OCEANOGRAPHY AND FISHERIES • 313 



In other cases the situation calls for a more general exploration of dis- 

 tribution and analysis of compositions; this is especially true of the reef 

 stocks. In all of these cases there is need of estimates of level of abun- 

 dance, in none of them, except perhaps the Japanese sardine, does the 

 present knowledge of the stocks warrant the mounting of oceanographic 

 programmes appropriate to a true population analysis as described above. 



The foregoing instances are all of w-'ell established fisheries which 

 stand in need of improvement in the knowledge of the biology of the 

 resources. Of different status are two other broad classes of resources: 

 the pelagic stocks of the high seas, and the demersal stocks of certain 

 continental shelf areas. The latter include the continental shelf of 

 the Indo-Pakistan west coast, of the Bay of Bengal, or the deeper waters 

 of the Gulfs of Siam and Tonkin, of the South China Sea, and of the 

 Java and Arufura seas. Although there has been some exploration of 

 these areas, and in some cases (e.g. off the Saurasthra coast) some sys- 

 tematic fishing, the knowledge of the areas is generally patchy and in- 

 complete; as soon as the development plans of the fishery industries of 

 the adjacent countries wanant, there should be systematic exploration 

 and survey of these areas, and this work should include the taking of 

 appropriate oceanographic observations. Similarly, in the case of the 

 pelagic stocks, survey work must be undertaken at some time and must 

 include oceanographic observations. 



As a final note, I may say that, whatever my remarks above, I do 

 not underestimate the difficulty which confronts a worker, or a director 

 of a programme, in determining the limits of the work and the relevance 

 of different avenues of enquiry which open up as an enquiry develops. 

 One can only say that this must be left to the perspicacity and honesty 

 of the worker. One cannot deny the desirability of general oceano- 

 graphic enquiry, any more than the urgency of particular enquiries, 

 demanded by economic necessity, can be ignored. 



