167 



proposed domestic fisheries inanajiement pro- 

 gram, extension services, and improved 

 statistics. Tiie estimate for -harvestinjr and 

 processing teciinology is intended to cover 

 the entire spectrum of possible improvements 

 in the technological capabilities of the fish- 

 ing industry. It includes search and detec- 

 tion, development of FPC technology, and 

 techniques for more rapid assessment of fish 

 stocivs. The estimate for research and surveys 

 is based principally on data furnished the 

 Commission by the Bureau of Commercial 

 Fisheries. The amount proposed for aqua- 

 culture programs, although much more than 

 has been spent on the subject to date, may be 

 modest in terms of what later might prove 

 worthwhile. Funding for these programs 

 would be principally by NOAA; their ex- 

 ecution will,, involve the States, universities, 

 industry, and international groups. 



The Connnission has recommended that 

 American fishermen be pei'mitted to use 

 foreign-built ships in U.S. domestic fisheries. 

 If this recommendation is adopted, the 

 figures shown here would be partially offset 

 by the resulting $6 million per year savings 

 in the present vessel subsidy program. If 

 not, the subsidj' program should be expanded, 

 and the figures would be higher. Cost pro- 

 jections include a total of $45 million over 

 the decade for establishing institutional ar- 

 rangements and for conducting the necessary 

 research on the potential of drugs from the 

 sea. 



The geological mapping program, to be 

 funded by NOAA, is estimated to involve 

 a total cost of between $.300 and $400 mil- 

 lion spread over 15 to 20 years. NOAA 

 also will be the principal sponsor of tech- 

 nological programs related to nonliving re- 

 source development, particularly in the im- 

 provement of resource survey equipment and 

 basic mining technology. The estimate for 

 development of survey equipment will jjermit 



echo sounders, heat probes, samplers, corers, 

 and other exploration tools to be improved 

 in sensitivity, efHciency, and depth capability. 

 Federal support of basic raining technology 

 will provide the basic engineering informa- 

 tion which industry needs for minerals 

 recovery. 



The continental shelf is, of course, the area 

 of most interest to our resource industries, 

 and in this chapter, the Commission has pro- 

 posed two National Projects to improve our 

 operating capabilities at shelf depths. The 

 Commission believes that the Continental 

 Shelf Laboratories Project and the Pilot Con- 

 tinental Shelf Nuclear Plant merit funding 

 by NOAA in the range of $700 to $750 million 

 during the 1970's. This estimate is geared to 

 the construction of one fixed and three port- 

 able laboratories during tlie 10-year period; 

 it also assumes that the Navy will share in 

 the development and use of the continental 

 shelf laboratory facilities and will supple- 

 ment the proposed NOAA funding to pro- 

 vide capabilities unique to Navy needs. The 

 estimate for the underwater nuclear plant 

 covers NOAA development of technology 

 necessary to underwater siting, construction, 

 and logistic support; it assumes additional 

 Atomic Energy Commission funding for 

 development of the necessary nuclear tech- 

 nology. 



These National Projects are designed to 

 provide a focus for advancing underwater 

 operating capabilities. To be fully effective, 

 they must be supplemented by a broadly based 

 program of fundamental teclmology to in- 

 vestigate a variety of possible power, pro- 

 pulsion, life support, anchoring, mooring, 

 and related systems for use at depths to 2,000 

 feet. Mastery of this fundamental technol- 

 ogy will enable industry to conduct its re- 

 source operations on or within the seabed, 

 away from the difficulties which characterize 

 -surface operations. 



