Marine Science Affairs 



— estuarine ecology, aquaculture/ the technology of extracting concen- 

 trated fish proteins, expanded knowledge of fish populations on the 

 Continental Shelf, and development of fish locating and catching 

 equipment and methodology; 

 — an improved Federal program of statistics, data processing, and in- 

 formation dissemination to the fisherman through extension pro- 

 grams ; and 

 — assistance to industry to produce clean, safe, and wholesome fishing 

 products with a level of graded products comparable to those in 

 meats and poultry. 

 During FY 1970 the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries plans to study 

 Federal, State, and local laws that restrict use of efficient gear and foster 

 economically irrational conservation measures and to develop recommenda- 

 tions as to desirable modification of these laws that will permit adoption of 

 technological innovations that lead to higher economic yields. Additionally, 

 BCF has reorganized its technical support of local fishery programs by 

 making available a central pool of expertise to respond to a wide variety of 

 problems. 



Successful implementation of cooperative programs of government, in- 

 dustry, and the scientific community could significantly increase the pro- 

 portion of fishery products supplied to the U.S. market by the domestic 

 fleet — benefiting both the consumer and the fisherman as well as the general 

 economy. Also, our position to negotiate international agreements could be 

 greatly strengthened through an increased U.S. presence in fishing grounds. 

 Fishery development and seafood technology programs include : 

 1. Resource development and management programs, accounting for 62 

 percent of the FY 1970 BCF marine science budget of $44.5 million. In 1968, 

 BCF: 



— conducted studies of the influence of reef habitats on lobster behavior 

 off" New England which may lead to a significant increase in lobster 

 abundance; 

 — developed transplantation methods that nearly eliminate "winter kill" 



of oysters in Long Island Sound ; 

 — artificially hatched and reared to postlarval stages the four common 



commercial shrimp species of the Gulf of Mexico ; 

 — continued participation in the international cooperative oceano- 

 graphic and fishery investigations of the eastern tropical Pacific, in- 

 cluding discovery of unexpectedly high nutrient concentrations in 

 upper ocean layers south of the Equator ; 



^ The Council contract report "The Status and Potential of Aquaculture" surveys 

 world-wide aquaculture activities and concludes that "farming the sea" can make a 

 significant contribution to the domestic economy as well as to the War on Hunger. 



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