969 1.693 1.705 The government receives suhstantial causes delays, inconvenience, and high 1970 2,948 2,796 revenue from the export tax of 6 cents 1971 2,338 2,392 costs. per pound. The Guatemalan Government i The center of shrImp industry is Puer studying plans for a protected harbor, EI Salvador to El Triunfo, a small village on a large probably at Champerico, but con truc lagoon kno\\n as Bahia de liquilisco tion is 5 to 10 years away. The fishing ground that lie off the that ooen into the ocean ahout 125 The operation at Champerico is a 175-mile coastline of El Salvador pro miles south of Guatemala and 35 miles joint venture of two companies, each of duce more hrimp than any omparable west f the Gulf of Fonseca. The princi which owns 10 boats. Pesca, S.A., and area bet\\een Mexico and Panama. pal hrimp tra\\ling areas lie v.ithin 10 Copeagua, S.A., operate the freezing The otherwi e undi tinguished little miles of the coast and extend 40 miles plant at Champerico and share a head tropical village of EI Triunfo i one of \\e t and 30 miles ea t from the entrance quarters office in Guatemala City. The entral America's most active shrimp to the lagoon, which is one of the princi ownership of both companies is 51 per ports. pal nursery areas for young shrimp. cent Guatemalan and 49 percent Japa From northwest to southeast, the The two hrimp freezing plants in El nese (Mitsubishi and Nichirol. Sharing four fishing ports of I alvador are Triunfo supply nearly all EI Salvador's management with Guatemalans are two Acajutla, La Libertad, Puerto El production. Pezca, S.A., handles 0 Japanese in Guatemala City and several Triunfo, and La Union. Of these. the percent of the national pack and is one in Champerico, all of whom live in first two support only mall-scale fresh of the large t and best equipped plants in Latin America. It is located on a man Guatemala with their families. market fi herie , whereas the latter t\\ 0 grove mar h, and the boats unload at a Fishing trips are generally 12 or 13 are primarily hrimp port . The shrimp pier that traverse the tide flats. Pickup days. The boats occasionally fish out to trawling grounds extend along most of trucks transport the shrimp in metal 55 fathoms, but most stay inside 35 the ocean coast: those in the eastern tubs from dockside to plant. Pezca is fathoms. The catches are principally half are the most extensive. Very few con tantly adding new equipment. whites (blancos) and pinks (rojos). The shrimp are taken in the Gulf of Fonseca In June 1965 it began operating the whites are Penaeus styliroslris and in the eastern part of the country. most modern peeler-deveiner for pro p. l'alll1amei. The whites and pinks are Although it had long been known that ducing individually quick frozen (I.Q.F.) both seasonal, and alternately pre there were shrimp off El Salvador, no peeled and deveined shrimp, The ma dominate in the catches. Because of the serious effort was made to fi h them chine is used for sea bobs and the small high cost of operations, the lower commercially until 1955. Previously, er sizes of white, brown. and pink priced sea bobs are fished only when the only shrimp fishery was in the la shrimp. Some of the larger sea bobs the large shrimp are scarce. goons and estuaries where canoe fisher men took juvenile shrimp with cast are prepared "butterfly" style. Pezca is Exports destined for the eastern nets and traps. Although the "inside" owned and operated jointly by Portu United States are shipped by refriger fishery still exists, it has diminished guese and ah'adoran interests, wi th ated truck-and-trailer to the new port at as the fi hermen have turned to trawl some Panamanian capital. Puerto Matias de Galvezon Guatemala's ing in the ocean. Atarraya, the oth e r plant in El Caribbean coast, and thence direct to Following initial studies by foreign Triunfo. is equall y modern a nd well Miami on the trailer ferry. Shipments experts, the Government limited hrimp equipped but lacks a peeler-deveiner. for the United States and Canadian Pa fishing to 18 vessels. As a result of fur The plant has a complicated three-way cific coast and Japan go directly from ther surveys that showed very large ownership and management, and any or Champerico by steamer. The distributor populations of shrimp, the limit was all of three names a re used on equip in the Miami area is Latin American Di s raised to 73 vessels in 1962. This limit men t, trucks, a nd packages: Atarraya, tributors, Inc. Mitsubishi International, was still in effect in December 197 1. S.A.: Congeladora Balle na, S.A.: and Inc., handles distribution on the Pacific The first exports of shrimp to the Consolidated Sea Foods of New Yo rk. coast and in Japan. Puerto Rico is a United States began in late 1957 and Most of the capital is Salvadoran. This
38 plant is making a special effort to de February. However, the largest whites As noted above, the dome ti c market velop a domestic market, particularly are taken in April to July when the for shrimp. particularly sea bob, is for frozen and packaged sea bobs, and catches of that species are lowest. growing rapidly. The foll owing amounts reports good success. All of the large white, pink, and of sea bobs and regular shrimp taken by The other shrimp plant in El Salvador brown shrimp go by the general name of the trawl fi shery were sold mostl y in is located at La Union on the Gulf of "camaron." The juveniles of a ll species, San Salvador (Table 3). Fonseca. Pesquera Nacional, S.A., is when caught in the lagoon fishery, are The outlook for th e shrimp industry affiliated with another plant with a call ed "chacolin ." The proportions of of El Salvador is excell ent. It should be similar name in Puerto Somoza, Nica th e three white s hrimp (known as possible to maintain the production of ragua, and at one time froze and packed "blancos") vary greatly from time to white and brown shrimp with the pres shrimp for that concern, until the Nica time; th e average percentages are: ent fl eet. Some observers fav o r CUlling raguan company built its own freezer. ' Pe nae ll s I'a llll al/ Ie i. 46; P. sly liroslris. th e number of ve sels, believing a small Because La Union is located on a shal 31; and P. occidell ta lis, 23. The pink er fl eet could catch th e same amount low bay it was necessary to construct a shrimp, known in El Salvador as "rojos," more profitably. Some in industry be long pier for the trawlers. La Uni o n is consist almost entirely o f P. breviroSlris. lieve the present fl at-rate ex port tax of rather far from the trawling grounds, All o f the brown s hrimp, which are 6 cents sho uld be modifi ed to provide which li e to the west on the open coast. call ed "cafe," are brown specimens of for a lower tax on the lower priced small Surpri ingly, there is little or no shrimp the white shrimp, P. occidelllalis. sizes. They argue that there is now no fishing in the Gulf of Fonseca. The sea bobs taken in El Salvador incentive to produce pinks and sea bobs. The ownership of the Salvadoran consist o f four species. a ll call ed and o nl y a tax cut will result in better shrimp fl eet is divided among 15 fishing "camaroncillo" by the industry. Two of utilization of these species. A new tax companies. By law, o nl y vessels of Sal the species. Trachypenaeus byrdi and structure is under study. vadoran ownership and registry may T. faoe. are indiscriminately call ed fish shrimp within the 2OO- mil e fishery "tigre," "carabali ," or "cebra." The zone claimed by El Salvador. The num two smaller species, which are often Honduras ber of boats per company varies from discarded at sea. are the "titi ," Xipho one to 12 (the legal limit for anyone penaeus ril'e /i, and the "pomada," Honduras has no developed shrimp compa ny); the two largest packi ng Prolrachypene precipua. fi shery on the Pacifi c nor is one lik ely, companies own the largest fl eets. The Based on careful sampling at the since Honduras has no coastline on the other fishing compani es are owned by plants, the Fisheries Section, Ministry open ocean. Its entire 40 mil es of coast corporations or individuals, many of of Economy, has calculated the catches li e at the head o f the G ulf of Fonseca. whom are associated with the packing of the various species by the trawl fl eet Although the tri butary estuaries are plants. As noted above, the total num in the past 10 years (Table 2): nursery grounds fo r juvenil e shrim p, ber of vessels is limited to 73. Some of Table 2.-EI Salvador shrimp catches. heads off weight. 1961-70 the li censed boats are inactive for one reason or another; at anyone tim e the Year White Pink Brown Large shrimp Sea bob All species number of boats in actual operation subto ta l total averaged 71 during 1970-7 1. Thousand pounds In practice, the vessels fishing for the 1961 3 .856 1.652 960 6,468 2.037 8 .505 1962 3 .485 1.212 254 4.951 3 .3 10 8 .261 plants at E l Triunfo operate as two 1963 3 .632 1.054 205 4 .891 2.820 7,711 fl eets, one for each plant, even though 1964 3 .851 831 228 4 .910 2.7 15 7.625 1965 2.338 966 143 3 .447 3 .503 6 .950 many own ers are involved. Sixteen ves 1966 3,497 1.090 207 4 ,794 5 .288 10.082 sels fish for Atarraya, and over 40 deliver 1967 2.313 922 174 3,409 4 .299 7,708 to Pezca, all equipped with brin e tanks. 1968 2.217 786 15 2 3 .155 2.987 6 .142 1969 2.515 813 200 3.528 3 .567 7 .095 Pezca and Atarraya jointly built and 1970 2,336 913 387 3,636 4 ,772 8,408 operate a boatyard across the bay from El Triunfo. The ya rd has marine ways, Table 3 .-Local sales of shrimp and sea bobs Table 4 . -United States imports of shrimp from shops, and a parts depot. The vessels in EI Salvador. 1963-70 EI Salvador. 1961 -71 . of both fleets undergo regul a rl y sched Year Sea bobs Regular sh rimp Year Volume Value uled overhauls. T he white shrimp are seasonal in 1, 000 pounds 1,000 pounds 1,000 pounds $1 ,000 US. 1963 abundance in the areas now fished by 27.000 1961 8 .093 5 .505 1964 the fleet. In general, the fl eet concen 269.000 1962 7 .156 4 .982 1965 267.000 66.000 1963 6 .667 4 .279 trates on white shrimp from October 1966 135.000 120.000 1964 6 .296 3 .918 through April and avoids pinks during 1967 110.000 5 .000 1965 5.376 3 .581 1968 441 ,000 12 1 .000 1966 6 .955 5,431 that time. The catch-per-day for whites 1969 442.000 410.000 1967 6 .724 5 .626 is highest in October to March, and the 1970 1.5U8.000 1968 4.639 4 ,236 best months are November through (The tremendous inc rease in 1968-70 is at- 1969 5.026 5 .069 tributable to the g rowth of relail supe rmarket 1970 6 .689 5 .521 o utlets in San Salvador) 1971 6 ,707 6 .155 'In 1970 this company o perated six boats
