ECONOMIC ANALYSIS 51 



also the social problems involved in dealing with an overexpanded 

 fishery. We specifically recognize the need for framing a program in 

 such a way that hardship to individual fishermen and vessel owners 

 be kept to an absolute minimum. Those who have invested in fishing 

 equipment in good faith must not be deprived arbitrarily of the right 

 to use their property, and reduction in gear must not discriminate 

 against any group. 



Effects on Other Fisheries 



In Section VI we have recommended specific measures to reduce 

 the amount of gear employed in the Puget Sound net fisheries con- 

 ducted by American fishermen only. What repercussions might be 

 expected in other fisheries if they are put into effect? 



In Section VI we recommend that gear be acquired under a 

 buy-back program and be eliminated from all Northwest fisheries. If 

 this is not done, we shall simply create the same problem over again in 

 other areas or other fisheries. In particular, it would appear important 

 to prevent further concentration of salmon gear in Alaska or in 

 the Columbia River fishery. 



As long as the catch of Puget Sound sockeye and pink salmon 

 is divided on the present basis, the proposed plan is largely inde- 

 pendent of Canadian policy. Administration by the IPSFC would 

 be improved even if the plan is adopted by only one of the two fleets. 



Two important areas left untouched in this study are the outside 

 troll fishery for chinook and for silver salmon. Both depend on 

 stocks of fish taken also by inside net fishermen. The fleet reaction 

 to regulations based only on optimal harvesting of pink and sockeye 

 might have serious repercussions on the chinook and silver stocks. 

 Even if gear taken out of the inside net fishery could be eliminated 

 entirely from all other fisheries, the men cannot. Ultimately, it would 

 seem essential to extend the regulatory concepts outlined in this 

 study to all of the state's salmon fisheries. The same comments might 

 be extended to the Alaska fishery. If the Puget Sound fishery could 

 be strengthened through the measures recommended in this report 

 and if Alaska were interested in pursuing the same type of program, 

 coordination of the regulatory agencies involved would be highly 

 desirable. Under present conditions it seems inevitable that reduction 

 of gear in Puget Sound would result in some additional fishing 

 pressure in Alaska. 



