INTRODUCTION 

 Working Paper No. 2 discusses two problems which must be faced 

 in implementing the optimum yield concept which is mandated by Congress 

 as part of the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976: 



(1) The information from various academic areas is very uneven. 

 The biological data and concepts are very sophisticated; 

 the economic information is less so; and the social data 

 on the fishermen and the communities in which they live 

 are almost completely absent. 



(2) Integrating the information from these areas poses very 

 severe difficulties. 



This paper contains a discussion of the general problems of 

 data imbalance, integration of data, and the views of fisheries 

 managers. It follows with information on existing studies and data 

 needs, and concludes with an outline of some specific studies which 

 are recommended by the author. Although these recommendations are 

 represent the thinking of just one person, based on his experience 

 and contact in the fishing industry, OTA presents them here as an 

 example of the types of work which will be needed. These recommended 

 studies will certainly generate both criticism and support, but it 

 should be kept in mind that they were developed by the author simply 

 as a starting point in a field where little substantive work has been 

 done. 



The paper also includes an extensive bibliography of works 

 which are cited in the paper and a section containing some of the 

 comments of reviewers who had substantive additions to make to the 

 material presented in the paper. 