39 the Honduran portion of the gul[ has IQ7Iopcratcdundl'rthcnalll' LI ~ , I hc (,;oI1CC\\HH1alrL'\ 11101] Import hOill\. no suitable trawling grounds. a 100 pl'rCl'nt IC
40 ing areas. T he inner part of the Gulf Table 6 . - United States imports of shrimp from quenos"). The sea bobs are very small; of Nicoya is reserved as a nursery area Costa Rica, 1961-71 . their tails average 50170. for juvenile shrimp, and trawling there Year Volume Value Table 7 demonstrates the usual his in is prohibited. tory of the Pacific coast shrimp fisher Only Costa Rican boats may fish for 1,000 pounds $1,000 u.s. ies: a rapid growth based on produc sh rimp. Until recently, all new boats 1961 1,620 743 tion of whites, followed by a partial 1962 1,738 786 had to be constructed in Costa Rica 1963 1,790 766 substitution of pinks when the catches with domestically produced materials, 1964 2,471 1,133 of whites level off. Later the production 1965 1 ,753 868 but new laws now permit the importa 1966 1 ,779 1,070 of sea bobs increases to take care of tion of steel hulls provided the super 1967 1,679 1,234 growing domestic consumption and to structure is built in Costa Rica. 1968 2,351 1,696 1969 1 ,344 1,107 augment exports. It would appear that The following data show the rapid 1970 2 ,534 1,889 with the present fleet and fishing prac growth of the active fishing fleet in the 1971 2 ,323 2,250 tices, both catches and exports are about last 5 years: Note: The above weights are heads-off, at their maximum. mostly shell-on . Increasing quantities, par Costa Rican shrimp are shipped to 1965 1970 ticularly of the smaller sized shrimp, are shipped peeled and deveined. the United States in a variety of ways. Large vessels (56-75 feet) 15 35 Some are shipped directly from Punta Medium vessels (45-55 feet) 22 16 distinguish between the species, which renas by refrigerated cargo ship. Until Small vessels (30-44 feet) 15 10 are all called whites ("blancos") or large recently, most were shipped to Miami 52 61 shrimp ("grandes"). The whites run by air. Now a considerable portion goes from 40/ 50 to 7 to the pound; most are by refrigerated truck and trailer to All of the large vessels fish with nets 10/ 15 and 16/20. Puerto Matias de Galvez on Guate in the typical double outrigger manner. In 1960, the fleet began taking pink mala's Caribbean coast, a road distance Each is equipped with depth finders. All shrimp, P. brevirostris, on a small scale. of about 935 miles, and thence to Miami 16 medium-sized vessels fish two nets, Extensive grounds for pinks are located by ferry, and 12 have depth finders. Most of the north of Puntarenas and in the south The export tax is 2 percent ad valor smal l boats still fish single nets and near the island of Canas. The produc em, plus about one-quarter of a cent per make a relatively small contribution to tion of pinks has doubled since the pound ($0.00226). The ad valorem tax total production. introduction of modern fishing gear by has the effect of an incentive for export The boats are owned by local fishing the new Borden plant. Pinks are con ing the smaller, lower priced pink shrimp companies and the Borden Company, siderably smaller than whites, from and sea bob. and modernization of others has brought 16/20 to 70/ 80, with a considerable pro In 1970 the American firm Borden the fleet up to the efficient standards of portion at 40/ 50 and 50/ 60. Foods began to fish for a new type of neighboring countries, The improve The abundant sea bobs are taken shrimp found in deep water (150 fath ment of vessels capable of fishing in mostly for the domestic market. With oms). These shrimp, as yet unidentified, deeper water and farther from port, has the increasing popularity of peeled and are locall y call ed "camel" and "fidel" increased production to about its na deveined shrimp, these small varieties and are characterized by a bright pink tural limi t. are bound to playa larger part in the color. FAO was the first to discover this The several boatyards in Puntarenas export industry. All four species are resource and Borden was the first to not only build shrimp boats but provide taken: Xiphopenaeus riveti, Protraehy use it in an attempt to alleviate the in adequate maintenance service for the pene preeipua, Traehypenaeus byrdi, tense fishing effort on shallow water fleet. and T. fao e. It was estimated in 1959 that resources. This shrimp is very small A small er freezing plant, locally the first named of these made up most (averaging 120/ 140). Borden hopes to owned, is Compania Industrial de of the production, All are grouped to use new processing methods to develop Mariscos. An American firm, Hender gether by the fishermen and plant oper this industry. The processing costs are son Portion Pak, which became an affil ators as "brown shrimp," a terminology quite high , but Borden will begin con iate of Borden Foods in 1965, is plan not used elsewhere. Government statis structing a new plant in 1972 to process ning to enlarge its already modern tics refer to them as small shrimp ("pe- this sh rimp. freezing plant. Table 6 shows the growth in Costa Table 7.-Costa Rican shrimp catches, heads off weight, 1961-69 Ri ca's export shrimp industry. Year Large ("blanco") Pink (" rosado") Brown (" pequeno To tal Shrimp taken for export are pre dominantly large whites. By far the 1,000 pounds most important species is Penaeus oe 1961 848 141 1 ,211 2,200 1962 604 445 1 ,228 2, 277 eidenlalis. In 1959 this species accoun t 1963 671 374 1 ,362 2,407 ed for about two-thirds of the produc 1964 1 ,165 188 1 ,360 2, 71 3 2,5 38 tion of whites. The remaining one-third 1965 600 321 1 ,61 7 1966 774 330 1 ,415 2, 51 9 was almost all P. stylirostris, with a very 1967 772 561 1,272 2,6 05 few P. vannamei and P. ealtfomiensis. 1968 843 484 2,042 3 ,369 1969 345 746 1,346 2,437 The industry and the fishermen do not
41 Panama dl'LIlIlJl t\ file idmost .dlill lIS IIl!. t! \ .dll'. \hll1111' l11 tl'll'\I' tI<)1111I1.1I,' th' IS'" '1,1 Thc nws( c\ (cnsl\ ': .Inti i11ust llil,duc lill11 , 11 '1\\L'\l' [. tIll' ·,Il\\I11 , Iish 111<'.11 \\1'11,.., (I\l' ~hrimp fi\hln~ ~r'llll1ds ,1Iu11l\ thl' Il1dUsl1 \ is I 'pi e\L Iltl'l I .1I1d I" Paci fic c,last S,'U t h "f 1\ k\ Il'" .1IC those 1_ \\llh 111\,1111>,'1\ Ie )111 till' ,hllmp III l)ff Panama, rhL'\ \\l~I': ,Ih" thl' Illst dU\1 r • til . slluth ,11' 1\1c\ICll t" hL' fi~hed P11 ,I lal\'L' scal\?, Shrimp arl' fllU11d alpllg 111ust "I Panama \ sll1l1,ll1S a11d Isl.l11t1 st utl,kd cLlastllnc llf 7(Xl mIlL's, thl' Ill11gcsl l"
42 the handling tecnn iq ues to such an ex pal port for commercial shipping. A Japan has recently been bidding for a tent that the lobsters could meet export very small shrimp fishery is carried on at share. The plant are as follow: standards. Lobsters now constitute a Tumaco. a port near the southern small-scale but valuable fishery. border. Bliellal'enillra: At present, all the shippers in Pan Beginning with th e first trawler in Alianza Colombiana de Pesca, Ltda. ama City send their shrimp to New York 1943 and flu c tuating since, the Buena (ACOPESCA) City by Grace Line Sea-Trailer. Ship ventura shrimp fleet consisted of 154 Pesqueros Unidos de Colombia, Ltda. ping costs are about 4 cents a pound. registered ves e ls plus 31 small un Pesquerias del Pacifico, S.A. Formerly, the plant in David shipped registered boats in 1970. All craft are of Empresa Colombiana de Pesca, Ltda. entirely by air, using the northbound, Colombian registry. (LA POLAR) nearly empty, flights of cargo lines that In recent years Colombia has devel Asociacion Pesquera Arlibia, Ltda. make most of their money hauling o ped a boat building capacity at Barran Industria de Pesca sobre el Pacifico outhbound general freight. Flights go quilla, financed by the In tituto de (INPESCA) direct from David to Miami. Later, Fomento Industrial (iFI) to make Co however, the plant started making ship lombia self-sufficient in its need for fish Tunzaeo: ments by refrigerated trailer to Puerto ing vessels. As of 1970, this agency had Productos del Mar Ltda. Matias de Galvezon Guatemala's Carib financed construction of 89 new shrimp (PRODEMAR) Grupo Manccini bean coast, whence the trailers are car boats for Colombia a nd, with the Fondo Pesquera de Tumaco, Ltda. ried by ferry to Miami. Although the de Promocion y Exportacion, fin anced (PESMACO) road distance from David to the port is 37 boats for export. 1,250 miles, not all of it paved, the total Gliapi: Ownership is of two kinds, company cost is comparable to air tran port Recursos del Mar Ltda. (REDMAR) and private; the larger and better boats (about 5 cents per pound). Thi method are company owned. The J 97 J Pacific has proven so satisfactory that most of hrimp fleet consisted of 154 vessels. Most of the catch is white shrimp, the shipments from David now go by about half wood, of which about 125 op call ed "camaron blanco" or "lango trailer. erated at anyone time. A recent survey tino," and the three species are not The shrimp industry has a consider by FAO and the Colombian In stitute for separated in the industry. In all fishing able impact on the economy of Panama. the Development of Renewable atural areas and seasons, Penae ll s oeeidentalis It provide direct employment to thou Resources (INDERENA) recommended constitutes about 82 percent of the land sands of people in Panama City, and the a limit of 125 operating shrimp boats for ings. P. vannamei. P. brel'iroslris. P. business generated through purchases this fishery. Vessels range frolll ::n to californiensis. Xipho/Jenaeus ril·eli. made by the industry provide jobs for 82 feet long; new boats are being built and Traehypenae Lls byrdi account for many others. To a casual observer this in the 65 to 78-foot range and some Illost of the remaining catch. Occasion can be lost sight of in a large city, but equipped with freezers . ally, especially in the dry season, these tho e who follow the economy and the species constitute up to 18 percent of unemployment statistics know that the Nine firms on the Pacific Coast oper th e landings. ate shrimp processing and freezing hrimp fishery is vital to the well being The fleet operates along most ot the plants; six are in Buenaventura. Recent of the city and the country. coast of Colombia south of Cabo Cor figures indicate that about 75 percent Realizing the value of the shrimp rientes, about 150 miles south of the of the shrimp catch is exported and the industry, the government has offered it border with Panama. Trawling is car rest consumed domestically. Although various inducements. The operating ried on at 3 to 15 fathoms, mostly less most exports are to the United States, companies have 25-year concessions than 8 fathoms. and are free from corporation taxes. Table 9. - United States imports of shrimp from The fishery operates in four well There are no export taxes. As in other Colombia. 