THE SHRIMPING INDUSTRY IN ESSEX
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clumsy and heavy and also did not last longer than 12 or 15
months, that they were eventually replaced by the encased boilers
which have altered little since that time. The most noteworthy
change has been the substitution of wrought for cast iron, and
later galvanized iron boilers (Murie, unpublished report).
The catch for an hour's trawling is usually about 7 to 15
gallons, the quantity depending on the fishing ground and on
the season of the year. Catches of 50 to 60 gallons are not
unusual, and in the summer of 1952 a certain boat from Southend
secured a record haul of 200 gallons of pink shrimps in eight
minutes (Fishing News, No. 2046). However, there are also
records of only 2 or 3 gallons of shrimps caught in two hours
trawling. It is apparent, therefore, that a shrimper can catch
80 to 130 gallons in a day's fishing when the shrimps are
abundant. This is seldom maintained because the fishermen
cannot dispose of such quantities.
Marketing
Marketing has always been a difficult problem with shrimps,
due to the practice of shrimpers on the east and south-east coast
of England of placing unpeeled shrimps on the market. Most
shrimpers have their own particular local customers' trade, and
once this outlet is satisfied they do not look for inland markets.
Their surplus is sent to Billingsgate with the result that the
market is flooded with unpicked shrimps, for which there is a
limited demand, and the prices reach a low level. There has been
little effort to develop shrimp peeling and potting, as it is carried
on the Lancashire coast, although a firm set up at Stamford-
le-Hope, near Vange, is gradually becoming established. If an
alternative market existed, there is no doubt that landings and
prices would increase and shrimpers would have a better deal
than at present.
There are other reasons for the present poor state of the
market. Although some shrimpers will carefully riddle their
catches, there is evidence that many fishermen do not take
sufficient effort to sort and grade their catch, and might even
send their catch to the merchants without any riddling, or using
a riddle with a small gauge. Occasionally the market is being
flooded with shrimps, especially during the week when there is
little demand. For some reason shrimps appear to be in demand
at week-ends, but fishermen will persist in sending them at all
times without any regard for the state of the market. At the
week-end prices usually improve. Unfortunately at this period,
the shrimpers can dispose of their catch at the local market, and
they do not send shrimps to the merchants at Billingsgate. Con-
sequently, the shrimp merchants attempt to sell shrimps which
have been kept in cold storage during the week. The importation
of Norwegian prawns is also another factor reducing the home
shrimp market. In spite of the difference in price, the prawns sell
better, since they are much larger and superior-looking than the
brown or pink shrimp.