— Our electric power production increased by 125 percent; 

 petroleum and manufacturing production by 101 percent; fish- 

 ing by 87 percent; business activity by 72 percent; stock rais- 

 ing by 47 percent and transportation by 43 percent. Agri- 

 cultural production expanded by 30 percent, a rate lower than 

 that of population growth. 



—In 1963 alone, manufacturing increased by 13.5 percent 

 and agriculture and animal husbandry by 6.5 percent. Two 

 industries basic to Mexico's modern development — electric 

 power and petroleum — grew 15 percent and 9 percent, 

 respectively. 



The national goal of expanding our diversified economic 

 development to the maximum has led the new Government 

 of Mexico to establish targets of vast proportions. These 

 include: 



— A growth in real income of at least 6 percent per year 

 during the 1965-1970 period; 



— A minimum of 400,000 additional jobs per year; 



— Maintenance of domestic price levels and avoidance of in- 

 flationary factors; 



— Combining a more equitable distribution of the national 

 wealth generated year by year by our growing development; 



— A healthy equilibrium among all sectors of the national 

 economy and between the use and conservation of our na- 

 tional resources; 



— Rapid and efficient solutions to the problems of our rural 

 sector; 



— Stimulation of domestic capitalization, without the reduc- 

 tion or stagnation of the economic and social contribution of 

 low-income groups. 



To attain these goals, coordination among the various pub- 

 lic agencies will be emphasized ; the tax policy will be affirmed 

 and the supply of money in circulation will conform to the pro- 

 duction of goods and services; the national economy will be 

 strengthened; recourse will be had to supplementary foreign 

 credits where required, always within the framework of our 

 ability to repay; productive activities in general will be diversi- 

 fied and new markets will be sought. 



Fishing activity will play a primary role in attaining these 

 goals. The fishing industry, as has been noted, increased in 

 value during the 1955-1964 decade by 87 per cent, and ex- 

 panded catches of seafoods of various kinds, particularly tuna, 

 shrimp and sardines, from 1 19,000 tons in 1955 to more than 

 198,000 tons in 1964. 



How has Mexico arrived at these goals and how will it ex- 

 ceed them? 



The benefits obtained from fishing are the direct result of 

 the intensive efforts of cooperatives, individual fishermen, in- 

 dustrialists and government authorities. These benefits are 

 the solid foundation of future activity, and will tend to support 

 President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz' intention "to make the riches 

 of the sea one of Mexico's basic riches." Thev will also, in 

 consequence, prevent situations such as that recently described 

 by Mr. Antonio Ortiz Mena, Secretary of Treasury and Public 

 Credit of Mexico, in the following words: 



"The fishing industry has experienced undesirable ups and 

 downs. At one point exports soared in volume and value, but 



fish for the domestic market was at a minimum. Later, we 

 substantially increased domestic consumption of seafoods 

 while, on the other hand, the catch and volume of certain 

 species sold abroad diminished." 



In other words, we are seeking to strike a sound balance 

 between fishing for export and fishing to supply our growing 

 domestic market. To do so, the Federal Government, aware 

 of the stimulus required by the fishing industry, "will give it 

 preferential attention." 



On attaining this balance, the country and the fishing in- 

 dustry affected by export prices will be less exposed to harmful 

 price fluctuations and will be able to make firm progress in 

 modernizing and replacing boats and nets to improve domestic 

 supply, now at a stage characteristic of an economic activity 

 in a developing country. 



In view of these factors and in accordance with the Gov- 

 ernment's desire to encourage the fishing industry, the National 

 Fisheries Consultative Committee was established on December 

 8, 1961. This agency is an interdepartmental advisory body, 

 whose basic objectives are contained in a twelve-point program, 

 as follows : 



1 ) Establishment of a Fisheries Research Institute; 2) estab- 

 lishment of fishing schools on each coast; 3) a fisheries 

 supervision service; 4) control of contamination and pollu- 

 tion of estuaries, bays and lakes; 5) reforms in fisheries 

 legislation; 6) studies and recommendations to improve the 

 fisheries tax system; 7) recommendations to increase and 

 diversify production; 8) recommendations conducive of better 

 distribution of fishing products; 9) continuous publicity and 

 information to popularize the consumption of fish; 10) recom- 

 mendations on works necessary to benefit the fishing industry; 

 11) recommendations on improved credit systems, and 12) 

 coordination between the Committee and the various public 

 and private sectors participating in the fishing industry. 



Obviously, the main support of the fishing industry is the 

 availability of natural resources. Mexico, in consequence, 

 has been conducting sound research and quantitative studies 

 in this respect, thanks to the efforts of the National Fisheries 

 Biology Research Institute, of the General Fisheries Admin- 

 istration, sponsored by the National Fisheries Consultative 

 Committee. 



This work already has yielded magnificent results, which 

 include Preminary Fishing Charts for both coasts which afford 

 an overall picture of our fishing resources. In a like manner, 

 excellent studies have been made of the biological cycles and 

 habits of various species. The revision and expansion of 

 cceanographic and climatological data is being carried forward 

 without interruption by specialists at the marine biology and 

 pisciculture stations of the National Fisheries Biology Research 

 Institute. 



Training our fishermen is being carried out in the Fisheries 

 Schools established on both our coasts for that purpose. Their 

 number is being increased to better meet our needs in this 

 respect. The purpose of this training is to train crews for 

 boats operating on the continental shelf and beyond, and 

 thereby enable them to diversify their catches and improve the 

 stability of the industry. 



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