SOME PROBLEMS OF THE FISHERIES 761 



again producing iodine and bromine from some of the species of seaweeds avail- 

 able on the Pacific Coast of the United States. It is also possible that some species 

 of seaweeds can be utilized in the manufacture of insulation for various purposes. 



New types of fishing gear and new methods of operating the present gear for 

 the capture of fish have been promoted. In general, the gear now used in captur- 

 ing different species of fish is the result of years of evolution. Purse seines and 

 trawlers are used for the capture of fish on both the East and West coasts of the 

 United States. These are generally alike, but the methods of operating them and 

 the types of boats used are entirely different. As each seems to be equally effi- 

 cient when used individually, it is possible that a combination of the two might 

 be far more efficient and far easier to handle. Furthermore, the new one might be as 

 efficient on one coast as on the other (i.e., as effective in taking tuna and pilchard 

 on the West Coast as in taking mackerel and herring on the East Coast) . The 

 new type of gear could be much easier to operate, and thus save work for the 

 fishermen. 



The foregoing problems are only a few of the great number which might be 

 pointed out. The technical talent of the United States might well consider the 

 field of fishery research as one of great opportunity. 



Problems of International Significance 

 BY MoGENS Jul 



Chief Technologist, Fisheries Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the 

 United Nations. 



While the largest areas of water on the earth are in the southern hemisphere, 

 approximately 95 per cent of all marine products— excluding whales and whale 

 products— are caught in the northern hemisphere. This, however, does not mean 

 that the southern hemisphere has extremely limited fisheries resources, but that 

 most of the present fisheries activities are found in northern waters. It is, there- 

 fore, natural to assume that production could be greatly increased in other areas 

 if fisheries were intensified. This assumption has been confirmed in recent years 

 when several countries, for instance, Chile, Peru, and the Union of South Africa, 

 have deliberately increased their production from a rather small beginning. 



Several biological investigations have already shown the existence of still un- 

 used fisheries resources in many areas. On the basis of these alone it can be said 

 that there is room for considerable development, not only in the southern hemi- 

 sphere, but also in other areas where heretofore little fisheries exploitation has 

 taken place. 



Knowledge of Resources Needed 



On the whole, however, our knowledge of the extent of the resources of the 

 oceans is still very limited. Therefore, one of the most important contributions 

 which research could make toward an increase of the commercial utilization of 

 the marine resources would be extensive biological investigations of the less- 

 known areas and fisheries. However, such research must be aimed at determin- 

 ing not only the existing resources, but also, as far as possible, how they can best 

 be obtained and the extent to which they can stand continuing exploitation. Any 

 research of this nature will, therefore, have to be combined with fishing or sim- 



