231 



ECFF/ Navy War College 22 Jan 96 Page 3 



fisheries. Squid only live one year, and the stock size is almost completely unpredictable, so the 

 danger of overfishing is greater than with other species Timely information is critical. 



I even envision a time when a sensor on a fisherman's net would tell him, by an acoustic 

 fingerprint, that the fish underneath his boat is too small to catch That alone would be the 

 greatest technical advance in conservation--and economic return-that could possibly be 

 developed. Coupled with the kind of gear selectivity and conservation engineering work that is 

 now being done, we may come to a day when you only took out of the ocean what should be 

 taken out of the ocean. 



I have also been told that there are potentials for the use of magnetics in the field of fishery 

 science, particularly in fish tagging studies which are used to determine migratory patterns of 

 fish. I am getting even ftirther in over my head, but according to one bluefin tuna specialist, 

 they tag fish with devices which depend on recording daylight That provides information 

 about latitude, but not longitude, and a device which recorded the pattern of changing 

 magnetics on the ocean's floor would fill that gap. Please don't ask me any technical questions 

 about that, Mr Chairman. I am including written comments ft'om Sebastian Belle, a bluefin 

 tuna specialist with the New England Aquarium, with my testimony 



Certainly, there may be improvements in fishing technology, vessel safety, or enforcement that 

 can be developed with the assistance of the Department of Defense. But I do believe that 

 information about oceanic conditions and fish stocks and fish patterns is far and away the most 

 critical need and the most valuable contribution that can be made in this effort. The Navy has 

 spent generations on the task of identifying "things in the ocean" And if that ability can be 

 turned toward fisheries science and management, spectacular gains could be made. Hardware, 

 technology and equipment can be usefiji, but sheer information is the greatest need. 



