CHAPTER 36 

 Some Problems of the Fisheries 



Introduction 



While the fishing industry is one of the oldest in this country, only within the 

 last 3 decades has use been made of scientific research to Increase profits. This 

 change has been gradually brought about by increased costs of production and 

 foreign competition. It has been extremely difficult for a comparatively small in- 

 dustry, such as this, to undertake research, except on a limited scale. A few large 

 firms have established well-equipped and staffed research laboratories; these, 

 however, merely serve to solve the problems which interest their owners, and 

 usually the results of their researches are not released to the industry as a whole. 



Research is financed, to a greater or lesser degree, by the governments of many 

 foreign nations. The extent of this financing depends, to a large extent, upon the 

 importance of the fishing industry in the economy of the country. The geographi- 

 cal location and agricultural land area of the country, as well as other factors, 

 influence the consideration given to the fisheries. It is only natural that those na- 

 tions having long coast lines and small agricultural land areas should turn to fishing. 

 This in turn leads to governmental support of research directed toward increasing 

 the food supply. 



Our own Federal government has found it necessary to finance fishing research 

 only to a limited extent. In 1948, $5.73 of Federal funds were spent on agricul- 

 tural research per ton of food produced, and only 90 cents per ton for fisheries. 

 This is largely due to sectional coinpetition and disorganization; the agricultural 

 interests, on the other hand, are highly organized, and are in a strong position to 

 enforce their demands for assistance. Sectional rivalry and competition among the 

 fishing interests remains the most difiicult problem. 



Formerly the Bureau of Fisheries, of late the Fish and Wildlife Service, had 

 done much in the way of research for the fisheries. This Service is inadequately 

 financed, and with the small appropriations made available by Congress has done 

 more to assist the fisheries technically, in proportion to the funds expended, than 

 any other similar government agency. So many requests for assistance are received 

 by this Service that only those of the widest application can be undertaken. The 

 Fish and Wildlife Service operates technological laboratories at Boston, Mass., 

 College Park, Md., Seattle, Wash., and Ketchikan, Alaska. 



The laboratory at College Park is located adjacent to the University of Mary- 

 land. A cooperative arrangement is in effect by which research fellowships, financed 

 by both the Fish and Wildlife Service and the University, are granted to qualified 

 graduate students. Research deals with technical problems of the fisheries, and 

 is carried on under the supervision of both the University and the scientific per- 

 sonnel of the technological laboratory. Graduate degrees have been granted in 



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