Food from the Sea 



feasibility of large-scale FPC processes at reasonable costs and to 

 provide engineering and economic data to assist private industry in 

 construction of commercial plants ; 

 — continuation of studies on safety aspects of processing lean fish; 

 — conduct of solvent extraction studies in-house and by M.I.T. and 

 Standard Oil of New Jersey which will provide design parameters 

 for an efficient recovery system ; 

 — initiation of laboratory work on extracting FPC from fatty fish; and 

 — extension of research concerning extraction of FPC by biological 

 processes leading to more versatile and cheaper products. 

 In view of the continued promise of FPC as an inexpensive source of 

 protein, the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries will continue FPC research and 

 development at a level of $2.2 million in FY 1970. These efforts will in- 

 clude completion of a prototype process for fatty fish so that industry can 

 have sound engineering designs as well as control and operating data. Work 

 to examine and develop new, lower cost biological and other processes for 

 producing FPC from various fish species will be emphasized. 



The FPC development program is intended to provide the knowledge 

 for sound and systematic transition from laboratory experiments to an 

 economical and acceptable food production system from fish catching 

 through consumption. It should provide the basis for the development of 

 commercially viable operations in this country as well as overseas. The food- 

 from-the-sea budgets of AID and BCF are presented in Table VI-1. 



Looking to the Future 



The importance of a healthy fishing industry and of a vigorous Food-from- 

 the-Sea Program has been widely recognized by government, commercial, 

 and industrial interests. Delay in taking steps to revitalize the industry will 

 lead to further gains by other nations in exploiting resources off our coasts, 

 lost opportunities to turn latent resources into foods, and potential erosion 

 of our position as a maritime nation. Bold and imaginative measures are 

 needed to reverse this trend. 



Similarly, the problem of hunger has become so serious that innovative 

 approaches are essential. Consideration might be given to such steps as in- 

 expensive, small-scale automated units for processing FPC suitable for 

 operation in isolated coastal regions of developing countries. Optimum 

 utilization of fishery resources also requires development of integrated sys- 

 tems for areas where fishing capabilities are limited and fishing conditions 

 are favorable. Among the possibilities are factory ships operating with 

 satellite catching fleets supplying very large regional processing plants and 



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