Marine Science Affairs 



with a suggested budget of $330,000 for the first year. These proposals are 

 now under review. 



International programs concerning the Great Lakes are discussed in 

 Chapter IV. 



Improving International Fishery Arrangements 



The basic fisheries policy of the United States is to increase, consistent 

 with sound conservation principles, the utilization of the living resources of 

 the sea for the benefit of mankind. As a corollary, the United States seeks 

 to insure freedom of access of all countries to the living resources of the 

 high seas, subject to the obligation to apply eflFective conservation measures 

 when needed. Recognizing, however, that a strict application of this principle 

 may in some cases result in inequitable hardships for coastal fishermen, 

 our policy provides in such instances for recognition of the special eco- 

 nomc interests of the coastal State in fisheries beyond jurisdictional waters. 

 Such recognition is an important element of U.S. proposals for solution of 

 international fishery problems in various areas including the North Atlantic, 

 the North Pacific, and the Southeast Pacific. 



The United States actively participates in eight international fishery 

 commissions identified in Table III-2. These commissions are responsible 

 for research and management practices concerning fish stocks which provide 

 an annual catch to U.S. fishermen valued at more than $200 million. Addi- 

 tionally a number of bilateral arrangements have been concluded con- 

 cerning other fishery stocks. Among the many developments in 1968 within 

 the commissions and bilateral arrangements were : 



— continuation of agreements with the USSR and new agreements 

 with Japan concerning king crab fishing in the Eastern Bering Sea, 

 fishing gear conflicts off Alaska, fishing activities in the Northeastern 

 Pacific, and cooperative fishery research projects in the Bering Sea; 

 continuation of an agreement with the USSR concerning fishing 

 off the mid-Atlantic States; 

 — an agreement with Mexico concerning fishing of each country in the 

 fishery zone of the other and related fishery data exchanges and co- 

 operative research programs; 

 - — substantial increase in the quota for eastern Pacific yellowfin tuna; 

 — entry into force of comprehensive conservation regulations cover- 

 ing the entire area of the International Convention for the North- 

 west Atlantic Fisheries and consideration of a U.S. proposal to add 

 economic and technical considerations to regulation of the fishery; 



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