1961-71 . defines areas (known for research and fields, foreigners may operate in the statistical purposes a zones). They are hrimp fishery by setting up Panama Year Volume Value separated by stretche of deep water nian corporations and by using vessels and rocky coast where fishing is not built in Panama. There is no restriction 1.000 pounds $1 .000 U.S. 1961 1 .873 1.237 pos ible. From north to south, the fish against foreigne rs as plant o ffi cials or 1962 2 .207 1.592 ing zones are as follows: employees. 1963 1.870 1.256 1964 1 .774 1.343 1965 1 .796 1.366 Zone 1. Zone of Cabo Corrientes. This 1966 2.212 1.695 area extends south from the cape to Colombia 1967 2,726 2.031 1968 3.018 2,895 Punta de Piedra, which is near Buena Shrimp are found along mo t of Co 1969 3,703 3,659 ventura. This area has numerous ex 1970 4 ,802 4 .643 lombia's 500 mi les of Pacific coastline. 1971 4 ,841 4 ,891 cell ent nursery grounds, including the The shrimp industry is concentrated at estuary of Rio San Juan and Juan Buenaventura, which is located about Note: The above figures are almost en chaco, The heaviest fishing is near tirely heads-off. shell-on shrimp A small Puerto Pizarro. The best sea on is midway between Panama and Ecuador. proportion in the later years IS peeled and Buenaventura is also Columbia's princi- deveined May to December. Most fishin g i in
43 the daytime, because strong winds trical equipment. and processing ma Ecuador and a heavy surf make fishing close chinery; and various harbor taxes. They to shore at ni ght very dangerous. This may also import various necessiti es that The Ecuadorian shrimp fishery is one zone is primarily a feeding area for a re o th erwise pro hibited e ntry. R e of the best developed in Latin America the shrimp, which are larger th an quired bureaucratic procedures in and is a consistent high producer; ex elsewhere in Colombia. Presumably volved in importing and in obtaining ports average over 5 million pounds. they move in from the south ; the area these exemptio ns are time-co nsuming. Along the 500 miles of coastline, shrimp has no extensive lagoons fo r nursery There is no expo rt tax as such, but fishing is confined to the 100 miles near grounds. the required method of payment and Esmeraldas in the extreme north and to Zone II. Zone of T ortugas and Timpi the artificial rate of foreign exchange the Gulf of Guayaquil in the extreme qui. This important area, from Punta resu lt in a de facto tax. All doll ar pay south. Landings are made at Esmer de Sold ado to Timpiqui, has the excel ments for shrimp exports are made aldas, Playas, Posorja, and Guayaquil; lent nursery g ro unds of the r ivers through the government bank (Banco the last is by far the most important. Raposo and Cajambre and extensive de la Republica). The bank pays the The 1971 shrimp fleet was estimated shallow mud flats. The Bahia de Tor packers in pesos at the rate stipulated at 195 vessels, of which 145 fish out of tugas i especially good. The grounds for all minor or small ex ports (o f which Guayaquil and 50 out of Manta. About are only 2 hours from port, and fish shrimp is one, as opposed to coff ee. a 75 of the boats are wooden, 65 feet or ing is good all year. Most fishing is in major ex po rt), which is less than the more long. Only two have steel hulls, the daytime, although it is not dan open market exchange. For example, and are 75 feet long. About 70 percent gerous to fish at night. in April 1966, when the free exchange of the fl eet has brine refrigeration. The Zone Ill. Zone of Tumaco. This area rate was about pesos 18.00 per 51.00 average trip of the larger vessels is 2 extends from Guapi to Ecuador. The U.S., the rate for shrimp sales was 15.50 weeks; the smaller boats in Manta and best producti on area is immediately to 51.00. This is equivalent to a tax of Playas return to port daily. north of T umaco. Wi th innumerable nearl y U.S. 50.14 on every do ll ar. This In 197 1 nine plants packed shrimp in rivers and estuaries, this region has is far more than the direct export taxes the port of Guayaquil: the best nursery grounds of all. Per in any other country. Empacadora Nacional, c.A. (ENACA), haps for this reason, the shrimp are Since 1967 Colombia has had a Fish producing 1 million pounds per year smaller in the Tumaco area than else e ri es Development Project supported from 49 boats, of which 6 are com where. With many dangerous shallow by the Special Fund of the United Na pany-owned, 32 under contract, and bars, even daylight fishing is hazard tions and operated jointly by FAO and 11 individually owned. ous, and little fishi ng is done at night. INDERENA. Surveys in the shallow The area is fished heavily all year. In waters of the Pacific are alm ost com Industria Pesquera Ecuatoriana, SA. 1963 it was estimated that 57 percent pl eted. Additional shrimp surveys are (IPESA ), production capacity of the production originated in Zones being made in lOO-fath om water. In 150,000 to 200,000 pounds per month III and IV. vestigations are also in progress in the from 40 boats, part company-owned, Zone IV. Zone of North Pacific. T his Atlantic. Basic work has been done in part privately owned. area ex tends from Cabo Corrientes marketing and processing and legal northward to Panama. The FAO problems. Work on oysters and fresh Corporation Pesquera E cuatoriana, I DER ENA survey found small water shrimp is also included in the SA. (COPESA), an old er plant being shrimp grounds in Bahia de Hum project. Training has been given to rebuilt. boldt, Bahias de Cupico y Chirichiri, numerous bi ologists, who will continue and En enada de Utria. At present to work after the project closes at th e Six plants small er than any of the above the resource is little fished . end of 1972. three are: The nine freezin g plants on the All exports to the United States move Pacific coast also process and sell frozen Conservas Alimenticias Ecuatorianas directly fr om Buenaventura on the fi nfi sh in the interior of Colombia. The Cia. Ltda. (CONALEC); scheduled refrigerated ships of the Flota high cost of transportation by truck and Compania Distribuidora Nacional, Merc ante Grancolo mbiana and the a ir, however, makes fish from the SA. , (CODINASA); Grace Line. Pacific coast a hi gh-cost protein in the Empacadora Alberti of Ecuador, T he proce sing plants operate under population centers. Freshwater fish are c.A.; licenses which contain no specific time much cheaper. However, the quality of Ecuadorian Seafoods, c.A. (ESCA), li mit and whi ch pecify that they should the ocean fish marketed is good and Empacadora Frigon/ica de EI Oro e'l.po rt 90 percent of their production people in the upper income brackets (FRIGORO); and and ell 10 percent domesticall y. As are wi lling to purchase a certain amount Productos Marinos Industrializados producers of "minor exports," they as a variation in diet. One dollar or more "In ca" del Ecuador are exempt fr om in come and inheri per pound is common for snook, snap (PROMAINDE). tance taxes: import taxes on fixtures, per. mojarra, sea catfish, and sea bass. The combined annual production of refrigerati on machinery. \ e els. parts The nine plants cited could expand their the six mall plants is less than the total and engines. net and fishin g gear. elec- production for the export market. o f the first three.
44 In Esmeraldas, Mariscos de Esmer striped "tigres" or "zebras": Trachy are actua ll y an ex tension of the Ecua aldas Cia., Ltda., and Pesquera del penaeus by rdi, T. faoe, and T. similus dori an grounds of the Golfo de G uaya Golfo, C.A., were packing shrimp in paclficus. The "tigres" spend part of quil. The onl y Peruvian nursery areas 1971. their life histori es in the lagoons and are the estu ari es around Puerto Pizarro, Ecuador's exports of shrimp to the estuaries like the whites, wh ereas the and these are not particul arl y ex ten ive . United States are shown in Table 10. "pomadas" and "titis" do not enter es About 80 percent of the producti on While most exports are heads-off, shell tuarine waters. is exported to the United States. Hence, on, part of the exports in recent years The trawl ers catch some spiny lob Tabl e 11 , which presents offi cial have been IQF and part peeled, de sters incidental to shrimp. They bring import figures, gives a good idea of the veined, and block frozen . in the tails, which are frozen for export. size of the industry. Weights are mo tly The tails are wrapped individuall y in Table 10. - United States imports of shrimp heads-off , shell -on, which is the princi from Ecuador, 1961-71 . polyethylene and packed in cartons. pal type of product. The shrimp plants, and an additional Yea r Vo lume Val u e plant that deals onl y in lobsters, buy Table 11 . - United States imports of shrimp whole live lobsters from other fi sher from Peru, 1961 -71 . 1,000 po unds $1 ,000 U. S. 1961 4 ,684 2 ,9 8 6 men. The tails a re fro ze n ra w. The 1962 5 ,12 1 4 ,0 8 2 heads are cooked and then frozen for Year Volume Value 1963 5 ,631 4 ,374 expo rt (to yi eld pi cked lobster meat). 1964 5 ,7 59 4 ,2 65 1,000 pounds $1 ,000 U. S. 1965 5,667 4,428 Eventuall y, wh en adequate and sani 1961 358 277 1966 5,239 4 ,507 tary facilities for this work are con 1962 387 335 1967 5 ,986 5.359 1963 367 312 1968 6 ,289 5 ,9 16 structed, it is expected th at this work 1964 308 240 1969 8 ,9 0 1 9. 