THE CARIBBEAN AREA — PANAMA 



3. Essential Operation Privilepes ; 



V.'hile a purely pri^-ate enterprise might find it diificult to operate, a government 

 corporation perhaps could operate vdth the direct assistance of the United States Navy, the 

 United States Army, the Panama Canal authorities, and the Government of Panama. Ey "direct 

 assistance" the following is meant: 



a. Permission to fish in all areas except where military necessity demands tnat 

 there be no movement of fisldng boats or installation of stationary fishing gear. 



b. Except under absolute emergency, the immunity from seizure for boats and other 

 property necessary to the conduct of fishing, 



c. Relaxation of such Panamanian and Canal Zone civil regulations as are incompat- 

 ible Ttith the plan of operations of the corporation. 



4. Initiation of the Corporation's Activities ; 



Existing fishing operations in Panama offer an acceptable beginning point for 

 development. These activities should first be organized to attain their greatest efficiency 

 with present equipment and personnel. Thereafter, the production should be enlarf^ed con- 

 currently vdth the increased demand and accumulation of facts that vrould justify the 

 legitiraate expansion of fishing effort. It is obvious that expansion must be accelerated 

 as much as possible, but ttds should come only as a result of technical experience. 

 Tnerefore, the corporation must initiate a research program. For this pxirpose adequately 

 trained technicians must be en^iloyed in the following capacities: fishery engineering, fishery 

 technology, and fishery economy. 



5. Exploration and Development : 



Very little is knovm of the abundance, most efficient means of capture, migrations, 

 and other characteristics concerning the fiohes in tropical waters. It is possible that 

 there are large potential fisheries in the Panama region which can be developed. At present, 

 local fishing methods are primitive, adjrsted to the capture of a few fish at a high unit 

 cost, and ill-adapted to the taking of most of the migratory species. A logical program of 

 development would determine which modern tj-pes of gear and methods of fishing are adaptable 

 for the conditions in these waters. If any of these metnods can be used satisfactorily, 

 fish can be produced -nucn more cheaply and in much greater quantity than with the present 

 means . 



It is painfully evident that the coasts of the Americas have been thoroughly sur- 

 veyed by nationals of non-American countries, ostensibly for fisheries exploration. These 

 contacts have led, in some instances, to the granting of fishing concessions injurious to 

 the interests of the Western Hemisphere. A fisheries corporation under joint United States- 

 Panama control would be a wnolesome departure and would nullify the reasons for other 

 countries operating within our strategic areas. 



6. Board of Directors : 



Because the success of this corporation is based on cooperation from other agencies, 

 it is advisable to have these agencies represented on the Board of Directors. It is possible 

 that a part of the Board can be made up of the group sxiggested in section 3 (d). 



7. Priority F:atings ; 



In view of the importance of tnis project, the highest oossible priority ratings 

 should De established for materials necessary for the initiation and operation of this 

 corporation. 



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