38 SALMON GEAR LIMITATION 



( 1 ) that the individual fishing units are as efficient as we know how to 

 make them; (2) that the minimum number of units are employed 

 for any given average and maximum catch level; and (3) that regu- 

 lations operate to encourage innovation and improve efficiency rather 

 than the opposite. In brief, it would be desirable to get the largest 

 possible margin of dollar receipts over dollar costs for the fishery as 

 a whole. 



From the standpoint of the individual fisherman, vessel owner, 

 and processing-marketing firm,, proper functioning of the industry 

 and of management are defined in terms of incomes. Given the nature 

 of the salmon runs, nothing can prevent a considerable amount of 

 instability in the incomes of both fishermen and processors. Never- 

 theless, it would be desirable to have incomes as stable as possible, 

 with a minimum of job shifting, and to develop a skilled, professional 

 group of fishermen as the mainstay of the operation. This implies 

 that earnings to both labor and capital in the industry should average 

 out to those obtainable in other occupations with comparable degrees 

 of risk. 



In the long run we are also concerned with the safety and health 

 of fishermen. When large segments of the industry struggle under the 

 handicap of very low and variable incomes, there will always be a 

 tendency to skimp on expenditures which relate directly to physical 

 risks in salmon fishing. Only if incomes are sufficient to permit mod- 

 ernization of the fleets and installation of minimum safety equipment 

 can the welfare of the individual fishermen and the efficiency of the 

 industry as a whole be maintained at the highest possible level. 



Finally, it would be desirable to achieve these objectives (or the 

 best possible compromise among them) with a minimum amount of 

 intervention by government, particularly in the internal business de- 

 cisions of fishermen and processors. 



Present Economic Condition of the Salmon Fishery 



In terms of over-all efficiency, the trend in the salmon fishery is 

 clearly illustrated by a comparison of catches and the number of 

 fishing units. Of the major types of net gear used in Puget Sound 

 waters, only the reefnet has declined in numbers in step with the 

 decline in total salmon landings. The number of purse seiners stands 

 at about the same level it did ten years ago, while the number of 

 gill netters has increased tremendously. All three types of gear are 