165 will be done locall y. 1965 4 4 6 419 1970 5,99 2 5 ,735 Almost all the shrimp and lobsters 1966 539 514 197 1 5 ,3 3 2 6 ,054 1967 254 243 are shipped by refri gerated cargo ship 1968 269 292 direct to ew York. One or two pl ants 1969 698 686 In Ecuador, the name "camaron" is 1970 309 307 ship some by air, via A.P.A., to Mi ami . applied generall y to all shrimp. In the 197 1 370 371 T he shipping rates are a little over 5 packing plants, the large hrimp of any cents per pound by ship and 6 cents by species are call ed "langostinos," and the As of late 197 1, the industry con i ted air. sea bobs and small specimens of the of two fr eezing pla nts and 25 boats. All The re is no direct expo rt tax o n white shrim p are call ed "camarones." boats are based at the open-sea port of shrimp. However, the exporters are re Almost all the "langostinos" are the Caleta Cru z. Nin eteen are small 30- to quired by the Central Bank to exchange whi te shrim p of three specie , al 0 call ed 40-footers, and six are modern 60-foot their dollars fo r sucres at an artificial "blancos." Of the e, Penaeus occiden ers. The small boats use single otter rate whi ch is lower than the free mark et talis accounts for 60 percent of the trawls. T he large vessels, which are con and results in a de facto tax. Packers producti on. Most of the rest are P. verted anchovy and tuna boats, use the and fi shermen pay a variety of mall stylirostris. along with some P. van double- ri gged G ulf of Mexico style port and local taxes and fees . namei. The whites are taken in 4 to 14 sh rimp trawls. All are refrigerated fathoms. with ice. T he fi hery takes very few pinks, or Peru One small freezing plant (Promarsa) "rojos," P. brel'irostris; and browns, is located in Caleta Cruz. Twelve small or "cafes," P. ca lIforniensis. The fish ery Peru is at the ex treme southern edge trawl ers fi sh for this plant. T he other scientists beli eve that a good resource o f the ra nge of the warm-water species plant (Conulsa), an affiliate of a United of pinks ex ists in deeper wa ters, but of shrimp, and consequently has but a States company whose principal opera little exploratory fishing has been done. small fishery. Mo t of Peru's ve ry long tion in Peru is fish meal, is located in The commercial fish ery is strictl y in coastline is bathed by the cold waters of Mancora. Its vessels deliver in Caleta shallow water, close to shore, and as the Humboldt Current. Al though this Cruz, and thei r catches are shipped to yet the fi shermen fe el no need to fish nutrient-ri ch body of wa ter supports Mancora by truck. offsh ore. The research vessel of the the world's largest fishery-for the All three species of whi te shri mp are National Fisheri es Institute, while mak Peru vian anchovy- it is too cold for the caught in the Peruvian fis hery. either ing other studies, had excell ent inciden penaeid shrimp, whi ch support the fi shermen nor processors distinguis h tal catches of royal red shrimp on an Hemisphere's shrimp industry. them; all are call ed "blanco ." Prob offshore shelf 400 to 500 meters deep. The Humboldt Current moves off abl y P. occidentalis, Penaeus styliros The small sea bobs are a very impor shore wh ere it meets tropical waters, tris, and P. l'annamei are about equall y tant part of the fishery. Two species near Cabo Bl anco. Just north of Cabo distri buted in the catches. Only the dominate the shallow-water fi sheri es at Blanco are the fi shing towns of Puerto largest sizes are used. About 85 percent Playas and Esmeraldas: the "pomada," Mancora and Caleta Cruz. The entire of the pack is under 15 to the pound Protrachypene precipua, and the "titi," shrimp fi shery is centered in the 30-mile (heads-off), and many are under 10. Xiphopenaeus riveti. Ecuadorian scien long area fr om Caleta Cruz to the bor Fishing is carri ed on out to 15 fathoms, tists recognize three species of the der with Ecuador. The trawling grounds but apparently the shrimp are most
4S abundant close to shore in 3 to 6 T his area is fished oy vessels oased in Pun ta Patuca, as we ll as th e Bay Is fathoms. Honduras and Nicaragua, and by nited lands, are largely wit hout ~h n mp. The Under the 1970 reorganization of States trawler bas d in Florida. T he water is deep, the hottom rough, and Peru's fisheries, an agency called Em Un ited States vessels, omc o f whic h the lag )onS apparently produce few presa Publica de Servicios Pesqueros pick up their crew at Hondu ran and shrimps. (EPSEP) was created to develop the Nicaraguan po rt , deliver their catches The physical prohlem faccd hy those food fis h eries. Although, a noted to their homc ports in FI( rida. He nce, attempting to eSlablish a shrimp fishery above, Peru's shrimp potential is lim their production is nOt inc luded in any IS lhat tht: part of Honduras that I ~ near ited, some development work can be of the statistics pre en tcd in lhi~ report. the shnmp grounds is hoth uninhahited expected as part of the nation's overall As many as 50 or more .. vesseh may and inacce~slhlc. II the harhur and goal of increasing its food fish and hell be in the area at anyone time. These service facilities, upplies, and ources fish production. vessels tran fer their catches to home of labor are to he found In the to\\ns bound boats so they can remain at ea far to the west, on hoth the mainland and continue fi hing for long periods. and the Bay Islands. Withlll reasonahle TH E SHRIMP FI SHERY OF THE The third and most produclI\e area reach of the hrimp grounds thert: an:: no towns, harhors, mads. railways, or CARIBBEAN SEA is in western Venezuela, in Lake Mara caibo and th adjacent Gulf of Vene airfields (except the air stripS that lhe zuela. An enormous fleel of cano s hrimp producer huild for themsel\esl. Genera l fishes for juvenile hrimp in the lake, The eh ice lies hetween estahlishlDg and a locally based fleet f lrawler plant in town far away from the fish The shrimp export fishery of th fishes adult hrimp in the ulL Illg grounds or in remote and primili\e Caribbean Sea developed much later The aribbean hrimp fi hene are pot lacklllg all sen Ice facililies and than on the Pacific Coast. Cuba began based almost entirely on four pecles amenillc . B th approache ha\e heen exporting in a small way in 1953, but the of large penaeid hrimp: the \\ hite, tfled. In either case, co ts of operations fishery never became important. Vene Penaeus schnzi(/I: the pink, P. duoru- ha\e heen high. 'Which alone has been zuelan exports began in 1957 but were 111111: the potted pink., P. hrlJli/,enSIS enough to k.eep the indu lr~ frum ex of no real importance until 1961. Export and the brown, P. u:leCliS. The e occur panding to the extent that the a\'ailable fisheries began in both Honduras and in differing pr portions, depending on reources \\ arrant. Nicaragua in 1958. area, depth, and seas n. nother deterrent lO greater develop Unlike the nearly continuous shrimp menl ha been the con tantI) changing resource of the Pacific Coast, Carib official attitude to\\ard the participation bean shrimp occur in significant quan Honduras f foreign inve tment. \ essels. and per tities only in restricted areas. Only three sonnel in the hrimp Illdu tr). For ex areas appear to have the environment The Honduran shrimp fi hery began ample, the boom of 195 \\as ended essential for large populations of in 195 when nired tate operators abruptl; b) the enactment of the penaeid shrimp, i.e., extensive brack brought in trawlers and established Fi heries La\,. of 1959. \\ hich \ irtually ish water lagoons as nursery areas for freezing plants. Exports that year were barred f reign participation. It required the juvenile shrimp, and open-sea areas 836,000 pound, a figure not equalled 51 percent Honduran capital. \\ hich with a muddy bottom where the adult again until 1963. Ever since it incep wa not forthcoming in vie\\ of lhe shrimp feed and spawn. A relatively tion the fishery has been unstable, start otherwise risky nature of the busine . level muddy bottom is also necessary ing and failing in response to a ariety ubsequentl . the r-. linister of atural for trawling operations. of changing conditions. Re ource \ as given authority to grant One of the three areas is in the ex The Caribbean coast of Honduras temporary permits to foreigners. treme western Caribbean, from the runs east and west for about 365 mile. northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula Lying 10 to 30 miles offshore, near the ince 1959. operations have been at Cabo Catoche southward toward middle of the coastline, are the Bay partly by Honduran corporation and Isla de Cozumel. This extremely limited Islands, consisting of three major is partly by nited States enterprises area is fished by Mexican trawlers based lands and numerous small keys. Strung working under temporary permits. in Ciudad del Carmen and Campeche, out for many miles east and northeast Some permits have called for delivering by United States vessels based in Flor of the eastern part of the coast are doz the catches to shore pl ants: others al ida, and by Cuban boats. The limited ens of small uninhabited keys and reefs. low the transfer of catches to carrier fishery is of recent origin. No catch Shrimp are fou nd in quantity only vessels, under supervision, and upon statistics are available, and catches along the 100-mile stretch between payment of the export taxes. Enforce made in this small fishery are not in Punta Pa tuca and Nicaragua, and ment of regul ations, supervision of cluded in any of the production figures around the keys and reefs offshore. This pl ant operations, and coll ec ti on of presented in this report. is the area with suitable trawling bot statisti cs are all difficult because the The second area encompasses the tom and favorabl e shrimp feeding fis hery is equally inaccessible to govern extreme eastern part of mainland Hon grounds, and it is adjacent to a seri es ment offi cials and plant owners. duras, the offshore islands of Honduras, of large lagoons that serve as nursery T wo pl ants pack shrimp on the main and the coast and islands of Nicaragua. areas. The 265 miles to the west of land Caribbean coast of Honduras.
