-29- 



18. Studies of the diseases and toi-ric effects of fishes 

 and other commercially utilized marine species, de- 

 spite the irapox-tance of this topiC; are still largely 

 neglected by governiiient research agencies. 



Sh ips for Re sources Studie s 



The CoiTunittee in 1959 recommended the construction of 

 fourteen new ships over a ten-year period, seven to re- 

 place e:,iisting ships to conduct needed research on marine 

 resources, two of the nev7 ships to be put into service in 

 each year 1951 through 1966, and, in addition, one each 

 in 1952 and 1963. 



The BCF received in July 1960 appropriations for one 

 new ship to replace the Albatross III which had earlier 

 that year been retired from service because of extreme 

 obsolescence. This Bureau has also removed from its ser- 

 vice, during the last five years, tv;o other research ships, 

 the Alaska , 'vhicl? is on loan to the State of California, 

 a'"u the HoM.. S mit hy which is on loan to the Scripps Insti- 

 tution of Oceanography. The Blac 'v Dou glas , BCF vessel 

 based av. San Diegc, California, is being operated with a 

 short crew and with inadequate maintenance, due to lack of 

 f;:nd3. Although the BCF will fund three new ships 

 (2 as replacements, one as an additional ship) in fiscal 

 1962,, and will probably be able to support the B lack Douglas 

 properly, it would appear that we are not gaining much 

 ground with respect to fisheries research ships. 



Facili-t: ies 



It is encouraging to see that the shoreside facilities 

 of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries will be notably 

 augmented by the construction of a new laboratory building 

 on the grounds of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 

 and that this laboratory will provide space not only for 

 Bureau scientists but also for scientific staffs of other, 

 cooperating, fishery research agencies (governmental, 

 university, and international) . Important additions to 

 the facilities of laboratories at Juneau, Alaska, Boothbay 

 Harbor, Maine, and Oxford, Maryland are also being funded 

 in 1952. 



