54 SEA GRANT COLLEGES 



There is no question but what Donaldson at the University of Washington 

 has beneficially manipulated the genetic capabilities of chinook salmon, for in- 

 stance, in such a nnanner that animal husbandry practices would yield great re- 

 turn, if the legal basis for reaping the reward of the animal husbandry were 

 available. There is good reason to believe that this could be repeated on one 

 aquatic resource after the other. But the legal basis for reaping the reward does 

 not exist on the state, national or international level, and the chinook salmon, be- 

 cause of nature, must range through all three of these levels of management be- 

 fore it reaches harvestable size. 



An exception to all of this lies in the aquatic resources of the estuarine and 

 near- coastal area, and particularly to the attached forms --the kels and shell- 

 fishes. Oysters, mussels, and clams in particular are susceptible of economic 

 farming and it looks as if this applies also to some marine algaes. While more 

 scientific work is needed at many points the main barriers to present farming 

 of these things are legal and tenure problenas, economic costing of methodology, 

 and marketing problems. Pollution problems are also of major concern but these 

 now look to be tractable. 



CATCHING THE FISH 



If there are fish in abundance where you want them and no legal barriers to 

 getting them, there still remains the problem of catching them and getting them 

 to port at a cost low enough to enter the market and leave adequate margin for 

 profit on labor and capital used. 



Should it be a 50 tonboat or a 1,000 ton vessel? Should it have radar, sonar, 

 fish finder, and be supported by air surveillance, or simply use eyeball methods 

 of locating fish? Should it bring in the fish fresh, iced, frozen, or otherwise 

 stabilized? Should it use wood, steel or aluminum in hull and superstructure? 

 In what sort of sea- state will it be required to work? What ratios between speed, 

 length, fuel consumption, carrying capacity, crew comfort, etc., are required to 

 maximize profit? Shall it be a purse seiner, long-liner, trawler, gill-netter, or 

 what (or maybe a combination vessel) ? What is the rhythm of sea-state in the 

 area to be fished so that trips can be arranged to take advantage of this? 



THE PRESERVATION OF THE FISH 



On an average a fish is 80%water which is no more nutritious or tasty than 

 ordinary tap-water. It costs as much to freeze and transport the water as it 

 does the nutritious parts of the fish. 



Fish range in oil content from 1% to 20%. Most of the fats are polyunsatu- 

 rated (unlike most land-animal fats). Upon death they take up oxygen and become 

 rancid. This presents one or more of three sorts of problems. In some fishes 

 (for instance the salmons) the delicate tastes which yield the high prices are 

 carried in the oils. If the oils become rancid the value of the fish depreciates 

 rapidly. Rancid oil in all other fish generally smells badly and makes for an un- 

 acceptable product. Thirdly, rancid oils can be unwholesome from the stand- 

 point of human or other animal feeding. Accordingly, the polyunsaturated lipids 

 of fish must be stabilized or extracted rather quickly after death or the product 

 declines in value sharply and quickly. 



Fish are about 18% to 24% protein, and this is the principal nutritional ele- 

 ment in fish. The proteins have a balance of amino-acids well suited for human 

 or animal diets and the trace mineral content as well as certain vitamins (par- 

 ticularly of the B- complex) are additional plus factors nutritionally. The en- 

 zymes of fish are active and keep right on acting after death; accordingly, they 

 must be stabilized quickly if sea quality is to be retained. From a nutritional 



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