46 T he older of these, Alimentos Marino equal amounts of the two species, with been built eastward from the capital Hondurenos, is located at Barra Cara most of them in the 26130 size range to the head of navigation on the Rio tasca and is a joint United States-Hon (head -off weigh t). Escondido, which empties into the Mar duran operation. It is a small plant. The following information is a sum de Las Antill as (Caribbean) at Blue fu ll y self-sufficient, and upplied by mary of the findings of a FAO biologist fields. seven boats. The econd is basicall y who observed the fishery in 1959, 1960, The Caribbean coast is blessed with a meat packing operation, handling and 1961: an excell ent series of large brackish some hrimp in eason, at Puerto Cas White Shrimp. The fishery grounds water lagoons and estuaries that provide tilla. are from Punta Patuca to Nicaragua. outstanding nursery areas for young On Roatan I land, the largest of the T he whites are taken in less than 20 shrimp. Annual rainfall of some 200 Bay Islands of Honduras, Mariscos de fathoms. In 1959, two-thirds were taken inches assures adequate fresh water. Honduras has built up a substantial in depths of 11 to 20 fathoms and one Good shrimp feeding grounds, with ex shrimp operation in the town of Oak third in less than 5 fathoms. In 1960, cellent trawling bottom, are found along Ridge. Principal U.S. intere t is Inter 90 percent was taken in less than 10 almost the entire coast from the main national Oceanographic orporation fathoms, the rest in 16 to 20. The whites land beach out to beyond the many of ew York. The plant produces about are most abundant from August to mid- offshore keys and islands. 1 million pounds of headless shrimp a ovember. Although the sizes vary At El Bluff, which is a port of entry year with 20 modern trawlers. from year to year and within a season, at the entrance to Bahia Bluefield, Guanaja Island, the second largest they run mostly 21/40, with none Booth Fisheries de Nicaragua, S.A., of the Bay Islands, has two shrimp under 15. took over a French-built shrimp plant plant. Caribbean Products (75 percent Pink Shrimp. The fishing grounds that failed in 1962. Using U.S. capital owned by Alberti Foods of Chicago) extend from longitude 84° W. (several and management, Booth rebuilt the packs both head Ie s green, peeled, and miles east of Punta Patuca) to the Nica plant into one of the most modern in deveined. and IQF shrimp. Annual raguan border. Practically all pinks are Central America. The company is partly \olume is about 750,000 pounds of taken in 16 to 25 fathoms. (As of 1961, owned by the government corporation shrimp, plus between 60,000 and 100,000 little exploration had been conducted known as the National Institute of De pound of lobster tails. A fleet of 35 beyond 25 fathoms, and the fi hery velopment (lNFONAC). The plant boats supplies this plant. An older and around the offshore keys had not de produces about 3.5 million pounds an larger plant on the arne island is that veloped.) Pink shrimp become abun nuall y. of Industria Pesquera Hondurena, dant in late September or October, then Later, another plant, Pescanica, S.A., Spani h owned and managed. This plant gradually decrease after November started operations on Schooner Key, is reported to have a capacity of 2 mil until March or April, when fishing for an island in the bay. This plant has a lion pounds of shrimp production per them ends. The sizes run mostly 21/40, potential production capacity of 1.5 year, and is supplied by 36 boats, of varying from month to month. million pounds and is owned partly by \\ hich 15 are company owned. Broll'l1 Shrif1lp. Very few browns are Atalanta Trading Company of New Practically all of the Honduran taken. They are mostly 26, 30 to the York. hrimp production is exported to the pound. Still another plant, PROMARBLU, United States. Hence, Table 12, which Since 1959, the export tax has been recently opened up on Corn Island, a gives official United State import fig 50 cents per metric ton , plus 10 per few miles off the coast in the Caribbean. ures, ummarizes the growth and size of cent ad valorem, established on a basic This plant has a production capacity the industry based in Honduras. price of 40 cents per pound. In total, of about 1 million pounds annually and this amounts to a little over 4 cents a operates 20 modern steel trawlers. Table 12. -United State s imports o f sh ri mp from Honduras, 196 1-71. pound. Although starting operations without Nicaragua any company-owned boats, Booth oper Year Volume Value ated 12 steel trawlers in 1971 and Pes canica had 10 steel trawlers. As the 1,000 pounds $1 ,000 US Nicaragua has a 285-mile Caribbean 1961 227 150 coa tline. The only port where shrimp fishery is seasonal, the size of the total 1962 379 259 fleet varies as U.S. and Mexican vessels 1963 835 472 are landed is Bluefields, 200 miles south 1964 698 493 of Honduras and 85 mi les north of Costa come to the area to fish for the two 1965 1 ,632 1 ,069 plants. During the peak of the fishing 1966 2 ,107 1.670 Rica. The eastern part of the country, 1967 1,922 1,751 referred to as Costa Atlantica, had long season, Booth may have over 40 boats 1968 2 ,981 2,819 been isolated from the rest of the coun fishing and Pescanica over 20. 1969 3.925 3,983 1970 2,415 2,346 try because of a lack of communicati on Recent government restrictions limit 1971 3,942 3 ,967 across the jungle and wilderness that shrimp drying to sea bobs. Two small lie between the coast and the capital companies dry shrimps for export, Kai T he H nduran shrimp fi hery is based at Managua. Several years ago, regular Yun Chan on Laguna de Perl as, a few on two pecies: the white shrimp, Penae airline service was provided that now mi le north of Bluefields, and Ernesto us schmitti, and the pink shrimp, P. duo connects the two parts of the country. Hooker on Rio Huahua, near Puerto rar1.lm. T he catches consist of about Furthermore, an all-weather road has Cabezas on the North Coast. They buy
47 -
the catches of canoe fish ermen who u e and master cartons. As o f 1971, about half that of 1966 and the industry was cast nets in the nearby lagoons and 50 percent expo rts were [QF. conf ro nted with problems of fin ances estuaries. The ex port tax on a ll shrimp, re and quali ty. These were largely over Most of Nicaragua's shrimp produc gard less o f pecies o r size, is 3 cents come, however, and in 1970 produc ti on tion is exported to the U nited States a pound. in c reased aga in to over 11 mi ll io n (T abl e 5). po unds. The situ ati o n continued go d Of the fo ur species taken by the Venezuela thro ugh 197 1. fr eezing plants, the two varieties of pink Lake Maracaibo and its di stributary Venezuela's modern shrimp fi shery shrimps are by far the most important. system o f waterways constitute an al began about 1959, in Maracaibo. Large The pink, Penaeus duorarum, and the most perfect e nvironment for the pro scale exports began in 1961. Aft er a pre spotted pink, P. brasiliensis, are taken ducti on of shrimp. They c ntain excel liminary shakedown, th e industry under together in about equal propo rtions. lent feeding, spawning, and nursery went a meteori c expansio n, o n a scale They are not separated in the pl ants. areas, ap parently in th e ri ght pro por never seen elsewhere. With a sma ll er T he most numerous size ra nge is 21 '25 tio ns. Every neces ary degree of salini ty fi shing area than most countries, the (heads-off, shells-on 1. is present, along with water tempe ra Venezuelan fi hery by 1965 was prod uc Both of the pinks are off ho re spe tu res conducive to year-ro und spawn ing more hrimp than any oth er fi shery cies, occurring around the keys and is ing and gr wth . Furthermore, the har south of Mexico. The ex pl anati o n of the lands. T hey are usuall y fished at depths vest of shri mps is made possible by the enormous catche (16 millio n po unds in of about 25 fathoms. existence of suitable fis hing grounds fo r 1965) li es in th e tremendou producti v T he pi nks usuall y appear in October several types of gear. If a model shrimp ity of Lake Maracaibo, pr bably the and are caught into the fo ll owing May. area were to be designed, it could not greate t nursery area for whi te shrimp The best grounds lie within the tria ngle improve upon the Maracaibo complex in the Americas. formed roughly by Punta de Perl as as it exists today. Venezuela has a 1,750-mil e coa tline, (Pearl Point) , Islas del Maiz (Corn incl uding gulfs and island: over three T he heart of the area is Lake Mara Islands), and Punta del Mono (Monkey fou rths of the coast face th e Caribbean caibo it elf. T he lake covers about 5,500 Point, also called Punta Mico). The Sea and the remainder the Atlantic sq uare mi les and is the largest lake in points of this triangle are (from El Ocean. A noted below, hrimp have outh America. Its watershed total Bluff): Pearl Point, 30 mil es north; been caught in commercial quantitie 35,000 sq uare mi les, much of it moun Monkey Point 30 miles south; and the o nl y in the extreme west, and the fi hery tainou and with heavy rainfall . Most of Corn Islands, 50 mi les northeast. The is es entially confined to the G ulf of the lake is shall ow, but a maximum depth slowest season fo r all species is mid Venezuela and Lake Maracaibo, c lose of 11 5 feet is reached in the southeast May through July, when most fishing is to the Colombian border. portio n. T he waters of the lake are a south of El Bluff. Most of Venezuela's shrimp produc mix ture of fresh water from the outflow The white shrimp, Penaeus schmitti, tion is exported to the United States; of many rivers and sea water entering is important seasonall y. The adult Table 13 show th e growth of the in from the mouth of th e lake. ntil 195 whites leave the lagoons for the ocean dustry in the last 10 years: the salt content had flu ctuated around when the heavy rains begin in June. o ne part of sea water to 25 parts of fresh They are fished August through De Table 13.-United S tates imports o f shri mp water, but recently salinity has risen to cember. The fis hing grounds are sep from Venezue la, 1961 -71 . more than double the former amount. arate from those for the pinks, and ex Year Volume Value Thi has been due to the construc ti o n of tend from Cabo Gracias a Dios past a deep-water channel to permit the pas- Puerto Cabezas to Prinzapolea, about 7. 000 pounds S7 .000US age of o il tankers to and from the petro 130 miles. From Prinzapolea to El Bluff 1961 2,469 1 .115 leum install ati ons that ring th e lake. A is a run of 95 miles. The whites, fished 1962 6 .341 4 .067 1963 5 .790 3 .344 counter-c1oc kwi e circul ati on, driven by only in daytime, live in very shallow 1964 7.904 4,457 th e wind, brings sea water to the surface water. Sometimes the trawlers operate 1965 12,71 9 7.976 1966 2 ,881 2.432 in the middle of the lake and provides just outside the breaker line in 1.5 to 1967 4 .773 4.067 for a uniform surface salinity through 2 fathoms. Occasionall y the whites are 1968 5 .403 4 .756 out. The shore areas of the lake, par so close to the beach and in such great 1 969 5.851 5.804 1970 11 .563 11 .288 ti c ul arly the northwestern portions, are quantities that the local residents can 1971 10.083 1 1.921 splend id nursery areas for white shrimp. catch them in sacks, screens, and buck T emperatures in the lake range from ets. In recent years increasing quantities As can be seen by Table 13, Venezu 28° to 31°C. of brown shrimp, P. aztecus, have been eTa's shrimp industry declined sharply in T he lake drai ns into the small , shall ow taken in the same area and season as 1966. While many factors were blamed Bahia de T ablazo th rough the Estrecho the whi tes. T hey are caught a little far fo r th is, experts be li eve that the poor de Maracaibo, on the west shore of ther from shore and are fished at ni ght. fi shing was due to some cyclic change in which li es the city of Maracaibo. The All frozen shrimp are shipped to the abundance, such as ha occurred in oth bay is a typical transition zone, abound United States by refrigerated ships, er shri mp fi sheri es in the past. For the ing in mangrove habitat, with hydro mostly in the standard 5- pound cartons next 3 years, production was less than graphic conditions changing seasonall y.
