604 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



The growth of interest in oceanography has brought with it a need for coordi- 

 nation, in order to avoid misdirected efforts. The enthusiasm with which Gov- 

 ernment agencies and a large number of major engineering corporations have 

 plunged into oceanography, frequently with inadequately trained personnel, 

 is matched by that of many universities, hitherto lacking in interest in the 

 oceans, which have recently hastened to open new departments of oceanography, 

 not all of which are well manned or suitably located. In fact, some of the 

 more enthusiastic newcomers are in inland locations. 



It is therefore clearly desirable that steps be taken to prevent unnecessary 

 duplication of effort among Government agencies, between Government and 

 industry, and between Government and the universities. 



The universities have two functions to perform, those of education and of 

 basic research. Government agencies have specific missions in which the 

 knowledge developed from basic research may be applied to the exercise of a 

 useful function in government. The Government agencies, in general, should 

 be restricted to such specific missions. Engineering industry is primarily con- 

 cerned with the development and manufacture of systems and equipment to 

 carry out the missions both of Government and of private enterprise. There 

 obviously are no clear lines of separation between these missions, but there is 

 certainly a very real need of some coordinating body with the knowledge, the 

 responsibility, and the authority to prevent fiagrant deviations from them, 

 and to minimize the danger of unhealthy competition. 



The establishment of a National Oceanographie Council, as provided for by 

 H.R. 5654 appears to be a logical and orderly way of insuring coordination, 

 controlling duplication of effort and presenting a unified program to Congress. 



The diversity of objectives in the oceanographie activities of the various 

 agencies is such that the reorganization of all such agencies into a single 

 operating agency is not practical. On the other hand, the possibility of trans- 

 ferring certain agencies into one department in order to unify their admin- 

 istration and to insure closer adherence to their logical functions, may be worthy 

 of consideration. Possibly this study could be accomplished under the terms 

 of H.R. 5654. Should it be decided, however, that a commission such as pro- 

 posed in H.R. 9064, H.R. 9483, and H.R. 9667 is necessary to consider this, I 

 do not believe that a period of 2 years is necessary to formulate recommenda- 

 tions, but that 6 to 12 months should be adequate, in view of the lengthy and 

 careful study already made by Members of Congress. 



Although there may be grounds for continuing the separate existence of 

 some or even most of the 20 or so agencies engaged in oceanoghaphic operations, 

 there appears no good reason for adding new ones, or for extending the work of 

 still more agencies in this direction. 



Statement op William R. Neblett, Executive Director, 

 National Shrimp Congress, Inc. 



The interest of the National Shrimp Congress in the several bills now pending 

 before your subcommittee is a very compelling interest, as the domestic shrimp 

 fishery of the United States feels that several aspects of a comprehensive 

 oceanographie program, including fisheries' biology, chartings and soundings, 

 estuarine surveys, and other matters vitally affect our fishery. 



As an example of this interest the National Shrimp Congress has recently 

 published a pamphlet entitled "An Oceanographie Program for the Gulf of 

 Mexico," copies of which are attached hereto. 



The domestic shrimp fishery is centered primarily in the south Atlantic Ocean 

 and the Gulf of Mexico, from North Carolina to Texas ; with an additional cold 

 water fishery of which the chief producing State is Alaska and in which there 

 is some shrimp production in the States of Washington, Oregon, and California. 

 The U.S. shrimp fishery is also one of the few remaining U.S. fisheries engaged 

 in distant fishing so that knowledge and information concerning the oceans 

 bordering some other nations is also important to this fishery. It should also 

 be pointed out that in dollar income the U.S. shrimp fishery is the No. 1 fishery 

 of the United States. 



The fact that the domestic shrimp fishery is not dominated or controlled by 

 a few large corporations or enterprises, but is widely scattered and affords 

 employment and income to a large number of individual vessel owners, small 

 businessmen, makes it somewhat diflBcult for this industry to hold meetings and 



