Abstract 



PL 94-265, the Fishery Conservation and Management 

 Act of 1976, states that the fisheries of the United 

 States will be managed for optimum sustainable yield, 

 which means that social, economic and biological 

 factors must be taken into account in promulgating 

 regulations. The biological and economic information 

 on U.S. fisheries is reasonably good; there is virtually 

 no social or cultural information on U.S. fishing 

 communities which would be of help to those charged 

 with managing marine fisheries under PL 94-265. The 

 object of this paper is to suggest the kinds of studies 

 that need to be undertaken to obtain the socio-cultural 

 data mandated by this law. 



Of the thousands of types of socio-cultural infor- 

 mation that could be obtained on all aspects of fishing, 

 it is important to focus on the fishermen. It is the 

 fishermen who are specifically affected by this 

 legislation, and who have virtually blocked past 

 attempts at effective management. Studies need to be 

 undertaken to provide three kinds of information. 

 1. Base line data on demographic and social structural 

 features of fishing communities. This data would be 

 of primary use in the future when changes in fishing 

 regulations are being considered. 2. Data on social 



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