100 OCEANOGRAPHY 



Mr. Miller. I am glad that you make that statement, Mr. Mc- 

 Kernan. I think that I can speak for the committee when I say we 

 recognize the importance of physical oceanography and the necessity 

 of it in the field of defense, yet the biological features, the living re- 

 sources of the sea, are of the utmost importance, and without detract- 

 ing from the work that we do in the other area of physical oceanog- 

 raphy we can certainly not afford to make secondary the biological 

 features of this work. 



If there is an excuse, or a reason necessary for oceanography, it is 

 that we can develop the full resources of the sea, the biological re- 

 sources of the sea. Today we do need to know all about the ocean 

 and its effect as far as defense is concerned, but we hoj)e that that is a 

 passing and ephemeral necessity. Sooner or later peace will come to 

 the world, and when it does come then again we must be prepared to 

 start in on a thorough investigation of the biology of the sea. I am 

 happy to liear you make the statement that you did. 



Mr. McKernan. I need not remind the chairman, who was on the 

 spot in the recent discussions in Geneva on the law of the sea, the big 

 issue facing the majority of the nations in the world is the matter of 

 fisheries. 



Mr. Miller. The overriding consideration. They were trying to 

 protect their own fisheries. 



]Mr. McKernax. There were 80-some-odd nations in Geneva, and 

 the fact that the Geneva discussions w^ere not wholly successful prob- 

 ably rested squarely in the problem involved in fisheries jurisdiction 

 in the sea surrounding the coasts, and adjacent to the coasts of the 

 various countries of the world. So this matter of utilization of the 

 living resources of the sea is certainly a very pertinent one and one 

 that must be considered verj^ important to our country today. Of 

 course, our country lias been a fishing nation since our founda- 

 tion, and we are losing ground in this particular regard. Other na- 

 tions — Japan. Canada^ the U.S.S.R. — are going ahead at a much 

 faster rate than we in many of the fields of study of the living re- 

 sources of the sea. 



Concerning the bills before your committee, Mr. Chairman, the 

 Department has presented to the committee a report on H.R. 9361, to 

 advance the marine sciences, to establish a comprehensive 10-year pro- 

 gram of oceanographic research and surveys. The Department did 

 a great deal of soul-searching with respect to this bill and we are very 

 strongly in favor of the purposes for which this bill is designed. We 

 feel that the recommendations of the National Academy of Science's 

 excellent committee liave been quite adequately covered with the ex- 

 ception of, in our opinion, some very minor changes that are necessary. 

 But the Department has considered that it does have the authority 

 within existing legislation to carry out the objectives of the bill and 

 therefore we cannot see the necessity of this particular legislation at 

 the present time. Nevertheless, the wide discussion that this partic- 

 ular bill has brought about within our own Department has to a 

 considerable degree brought about a reemphasis of this particular 

 problem and, I might add, an alignment of the thinking of the policy- 

 making people within the Department of the Interior. 



I should like to call to your attention that our own Department's 

 budget was increased for fiscal year 1961, even though the National 