48 Both the bay and the trait are excellent adult shrimp, the whites constitute X. kroyeri is taken in small quantities nursery areas for juvenile white shrimp. about 50 percent of the total catch made in the Calabozo fishery. Known as the The bay emptie into the Gulf of Ven in the Gulf of Venezuela. In the fi hery "siete barbas," it is also called "camaron ezuela through a series of channels, one in Lake Maracaibo, the juvenile whites blanco," and the larger individuals are of wbich has been dredged for the pas- account for 90 percent or more of the marketed along with the true whites. It age of tanker . The gulf cover an area catch, depending on place and season. does not appear to be very abundant. of about 6,500 square mile. It is pro Three other species of penaeid shrimp The two caridean shrimp are found tected from the open water of the inhabit the ea tern or open, deep water in the lake, particularly in the more Caribbean by the Penin ula de Para part of the Gulf of Venezuela. Mo t im southerly parts that are influenced by guana on the ea t and tbe Peninsula de portant of the e is the pink shrimp, the many rivers. Macrobrachium acan la Guajira on the west. (The outer ex P. duorarum known a "camaron ro thurus, or "brazo largo," is of little com tremity of the latter penin ula i in sado." Thi pecies constitutes 50 to 75 mercial importance. However, M. Colombial. The gulf is subdivided into percent of the catch made in the outer amazonicum, or "camaroncito del rio," two part, the gulf proper on the ea t, part of the gulf. The spotted pink is often caught in considerable quanti and the Ensenada de Calab zo in the shrimp, P. bra iliensis, i found mo tly ties. It sometimes con titutes as much we t, lying outh of the Peninsula de la ju t o utside the gulf proper, north of as 15 percent of the catches in the lake. Guajira. A hallow ridge, running north Cabo an Ramon: because little fishing Also known as "camaroncito blanco," it and outb, divide the two part . Cala has been done in thi area, the true is marketed along with the juvenile bozo has a maximum depth of 15 fath abundance of thi shrimp is not known. white. In fact, the lake fishermen re oms, whereas the outer gulf i as deep Thi pecie i known locally a "cama main convinced that it is the same pe as 44 fathom at it mouth. A could be ron ro ado con mancha." The third cies. Because they often catch M. am expected from the depth pattern, white pecie is the brown shrimp, P. a::.lecus, azonicum in the egg-bearing stage, they hrimp are fo und in Calabozo, and known locally by the specific name of believe that the spawning grounds of brown and pink are taken in the open "camaron marron." The brown hrimp the white shrimp are in the southern gulf. urface water temperature \ ary part of the lake. The government biolo 0 contribute about 20 percent of the easonally from 25 to 2 0c. catche made in the outer gulf. The gi t have tried in vain to explain that Completing the environmental com fi hermen group all three specie to the true white shrimp (like all penaeid plex i a mall protected gulf. the Golfete gether and give them the general name species) is a free spawner and does not de Coro, whicb i an identation of the of "camaron marron." (Scientists also carry its eggs attached to its swimmerets. main gulf on the east, completely pro group them for convenience and call The Maracaibo shrimp fishery really tected by the Penin ula de Paraguana. them grooved hrimp, a distinct from consists of several types of fisheries. This hallow bay, along with the nearby the white.J orne of the plants pack Two different trawl fleets operate in sbores of the gulf it elf, i the principal them all indi criminately as browns: the Gulf of Venezuela. Three kinds of nursery area for juvenile brown and some eparate them as pink or browns, canoe fish erie are active along the pink shrimp. depending on color (which is variable). shores of the gulf, in the Golfete de ine pecies of hrimp are found in The nur ery ground for all three pe Coro, Bahia de Tablazo, the Estrecho the Maracaibo area. even are penaeid cies are in the Golfete de Coro, where a de Maracaibo, and particularly in Lake pecie , of which four are important small fi heryexi ts, and along the nearby Maracaibo. It has been e timated that commercially. The two caridean spe hore of the main gulf. At times, these the trawl fisheries of the gulf account cies are of minor importance. In general pecie appear in the catches in Lake for two-thirds of the total production, terminology, the local fi hermen refer Maracaibo in appreciable quantities, and the canoe fisheries the rest. to all large shrimp, regardle of pecie, o thi area is probably a fairly important The larger of the two trawl fleets, and as ··langostinos. " The smaller shrimp nursery area for them also. the first to be established, is based at are called "camarone ," and the small Punto Fijo on the Peninsula de Para est are "camaroncitos." Becau e of the confu ion of local no guana. In 1969 this fleet consisted of By far the most important specie is menclature, and because of the difficulty 116 boats. While many of these are the the white shrimp, Penaeus schmitti. of accurate identification of the younger Italian boats that entered the shrimp Known as "langostino blanco" or "cam stages, which are quite imilar, it is dif fishery a number of years ago, newer aron blanco," this species may account ficult to say precisely what proportion Florida-style vessels are also included for as much as three-fourth of the total of the catch in the lake i composed of in this fleet. All use the double rig. production. Apparently the white the various specie of grooved shrimp. spawn throughout the year on their However, it has been estimated that The second trawl fleet, 18 vessels in principal feeding grounds in the Ense P. azlecus accounts for nearly 10 per 1969, is based at Maracaibo. All are nada de Calabozo. The postlarvae ap cent of the total lake catch. Florida-style boats ranging from 62 to parently migrate to the nursery areas of Completing the list of penaeid shrimps 65 feet in length, with some larger. The the Bahia de Tablazo and the adjacent are the sea bobs, Xiphopenaeus kroyeri rest of the total shrimp fleet of 159 ves shores of the open gulf, the strait, and and Trachypenaeus similis, and a rock sels consists of a handful of boats at the lake itself. As subadults they return shrimp which has been identified tenta each of the ports of Cumana, Puerto to Calabozo where they later enter the tively as Sicyonia stimpsoni. The latter La Cruz, Carupano, Guiria, and Punta fishery as the predominant species. As two are of no commercial importance. Piedras.
49 About 3,200 canoe fis hermen fi shed fl eet and for export. In late 1971 it was to supply the local market and the tourist hrimp in the Maracaibo area. using 636 completing an order fo r 10 of these hotels. Occasionally, small quantities small boats. During peri ods of excep vessels for Nicaragua. are shipped to the United States. tionally good shrimping, other fisher Further west in Cartagena, the shrimp Cuba was one of the first countries to men join them, so that at times o\'er processing fi rm of Vikingos de Colom develop a shrimp fishery based on ex 4,000 men are taking shrimp. bia dominates the scene. This is a good, ports to the United States. The industry After the various ups and downs ex clean, and fai rl y modern pl ant with da il y began in 1953, reached its peak in 1957, perienced by Venezuela's shrimp indus freezing capacity of 70,000 pounds. and ceased abruptly in 1960 when the try in earlier years, the number of shrimp Most of its production is headless un United States suspended all trade. Re processing plants ha settled down to peeled shrimp, with some peeled and vival began again in 1969, when the first 10. Three of these in the Maracaibo area deveined for block freezing. All pro of 90 shrimp boats ordered from Spain are Lacustre de Pesca, Congeladora de duction goes to a firm in M iami. entered the fi shery. Since then, all of Venezuela, and FIAVESA, all modern T he Cartagena fleet fis h ing fo r these vessels have operated in the Gulf and well run. In Punto Fijo the two Vikingos consists of 53 shrimp boats, of of Mex ico, the Caribbean, and off north princ ipal plants are FIVECA, owned by which 22 are U.S . fl ag, mostl y from ern South America. Most of the pro a U.S. firm , and AVE CASA, whose Tampa. Future plans call for increasing duction of both shrimp and lobsters is freezing c apacity i 50,000 po unds thi fleet to 72 boats, includi ng 10 new exported to Euro pe, Canada, and Japan. per day. boats to be buil t in the shipyard at Jamaica has a small-scale fi shery for Shipments are made to the United Barranq uilla. States by both air and ea. T wo local shrimp to supply the domestic market. A Colombia license costs 50 pesos Most of the shrimp are taken inc idental airlines offer rates of 4 cents per pound (about US $2.00) per gross ton annually, gross. while several steamship lin es offer ly in the fishery for finfish, but they find and is issued onl y when there is a local a ready market. Small quantiti es are ex service with better refrigerated tempera plant contact. ture control at 4.5 cents per pound net. ported to the United State from time to The Cartagena fleet fis hes year round, Ve nezuela has no export tax o n time , along wi th lobster. Recorded from the Venezuelan border to Panama hrimp; however, plant owners must pay United States impo rts of shrimp from in 20 to 40 fathoms. T he be t mo nth import duties on such items as equip Jamaica are 6,000 pounds in 1967, are October to Jan uary. Average catch ment and machinery, most of which 30,000 pounds in 1968, and 3,000 pounds of a 14- to IS-day trip is 3,000 to 5,000 comes from the United States. in 197 1. Normall y, Jamaica imports pounds, heads-off. frozen shrimp from the United States to supplement its own small catches. Colombia Other Countries Haiti and the Dominican Republi c have onl y small-scale local fi sheri es for Colombia's shrimp fis hery along its As noted in Section III-A , the shrimp the domestic market. However, Haiti 630-mil e Caribbean coastline i rela fi sheries of the Caribbean area are co n manages to ex port some shrimp, as in tivelv recent. In 1966 its shrimp fishery centrated in a few localities, particul ar dicated by nited States import fi gures was descri bed a of o nly local interest, ly off Hond uras, Nicaragua, and a small of 1,000 po unds in 1967 and 3,000 but with consid erable potential. At least part of Venezuela. Trawlers based in pounds in 1971. In 1969 imports rose ome of this po te ntial is now being the United States and Mexico fi sh off briefly to 54,000 pounds. realized. Mexico, and United States vessels fi sh Puerto Rico ha a small-scale shrimp In Barranquilla, 15 miles up the Mag off Hond uras and Nicaragua. Otherwise, fish ery that cannot supply the local dalena River. three companies, PESCA the shrimp fi sheries are sporadic and are demand . Hence, considerabl e quantities MAR. COPESCOL, and Pesquera del largely small-scale operati on for local of frozen shrimp are imported. Atlantico, are in the hrimp business. markets. T he primary reason for the The first was undergoing a rebuilding lack of fi hing is that no great quanti Throughout the Lesser Antilles are program in late 1971 involvi ng all new ties of shrimp are to be caught, largely numerous small shrimp fi sheri es, but equipment, includi ng freezers and ice because the combinatio n of favorable none of any importance. These mostl y plant; it operates two 72-foot boats in nursery areas, feeding grounds, and a supply local markets, but occasiona ll y addition to other small er o nes. The sea bottom uitable for trawling is miss some shrimp are ex ported. second company, COPESCOL, had a in g. Throughout th e entire Cari bbean, T he maze of keys and islands lying off small shore plant packing the shrimp with the exception of Honduras, ica the coast of Britis h Honduras is the site from the five vessel of PE CAMAR. ragua, and Venezuela, the spi ny lobster of a very important spiny lobster fi h Production at Barranquilla hould in fi she ry is fa r mo re impo rta nt tha n ery. Although the area appears suitable crea e wh en the third plant, Pesquera shrimp fis hing. Some of the mainland for shrimp, considerabl e ex ploratory del Atlantlco, ha completed its mod countrie (incl udi ng icaragua), and fis hing has fa il ed to locate any ub- ernizati on nearl y all of the island , have fl ourishing tantial resources. Sma ll quantitie are Also at Barranquill a is the shipya rd lobster fisheries ba ed on ex ports to the taken ff the southern coast, near the sl111 ero Magdalena, Ltd., an impres United States and E urope. border with G uatemala. From time to Iv e e tabli hment buildmg 72-foot steel The waters around the Bahamas sup ti me. sma ll amounts are shipped to the shrimp b at both for the dome ti c port a mall - cale shri mp fi shery, mostly United tates (T able 14). so Table 14.-Unlted Siaies Imports o f shrimp hIS shrrmpin)..! ,In:a Ires oft thc 0 t from British Honduras. 1961 -71 of ~(luth mene,1 hetlleen the: mouth
