economics of ground fish trawlers, and an analysis of recreational boat- 

 ing for the planning of waterfront-boating facilities in Dade County. 

 Florida. 



Most of the marine-related economic research supported by NMFS 

 revolves around marketing problems. For example, one project involves 

 the development, distribution, and analysis of a questionnaire that will 

 be used in a national survey of chainstore meat merchandisers. The pur- 

 pose of the survey is to learn about merchandiser attitudes and practices 

 with respect to fresh or thawed seafood. A related study deals with the 

 use of marketing orders in the seafood industry. The project is intended 

 to provide the basic descriptive information necessary for both industry 

 and public policy decisions regarding the improved marketing of 

 seafood. Other studies seek to analyze competing uses of the 

 Chesapeake Bay and the effect of imported shrimp on price fluctuations 

 in the domestic shrimp market. 



One of the most difficult problems facing ocean policy makers has 

 been to determine, with any degree of confidence, the economic value of 

 ocean resources. A project supported by NSF addresses this problem. 

 The management of ocean activity and the allocation of ocean resources 

 require much more accurate and systematic information than is cur- 

 rently available. An initial step toward clarifying these questions is the 

 development of an income- and product-accounting system. This in- 

 volves evaluation of the usefulness of extending national income-ac- 

 counting concepts and procedures to ocean activities. The definitions, 

 concepts, assumptions, and procedures implicit in national income-ac- 

 counting practices as they relate to problems that arise in ocean ac- 

 tivities will be analyzed. Then, a conceptual framework for ocean prod- 

 ucts and income will be developed to overcome the inadequacies of ex- 

 isting national income-accounting practices. Specifically, the study will 

 seek to define the following: What constitutes economic activity in the 

 oceans? the best method of evaluating commodities resulting from 

 ocean activity; and the spatial boundaries within which ocean activity 

 takes place. Project data will be used to outline procedures for imple- 

 menting the proposed system of ocean accounts. 



The Department of the Interior's (DOI) Fish and Wildlife Service 

 (FWS) has been increasing its support of research into economic and 

 other social subjects that involve the protection and enhancement of 

 coastal ecosystems and conservation of fish and wildlife resources. For 

 example, a recently completed study conducted for FWS by the Virginia 

 Institute of Marine Sciences contributes to the National Water Resource 

 Assessment of the Water Resources Council. Following a general 

 classification of estuarine and coastal environments, the study report 

 lists regional, natural, and societal problems, summarizes the legal in- 

 stitutional systems applied to fish and wildlife management in each 



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