domestic fishermen, an increasing surveillance capability and enforcement 

 activity is provided cooj>eratively by the Coast Guard and NOAA through 

 aerial and surface patrols. In 1971, a total of 163 violations of fishery agree- 

 ments were observed involving foreign vessels; 11 seizures resulted in 

 penalties of $246,000. 



Resource Assessment 



The ability to monitor, assess, and predict the abundance and distribution 

 of fish populations remains the keystone in developing fully successful tech- 

 niques of resource management. During 1971, NOAA initiated a coordinated 

 Marine Resources Monitoring, Assessment, and Prediction (MARMAP) 

 Program to define the kinds and quantities of living marine resources 

 available and to provide a comprehensive data base for domestic and inter- 

 national management. Surveys will be conducted for fish larvae, ground- 

 fish, and pelagic fish to determine the spatial and temporal extent of their 

 populations. These surveys will be supported by biological and physical 

 oceanographic studies conducted by Federal and State agencies, universi- 

 ties, and international organizations. 



In December 1971, the first step was taken toward a model Federal- 

 State marine resource development program. A grant was made by the 

 Coastal Plains Regional Commission (CPRC) to North Carolina for con- 

 struction of the research, education, and extension program facilities needed 

 to develop fully the marine resources along its extensive coastline. Eventually, 

 the program in North Carolina will complement similar programs in South 

 Carolina and Georgia, thus furthering progress toward the CPRC goal of 

 stimulating economic development in the coastal regions of the three States. 



The plan for this model program is now being formulated. As the prin- 

 cipal Federal agency in the partnership, NOAA and its components will 

 participate actively in such areas as : Advisory services, training, and aqua- 

 culture (Office of Sea Grant) ; exploration and assessment of onshore 

 fishery stocks (National Marine Fisheries Service) ; hydrography, circu- 

 lation, and geophysical studies for estuarine areas and the Continental 

 Shelf (National Ocean Survey) ; and marine forecasts at several stations 

 along the coast, with additional information on recreational and commer- 

 cial fishing supplied by State agencies (National Weather Service). As this 

 program develops in Fiscal Year 1973, other Federal agencies will be invited 

 to participate. 



Aid and Alternatives for tiie Fishing Industry 



The fishing industry responds as few others to the forces which shape the 

 harsh life of the marketplace. It is a technology-dependent industry, vessel- 

 oriented, and linked absolutely to the availability of marketable fish; it is 

 also profoundly influenced by such incalculable and complex issues as con- 

 servation, public health, and life cycles in the sea. For this reason, industry- 

 aiding projects play an important part in the total Federal commercial and 

 sport fisheries effort, as do attempts to dilute the high-economic risk of 

 fishing through the development of economically viable alternatives such as 

 aquaculture. 



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