Year Volume Value n f the Orlllllc" ,lIld m.llon RII \.:r . ~hnmp ba,e~ halt: heen e'tal Irshcd lin 1 000 pounds SI.000 US appnnimate chr"nlll'l)..!1 al "r General The II Jters llff northeJstern Slluth me rica hal e be n -ail ed t ht' grt'att'st ~hnmping gfl)und III tht' \\ e tern Hell1l ' phere. The descrrplilln I nllt e\aggerJted. Irst e\plllued lIn ,\ large .It 4 ,CJIe III 1459. the) upplled the L e,l\urld I Imam Il1Jrk.et II llh Jlml"t 2_ mrilrlln PI unl.h 'If I!ulhe . \I here th' shrrmp III 14~1. l'lhlllnt~rtd base which includes a freezing plant, of th e hore faci lities, demand~ of labor tons, will he used for proccsslIlg and shops, parts depot, etc.; and a di tribu group and the Barbados overnment, freeLing other food and for handling tion system for the fin i hed product in and failure by certain gro u p~ tt meet tu na. the United States. They all require, commitments led to the shutdown uf bout flO percent of Trinidad's shnmp within reasonable propinquity to the the industry by the end of 1970 . Twenty producllon IS exported to the nitcd fishing ground, a sourc o f good labor six hrimp boats hifted their operating States, 10 percent to Japan, 4 percentlO and vessel crews, boatyard fa c ilitie , ice ba e to Port of pain, Trinidad, and the other aribhean countnes and h pcr making plant, fuel supplies and gro few others returned to the nlted Stales. ct! nt consumed Ie call}. able 15 sho\\s ceries, ho pitals, e lectric power, li'ing Imports to the nlted States. quarters for supervisory personnel and Trinidad and Tobago boat captains, air service for flying in Guyana replacements on rotation, hipping fa Trinidad's princ ipal fisher} I~ shnmp. cilities for the frozen hnmp, amI ab we For po litical and econo mi c reasons, Its Of the se'eral countries fishing the a ll , government permission to operate capital, Po rt o f pai n, Hers a dt:slrable Ulana area, uyana, formerly Brili~h under terms that will permit them to ba e fro m \ hi eh as man} as 11 C, shnmp Ulana, ha by far the greatest prod uc- make a profit and at the same time pro ve e l have fish ed lhe gro unds o ff the lion. In 1970 IlS hnmp produc tion was vide a boost to the local econom}. ui a nas and northeast BraZIl. In 1970. I l. mIlII )n p unds, head~ -o rf . ",ith a The problem of unauthorized tran - the e ve sels, of \\ hl eh 7ft \\cre \alut! o f L 1~ .76 million. In addition, fer of catche at sea, and ale or barter fl ag, ca u g ht~ . million po unds 0 1 head ujanJ produced IJ r to ns o f rinflsh . by the skippers, is seri us in the u iana off hrimp \alued at .S. 55.5 mIl11 n. consisting o f \napper. gro uper, c roaker. fishery, as elsewhere. In elf defen e, lnte rn allonal oods, Ltd . ( In mullet. and \ea trout. The small-boat operators have banded together to pre tere t- 15 p rcent) pro\ Ide all of the fleet comprtses some J ,200 boats. man) vent this practice, hiring undercover ho re facililles for thl. fl eet in tw o 10- (If them e ither inhoard o r outboard agents and offering reward. calion. The first and o ldest Illcallon p)\\ereu.and 175 trawler ,uf",hich 17 1 The hrimp fishery of the G uiana i proce es and rreeze \ an l u food prod are o ff hore shrtmp tra", ler , f the o ff described in the following ubsection , uc t and ha a 5t rage capaclt) of 2,50() sh re \ e sets. 122 flj the '.. flag. country b} country. Information given tn . The 'econd, a ne\\ in tallallon hlllese sellles, adell line la tipe of was obtained in late May 1971. Because call ed" ea Lot ," I m dern. large. and longllllel. pill ellle., and g Ill nets are of the problems created by Brazil's complete III e\ ef) re pect, IIlcluulIlg a u ed to catc h fl h n the broad hallow claims to extended juri diction, s me number of buIldi ng that fleet opera flat thaI fringe u)ana 3 mile United State flag vessel withdre\\ from t ru e for uch aCll \ Itl e a net and coast IlIle . the area late in 1971. Production figures engine repair. The o\ ernment of Ge ) rgeLO \\ n has t\\ O shrtmp plant and fleet sizes are therefore subject to Trinidad and Tobag bu ilt three large GeorgetO\\ n eafo d ( I percent revision, mostly downward. pier at thi I ati n, a nd the Texaco nlled tate \10 ned), fro m \\hlch fo ur On May 9,1972, the United State and Com pan} ha in t a il ed a fuel ta nk fleet 0 \\ ner o perate 3 Brazil signed an agreement which would "farm". However, becau e f problem Bo ker' plant (Briti h remain in effect at least until January 1, created by Brazil's c laim to a 2 -mile o",ned and perated). from "'hich 1974. The agreem ent establish e a te rrito rial ea. the bul" (the nited \ e sel . 29 o f them nited tate flag, shrimp conservation zone off the cast tate hrimp fleet left Tnnidad III 197 1, are managed. Georgetown eafood can of Brazil within which the activitie of reducing the Trinidad-ba ed hrimp freeze and pr ce 60, p unds of shrimp vessels of the two countries will fleet to about 20 boat. The ea Lo t hrimp per h ur and tore 500. be regulated. plant continued, therefore, to be un po und. The Booker' plant has the On May 19, 1972, Brazil and Trinidad u ed . Future plan call for it to be u ed capacit} f freezing and proce sing and Tobago signed an agreement pro when the ize of the fleet ju tifie its 70,000 pound per hour and holding viding for continued fishing by Trinidad opening. Then the o ld freezer plant, 250.000 po und. and Tobago vessels in the waters ad with a total storage capacity of 2,500 Georgetown al ha the Government jacent to Brazil during the period May 1, Ta ble 15 - Un ited States imports of sh ri mp fro m Table 16. - Unlled States Imports of shrimp from 1972, to November 30, 1973. Tri nidad and Tobago, 1961 -71 . Guyana , 1961 -7 1. Yea r Volume Value Year Volume Value Barbados I , 000 pounds SI ,OOO U.S. 1,000 pounds SI.000 US. 1961 15 10 1961 3 .506 2 .305 Barbados is the easternmost island of 1962 1962 4 ,129 3 .582 the West Indies and the closest port in 1963 1963 5 ,509 4 .668 the Antilles to the Guiana 1964 1964 5 .502 4020 shrimp 1965 180 137 1965 7 ,972 6 .128 grounds. From 1963 to 1970 it enjoyed a 1966 1.228 1,233 1966 8 ,780 7 .306 flourishing shrimp industry. Peak pro- 1967 1,710 1.875 1967 9 ,452 6 ,676 1968 3 ,076 3 .589 1968 8 ,34 9 7 ,692 duction was 2.3 million po unds in 1968 1969 2 .6 4 3 3 .112 1969 8 .155 7 ,533 from 32 boats. Commencing in 1969, 1970 3 ,895 4 ,129 1970 10 ,165 1 1,705 1971 2,434 2 ,878 however, problems of poor maintenance 1971 8 ,981 1 2 .396 52 Fish Market and Center, serving as a 197 1. Of these, 14 fl ew the United States and handles sea bobs and finfis h, mainly local fi sh freezing and distribution cen fl ag, 15 were Japanese, fiv e Korean, and for ex port to France. te r. The center has a freezing capacity 15 registered in Surinam. Producti on of St. Laurent, the second coastal port, of 35,000 pounds and holding capacity of this fl eet in 1970 was 4 million po unds is located near the western border. It 40,000 pounds. Farther along the coast of heads-off shrimp, valued at US $5 served as a base fo r 30 shrimp boats at New Amsterdam is also a Fish Center million. whi ch supplied a modern and well with a freezing capacity of 17,000 Ex pansion plans call fo r a new opera equipped processing plant with a capac pounds and a holding capacity of 90,000 ti ng base and processing plant to serve ity of 25,000 pounds daily. Operating pound. a fl eet of 65 Japanese shrimp vessels, 35 and management problems, however, Although Georgetown serves as an of which would be transferred from caused th is plant to cease operations im portant base for the G uiana shrimp Trin idad and 15 fro m Georgetown. in 1970. Reportedly, 16 U.S. flag ves fi hery, very li ttle shrimp fis hing is done In recent years about 85 percent of sels moved from Georgetown to St. off G uyana. T he principal grounds are Surinam's hrimp producti on has been Laurent in late 197 1, and the plant re to the east, off Surin am, French Guiana, exported to the United States (Table 17). opened under new U.S. management. and northeast Brazil. As a resul t of a study carried out by Table 17.-United States imports of shrimp Table 18. -United States imports of shrimp from Surinam, 1961 -71 . a U DP/ FAO Fisheries Development from French Guiana, 1963-71 . Project, the Government of G uyana has Year Volume Value Year Volume Value ordered 10 new shrimp boats, five from a Mexican yard and five fro m Colombia, 1,000 pounds $1,000 U. S. 1, 000 pounds $1,000 U.S. at a cost of US $1.25 mill ion. T hese 1961 447 278 1963 2.789 1 ,952 1962 1.036 969 1964 2.961 1 .956 vessel were expected to be delivered 1963 1.205 1 ,154 1965 3.960 2.958 in late 1971 to form the nucleus of what 1964 1 ,323 1.049 1966 4 .668 4 .228 1965 1 .409 1 ,112 1967 6,717 5 ,621 was expected to be a Government 1966 2.080 1.967 1968 7.820 7,624 operated fis h in dustry. A second step of 1967 2.1 29 2.340 1969 6 ,037 6 ,607 1968 3 .212 3 ,857 1970 5 .802 5.802 the plan, subject to financi ng being 1969 2.886 3.654 1971 3 .808 5.561 arranged, calls fo r a $1. 5 million shore 1970 2.582 3 .066 1971 2. 