catch could be attained if depleted stocks were restored (1) . It is probable 

 that many of the other fisheries could be improved by a comprehensive stock 

 enhancement program. 



Stock enhancement is a complex subject, and in spite of erratic periods j 

 of intense interest by various private and governmental entities, detailed I 



studies are not numerous. In general certain fisheries, such as salmon, are ' 



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 better understood in terms of stock enhancement than others. Various reasons ' 



can be given to explain this paucity of data, but one obvious major factor is 



the problem of control and recovery of stock by the government responsible for 



] 

 the enhancement activities. By extending jurisdiction to the 2O0 mile limit, 



the United States of America would have control over fisheries and its citizens 



or leasees could reap the harvest of a stocking program. It should be noted 



that certain fisheries might respond better to stock enhancement than others, | 



and that new fisheries might emerge which would have better economic return and 



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 less ecological disruption than existing fisheries. A comprehensive policy of 



fisheries management by the United States Government is urgently needed to insure 



wise development and utilization of marine resources. 



I 

 At the onset a description is needed of what constitutes a stock. Typically i 



I 

 a stock is a population of a species which occupies a specific geographical I 



location, especially at the time of reproduction. Hence within a commercially 



important species, a number of different stocks (populations) may exist. Because < 



of such factors as potential genetic differences and differential effects of the 



environment, each of these geographically separated populations (stocks) may 



exhibit different morphological and/or functional characteristics. For example, 



different stocks of herring have been reported based on anatomical features, and, 



by analyses of blood factors different stocks of marine mammals are known. Stock , 



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