Shrimp Boat Etchings by Leslie E. Thompson
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The shrimp boats in these scenes are of the Texas double rig design, introduced in 1955. Shrimp boats go out 150 or more miles into the Gulf of Mexico, shrimping mostly off the Louisiana coast. The trawlers range from 40 footers to 90 footers powered by engines of 275 to 500 horsepower, and are of of wooden, steel or fiberglass construction.

Three species of shrimp comprise over 95 percent of the Gulf catch: the white, the brown and the spotted pinks; all three of which spawn in the Gulf. The whites are found in waters about four to twenty fathoms in depth hiding in the mud and feeding during the day. The browns, found in 1940, are caught at night. In 1950, the big spotted pink shrimp were found, and caught at night in water twenty to sixty fathoms deep.

The head of a shrimp contains the stomach and most of its internal organs, so when the head is off, only the meaty tail remains protected by jointed shell. The heads are often removed from shrimp while the boats are still at sea to guard against early spoilage. A good shrimp 'header' can fill his 60 pound basket in about half an hour. The 'headed' shrimp are washed and iced down in bins. Once on shore, the catches are processed by seafood companies utilizing the latest and most modern packing equipment, grading machines, washing tanks, and ice plants. A fleet of refrigerated trucks ships to markets all over the United states, to Canada and Japan.


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