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The aim of the manager should not be to avoid change, as much 

 as avoid changes that will bring political opposition. I am 

 not suggesting that managers attempt to manipulate the fishing 

 industry. Quite the contrary, managers, where possible, should 

 seek to ride the crest of social change, and take advantage of 

 existing institutions. Above all else, they should avoid, where 

 possible, proposing regulations which threaten key institutions 

 and values. These are all basic axioms of applied anthropology. 

 In the American fishing industry, however, it is far easier to 

 talk in vague generalities than give specific examples of the 

 way these principles can be applied to the management of specific 

 fisheries. There are very few studies of U.S. fisheries that can 

 serve as examples (e.g. Acheson, 1976). 



The Canadian experience in Newfoundland provides us a 

 case study of what can happen when these principles are ignored. 

 The Government of Newfoundland decided to entice people from the 

 small fishing outports to larger cities where schooling, medical 

 services, and other Government services could be provided, and 

 where modern piers and packing facilities for the fishing industry 

 could be located conveniently. There is no question that the 

 policy appeared rational on economic grounds, since it would allow 

 the Government to provide additional services to a larger propor- 

 tion of the people of Newfoundland at minimal costs. This migra- 

 tion to the larger cities, however, proved so disruptive to the 

 traditional social institutions and culture that alcoholism, 

 insanity, crime, and other social problems increased greatly. 



