The Meaning of the Atlantic : 65 



very significant contribution to tlie total human menu. However, in 

 recent centuries mankind has been increasing numerically at an ex- 

 plosive rate in many parts of the v^^orld such as India and China. Par- 

 ticularly in sections removed from the sea the bulk of the popula- 

 tion starve or reach early death through the prolonged and cumula- 

 tive effects of undernourishment. It has been repeatedly suggested 

 that a further exploitation and use of sea products could help to re- 

 lieve this misery. Recent studies of the world's food resources seem 

 to show that such a program is not as easy to carry out as it at first 

 sounds for the following reasons: (i) The population grows at such 

 a high rate that it is doubtful that new methods of fishing and tak- 

 ing other natural food products from the sea can keep up with such 

 an increase. (2) The sea is not equally fruitful in all its parts — the 

 tropics are less productive of sea life than the northern waters and 

 the open seas are but scantily populated, particularly in the forms of 

 life that are readily accepted as human food. The rich fisheries are 

 along our coasts and on banks and shoals. 



A more recent suggestion is of an entirely different character, 

 namely, that detailed studies of ecology — that is to say the natural 

 relations of plants and animals with each other and with their envi- 

 ronment — in shallow waters and along the shore will show how sea 

 products essential for human nutrition can be increased. In short, this 

 is a proposal to develop methods for farming the sea just as we have 

 long since developed methods for cultivating the soil. Possibly it is 

 true that the sea cannot naturally and speedily be expected to alle- 

 viate the hunger created by runaway population growth. It is 

 equally true that throughout history and right up to the present 

 time the oceans have liberally supplied and enriched the diet of na- 

 tions and races that had an easy access to the sea; particularly the 

 Atlantic has been bountiful to man. Later sections of the book will 

 deal specifically with special topics such as the Channel fisheries, the 

 North Sea and northern fisheries, the Icelandic fisheries, the Grand 

 Banks and shores of America. 



Ocean Products Other Than Food: Quite apart from food, the 

 ocean has supplied man with many utilities and luxuries. Among 

 the utilities have been oil of the whale and the seal used both for 

 illumination and lubrication, and also among the utilities have been 

 salts and chemicals. Among the specialties and luxuries that have 

 had historic importance are such interesting curiosities as "whale- 

 bone" which brought a fantastic price when it went into the making 

 of corsets. It was the only material then available that made it pos- 



