system could make use of a clearinghouse 

 concept that gathers and distributes data and 

 perhaps daily NOAA radio reports with 

 weather forecasts, water temperature, weekly 

 reports of fish landings, announcements of 

 current research programs, results of research, 

 and information on grants and financial 

 assistance available to fishermen. Such infor- 

 mation could be provided with relatively little 

 effort and expense. Other information which 

 would be useful to fishermen, but would re- 

 quire additional research and expense, in- 

 cludes reports on foreign fishing techniques, 

 data on migration patterns of fish, and reports 

 on stock assessment, marketing, distribution, 

 and handling of fish. 



The equipment and information needs of 

 the industry will inevitably be debated by the 

 Regional Councils in the course of formulat- 

 ing regulations for the domestic fishery. Gear 

 particularly will come under scrutiny as the 

 councils consider gear restrictions as a means 

 of regulating catch. Such restrictions will limit 

 the efficiency of existing gear and are sure to 

 be challenged by the fishermen. The result 

 may be an increased need for innovations in 

 gear or it may be that councils will be forced 

 to find alternate ways of regulating catch. (For 

 example, a system of fees for illegal by^atch, 

 instead of restrictions on mesh size, may be 

 used, leaving fishermen free to find their own 

 ways of modifying gear or fishing practices so 

 that illegal fish are not taken.) 



Since the councils will be deeply involved 

 in this area, they should be charged with 

 studying the needs of the fishing industry in 

 their areas and proposing appropriate actions 

 to the Federal Government. In this way, such 

 proposals are likely to more accurately reflect 

 the thinking of the industry and be compatible 

 with industry desires and fishery manage- 

 ment plans. The councils, through NMFS, 



should also be charged with sharing with 

 other regions what knowledge they have 

 gained about industry practices and problems, 

 proposed Government actions, and successful 

 or unsuccessful management techniques. 



Revitalization of the U.S. fishing industry is 

 the subject of a recent report by the General 

 Accounting Office^^ and a study by the East- 

 land Fisheries Survey which will be completed 

 soon. Programs for assisting the industry or 

 removing constraints are being proposed by 

 both groups. But sufficient data about various 

 segments of the fishing industry are not now 

 available for evaluating what revitalization 

 proposals are justified. At least the following 

 questions should be addressed for each indus- 

 try segment so that Government agencies, 

 fisheries managers, and private industry can 

 determine what programs are needed and 

 what actions are best suited to each group: 



1) What is the status of the fish product in- 

 volved, including history and trends of 

 catch, value, prices, market demand, and 

 distribution? What competition with im- 

 ports exists? 



2) What is the status of the technology used 

 for harvesting, its efficiency, its pro- 

 ductivity, the effect on the resource, and 

 the cost of production? 



3) What is the status of the labor force and 

 earnings in the fishery? 



4) What is the normal and possible area of 

 coverage of the fishery? What mobility 

 and flexibility is available to expand or 

 change? 



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