Food from the Sea 



to advance programs which will reduce threats to world order born in areas 

 of malnutrition, extend our humanitarian traditions, and strengthen the 

 economies of developing nations which are striving to become self-sustaining 

 contributors to the world economy. 



The Marine Sciences Act states that the U.S. marine science program 

 should contribute to rehabilitation of our commercial fisheries, to ac- 

 celerated development of marine resources, and to international cooperation 

 in the national interest. 



Developing food from the sea for the War on Hunger was one of the 

 first initiatives adopted by the President in relation to the Marine Sciences 

 Act. Steps were taken to strengthen further a long-range program to exploit 

 the oceans more fully as a source of food to help feed the undernourished 

 people of the world through U.S. technology and leadership. 



State of the U.S. Fishing industry 



During the past two decades there has been a growing dichotomy 

 between the processing and distribution segment of the fish food industry, 

 which has grown both domestically and abroad, and the harvesting segment, 

 large parts of which have remained static. U.S. processing and distribution 

 firms have established extensive collecting networks for raw and semi- 

 processed fishery products in more than 30 countries, primarily in the 

 developing world. This has been accomplished through such instruments as 

 wholly owned fishing and processing firms in those countries, loan of risk 

 capital for vessel or plant construction to local entrepreneurs, technical 

 assistance for technical advances and quality control, and guarantee of 

 U.S. markets to local enterprises.^ At the same time U.S. food processing 

 companies have made relatively low capital investments in U.S. flag fishing 

 vessels. This increasing dependence on foreign sources of primary pro- 

 duction has contributed to locally depressed incomes and unusually high 

 unemployment in some localities where U.S. fishermen are centered. 



A number of domestic fisheries are making good catches with high eco- 

 nomic returns. But many others are static — with excess catching capacity,^ 



^ The Council contract report "Multinational Investment Opportunities in Ocean 

 Activities" describes some of these activities. 



^ In several fisheries, the catching capacity of the fleet is far greater than necessary 

 to take the sustainable yield for the resource. For example, according to recent studies, 

 the present annual catch of Georges Bank haddock could be taken with 30 percent 

 fewer vessels than now used. This would mean that total revenues would remain the 

 same but that total costs would diminish considerably. Each vessel, now operating at 

 an average annual loss of $8,000 per year, could instead be earning a profit of 

 $30,000, and annual income per fishermen would increase from $6,600 to over 

 $10,000. 



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