239 



Guard within XOAA could be fully realized 

 only by a real merger. The fact that the Coast 

 Guard is a uniformed corps -does not pose 

 unsurmountable difficulties. The Coast 

 Guard's uniformed officers would benefit 

 from the expanded opportunities that opera- 

 tions under NOAA would offer. 



Fisheries Programs, Department of the 

 Interior 



The Federal Government's support of ma- 

 rine living resource development is at present 

 concentrated mostly in the Bureaus of Com- 

 mercial Fisheries (BCF) and Sport Fish- 

 eries and Wildlife (BSFW) of the Depart- 

 ment of the Interior. The National Sea Grant 

 Program sponsors some applied fisheries 

 re.search. BCF's programs can be broadly 

 categorized as: 



• Financial and technical assistance to 

 industry 



• Biological research on individual species 

 of fish. 



Its industry assistance activities include 

 financial aid, technical assistance, harvesting 

 studies and tecluiiques, and economic anal- 

 ysis. Its biological research includes studies 

 of marine finfish and shellfish and habitat 

 investigations. The Bureau's annual budget 

 of approximately §50 million is divided about 

 equally between industry assistance and bio- 

 logical research. 



The Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wild- 

 life is a larger organization responsible for 

 laboratory and field investigations to develop, 

 manage, and maintain a national system of 

 fish hatciieries and wildlife refuges; regulate 

 the taking of migratory birds and game; and 

 develop a national program to provide pub- 

 lic opportunities to understand, appreciate, 

 and use fish and wildlife resources. The 

 emphasis on wildlife conservation is partic- 

 ularly pronounced in the programs of assist- 



ance to the States, which include a small pro- 

 gram of matching grants to the States for 

 approved anadromous fishery projects. There 

 is an annual expenditure of only about 

 $900,000 for in-house biological research re- 

 lated to marine sport fish species. 



The marine components of other Depart- 

 ment of the Interior programs are relatively 

 minor extensions of activities oriented to the 

 Nation's interior. In contrast, BCF's interior 

 interests are concentrated upon a handful of 

 fresh water species and are minor adjuncts 

 to its essential salt water orientation. 



The rehabilitation of U.S. fisheries, which 

 is a major Congressional objective, depends 

 upon good sea science and new, improved 

 marine technology to define, locate, manage, 

 and harvest the living resources of the sea. 

 Fisheries research involves physical and 

 chemical oceanography and marine geology 

 and biology. Modern marine technology, 

 including advanced instrumentation, deep 

 submersibles, and underwater habitats must 

 be used to advance fisheries research. 



In Chapter 4, the Commission proposed a 

 number of important actions to rehabilitate 



A BCF tagging team collects 

 menhaden samples in waters off 

 Xortli Carolina. The proposed 

 transfer of commercial and related 

 marine fishing functions from the 

 Department of the Interior to NOAA 

 recognizes the need for extensive 

 ocean capabilities in developing the 

 living resources of the sea. 



^r^ 



