APPENDIX III APPENDIX III 
Product development 
and processing 
We were informed by an industry official that product 
development and processing does not present an obstacle 
inhibiting growth and development of the tuna fishery. 
Market development 
An industry official told us that no obstacles exist 
in tuna market development. According to an industry con- 
sultant, the slow growth rate of the tuna industry is a 
result of limitations in the supply of tuna being harvested 
rather than of marketing problems. 
Management controls 
An October 1975 internal NMFS report stated that fish- 
ery Management controls and regulations have reduced and 
could eliminate the access of U.S. tuna fishermen to the 
traditional tuna resource in the eastern Pacific. This 
reported reduction and potential elimination, has resulted 
from inequalities in control and management imposed upon 
U.S. fishermen as compared to foreign tuna fleets in the . 
fishery. j 
NMFS and industry representatives gave the following 
examples to show how this inequality affects U.S. tuna 
fishermen. First, U.S. tuna fishermen are subject to reg- 
ulations protecting marine mammals to which other nations 
are not subject. According to NMFS, the porpoise-saving 
requirements of the Marine Mammal Protection Act imposed 
on domestic fishermen are not similarly enforced by foreign 1 
governments on their fishermen. The United States is the 
only country which imposes regulations on the killing of 
porpoise. An industry representative told us the additional 
gear and catch procedures, necessary to reduce the porpoise 
killing, result in increased cost and time loss. This 
reduces the U.S. tuna industry's competitive position in 
the world tuna market. 
Second, international tuna fishing restrictions in the 
eastern Pacific are only enforced upon U.S. tuna fishermen. 
According to NMFS, U.S. fishermen fishing for yellowfin tuna 
in the eastern Pacific are subjected to inequitable treat- 
ment relative to foreign fishermen. While the U.S. Govern- 
ment strictly enforces the IATTC recommendations, none of 
the foreign governments whose fishermen participate in the 
yellowfin tuna fishery within the CYRA has adequate regu- 
lations or enforcement procedures to insure IATTC's conser- 
vation program is honored. Most of the foreign governments 
265 