128 2.656 plant to handle both shrimp and finfish; All of French Guiana's shrimp pro- the fis h are to be used both for local d uction is exported to the United States consumption and for export to other (Table 18). Caribbean countries. French Guiana About 90 percent of G uyana's shrimp Brazil production goes to the United Slales. French Guiana is the closest of the the rest to Japan. three Guiana to the most productive Shrimp are abundant at the northern shrimp grounds. Cayenne, the capital, and southern extremes of the coast. A i the largest of the two coastal ports. large fis hery exists for the domestic Here the most important operation is market, but an ex port industry has been Surinam that of PIDEG (Pecheries Interna slow in developing. tionales de Guyana Francaise), owned In a previous regional report from the Although Surinam had the first shrimp by Henderson's Portion Pak, a division U.S. Embassy, Mexico City, Milton processing and freezing plant in the of Borden's (80 percent), and by local Lindner, writi ng in 1956, stated that the G uianas, it now ranks third in impor French interests (20 percent). PlOEG annual Brazili an shrim p catch was esti tance in the Guianas fishery. T he si ngle has a processing and freezing capacity mated at 20 to 25 mi ll ion pounds, live shore plant at Paramaribo, Surin am of 40,000 pounds. A total of 42 shrimp weight. T his tremendous production American Industries, Ltd. (SAIL), was vessels supply this plant, all of them U.S. was entirely for domestic consumption. acquired from the fo rmer owners in flag. Production of this fleet in 1970 Three separate fisheries account for 1969 by Bumble Bee Seafoods. T he pl ant was 3.67 milli on pounds of heads-off most of the production. T he northern is modern , well equipped, and has a shrimp, valued at U.S. $4.75 mill io n. fis hery, which contrib~tes about half of processing and freezing capacity of French G uia na, a prefecture of France, the catch, is carried on east of the mouth 50,000 po unds of shrimp per day, with a exports little else but shrimp; the shrimp of the Amazon to near Sao Luiz by holding capacity of 600,000 pounds. industry represents some 80 percent of means of trap net and seines, in the Under an arrangement made in 1956 the local economy. estuaries and along the beaches. About by the former owners, SAIL enjoys ex A new operation recently started on 60 percent of the catch is sea bobs. The cl usive rights in Surinam to process and a small scale is France Peche, affiliated rest is juvenile white and brown shrimps. ex port shrimp. T his excl usive privil ege with similar seafood oper a tions in T he fin fish trawlers from Rio de Janeiro ex pired August 31, 1971, at whi ch tim e Dakar, Senegal, and Abidjan, Ivory and Santos take large quantities of adult other entrepreneurs could enter the Coast. Starting with two trawlers, wi th white, brown, and spotted pink shrimps fi eld . two more expected later in 1972, this along the south-central coast, between T o supply SAIL, 49 shrimp vessels company has a small packing room in Rio Doce and Laguna. The large south operated o ut of Paramaribo in mid- the publi c freezer wareho use in Cayenne ern fishery is near Rio Grande and is 53 ... based on the run of young spotted pink control. No date has yet been set for the 50 days. The vessels are Bender-built shrimp out of Lagoa dos Patos. This elimination of the tax. in Mobile, Ala., 75 feet long, diesel fishery is seasonal and varies from year Shrimp Companies in Be/em: At the powered, and equipped with on-board to year. More than half of the total catch end of May 197 1, the following com pa fr eezin g. Crews and captain will be is sold partially dried and heavily salted. nies were engaged in the shrimp industry all Brazilian. in Belem: COPESBRA - Companhia de Pesca The potential producti on of Brazil 's Norte do Brazil. This company is basi shrimp resources cannot be determined PESCOMAR- Companhia Nac io na l call y a Japanese operation, with Bra prec isely. According to industry de Pesca began operations in October zilian participation. It operates three sources, th e Brazili an Government, and 1970; controlling interest is held by shrimp vessels crewed by Japanese, F AO scientists who have studied the Rowan Industries of New Jersey. (Note: each with two co-captains, Brazilian and resource, the available resources (es This control is accomplished by holding Japanese. Shore facilities consist of a pecially th ose in the north which have the major part of the common, or voting, dock, ice plant, and processing and contributed significantly to the fish ery stock. SUDAM has 75 percent of the freezing plant. based in the Guianas) should be abl e to investment.) This is a large, very mod As an o perating base for fi sheri es, the support increased fishing. ern, and well-eq uipped shrimp process ing plant with a freezing capacity of port of Belem offers a great deal- ex The status of the shrimp industry at 60,000 pounds per day and storage ca cell ent harbor facilities, shipyard and Belem is described below: pacity of 600,000 po unds. Ice-making repair facilities, and propinquity to ri ch Government Orga nization: As in the (flake) capacity is 60,000 pounds per shrimp grounds and to river and marine rest of Brazil , the government agency day, with a 150,000-pound storage fish . Under the SUDEPE and SUDAM dealing with fisheries is SUDEPE (Su capacity. programs there are attractive incentives perintendency for Fisheries Develop T he plant is su pplied by six U.S.-built for fishery development and invest ment). SUDEPE'S Northern Region shrimp vessels 86 feet long with on-board ment. As in most Latin American coun Office is in Belem. Under the invest freezing equipment. If additional funds tries, however, built-in bureaucratic ment incentive plan ad6pted in Brazil requested from SUDAM are forthcom customs and delays often present prob in 1967, the Government of Brazil will ing, this fl eet wi ll be increased to 20. In lems to the U.S. citizen not accustomed invest $3 for every 51 of private capital the meantime the company has ordered to doing business in this part of the invested in a SUDEPE-approved fishery five small er shrimp boats from a ship world. Good business practice obviously project. If the project is also one ap yard in Colombia and plans to operate calls for a careful and thorough investi proved by SUDAN (Superintendency them on grounds closer in for cheaper gation of all aspects of any proposed for Development of the Amazon Re operatio n. venture before making a commitment. Table 19 shows imports from Brazil gion), the Government can invest an PRIMAR- Productos Industriali additional $3. In other words, fi shery zados do Mar, S.A., associated with into the United States and reflects the projects with bo th SUDEPE and CRUSTOMAR in Santos, Brazil and slow beginning of Brazil's shrimp export SUDAM approval are eligible for $6 with Seacrest, Ltd., of the Bahamas. industry and its substantial rise during of Brazil ian Government money for (The company has taken over the plant the past 4 years: every $1 of private capital. formerly operated by W.R . G race and Table 19. -Uniled Slales imports of shrimp In addition to the companies that are Company.) Like PESCOMAR, this from Brazil, 1961 -71. already in operation and listed later, plant is large, modern , a nd well SUDEPE has approved two other pro equipped. Its freezing and processing Year Volu m e Value jects: CAMBELL, an operation involv capacity is 70,000 pounds of shrimp 1, 000 pound $1 ,000 U.S . ing both shrimp a nd finfish ; a nd per day, with a storage capacity of 1961 40 28 700,000 pounds. Most of its production 1962 57 46 CONORPE, also dealing in shrimp and 1963 7 4 fish. Both of these projects are expected is exported to the United States, some 1964 35 19 to be operational in the middle of 1972, to Japan. 1965 473 172 1966 486 4 00 and will involve some U.S . capital. PINA - Interca mbio Comercial , In 1967 176 1 55 One of the problems limiting fi shery dustri a e Pesca, S.A. is internatio nall y 1 968 1 ,619 1,499 1969 3 ,707 4 ,397 develo pment in Belem (and in Brazil connected, with associated operations 1 970 2 ,605 2,707 as a whole) is the high cost of diesel fu el in Italy, Canary Islands, Spain, and Af 1971 4,405 5 ,159 - about US 25 cents per gallon. This rica. A site has been acquired, and the compares with 13 to 15 cents per gall on building shortly to be constructed will in the Guiana-area countries to the have a freezing capacity of 60 ,000 westward. Legislation has been passed pounds per day and a storage capacity ACKNOWLEDGEMENT to provide an exemption from the fed of 1,200,000 pounds and will process eral tax on diesel fu el for fi shing vessel both shrimp and fish . Plans call for a This report is an up-dating and re use, thus bringing the price to about fleet of 25 vessels to be built in the vision of the 1967 original report carry th at of neighboring countries. The legis United States, the first of which was ing the same title prepared by R ichard lation has not been implemented, how delivered by mid-1971 and two more S, Croker, the Regional Fisheries Atta ever, pending the design of a system of schedul ed for delivery at intervals of che for Latin America from 1963 to 54 1968. In an effort to shorten the report, Thanks are due, too, to the several In the interest of brevity, the list of much admittedly useful and interesting American Embassies whose Economic references contained in the original background and historical information and Commercial Officers were so help report will not be repeated here. For has been omitted. Apologies are ex ful in providing up-dated information those interested, this list can be ob tended to Richard Croker for this con when personal visits were not possible. tained from the International Activities densation and with grateful acknowledg In the countries that the reporting of Staff, National Marine Fisheries Ser ment for the tremendous amount of ficer visited, these officers and many vice, U.S. Department of Commerce work and research that went into the Government and private people pro (Page Bldg.2, Room 249), Washington, original report. vided valuable help and cooperation. D.C. 20235. MFR Reprint 971. From Marine Fisheries Review, Vol. 35, Nos. 3-4. Copies of this reprint, in limited numbers, are available from 083, Technical Information Division, Environmental Science Information Center, NOAA, Washington, DC 20235. MFR REPRINT 972 California's ocean shrimp industry had over 2 million pounds of landings in 1972, most of it coming from the northern part ot the state. Status of the California Ocean Shrimp Resource and Its Management Area C boundary from Rincon Point W.A. DAHLSTROM of ocean shrimp were charted. Regula tions for the new fishery were estab to the Mexican border. lished by the California Fish and Game The fishery off Morro Bay in Area C Commission in 1952, and the first was first to develop. Landings of catches were made later that year. Three 197,944 and 198,505 pounds were made HISTORY OF THE FISHERY regulatory areas were designated, catch in 1952 and 1953 respectively (Table 1). quotas were established for each area, Fishing also took place in Areas A and One of the youngest commercial fish mesh size restrictions were initiated, B (later to be designated B-2) , but during eries in California is that for ocean and a season was set. The three regula shrimp, Panda/us jordani. This species tory areas were Area A, Oregon border was first fish ed in California off Morro south to False Cape; Area B, False Cape W.A. Dahlstrom is a member of Bay on April 28, 1952. Later on in the south to Pigeon Point; and Area C, the staff of the California Depart 1950's, fisheries developed off Bodega Pigeon Point south to Rincon Point ment of Fish and Game. He is Bay, Fort Bragg, Eureka, and Crescent (Santa Barbara-Ventura County lin e). stationed at its Marine Resources City in California and also along the By 1956 it had become apparent that a Laboratory, 411 Burgess Drive, coast of Oregon and Washington. portion of one of these areas (B) was Menlo Park, Calif. This paper originally was issued as Marine During 1950 and 1951 , ex ploratory not being fully utilized. T herefore, it Resources Technical Report was divided into two areas; B-1 extend fishing by marine biologists of the Cal No. 14, 1973, and is reprinted with ifornia Department of Fish and Game ing from False Cape to Point Arena, and permission of the California De laid the groundwork for utilizing this B-2 from Point Arena to Pigeon Poi nt partment of Fish and Game. The latent resource. During cruises off the (Figure 1). Each area was all otted sep photographs were provided by California coast on the research vessel, arate quotas. Another change occurring the California Department of Fish N.E. Scofield, five dense concentrations in the 1960's was the extension of the and Game. 55