MARINE SCIENCE 151 



3. COOPKRATION WITH AND TECHNICAL AIDS TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES IN RELATION 

 TO THE MARINE SCIENCES 



It is almost impossible for any one country to explore all the oceans of the 

 world. The SCOR (Special Committee on Oceanographlc Research) set up with 

 the framework of the International Council of Science Union is working on 

 international cooperation of oceanographic explorations on the international 

 basis. Correspondingly, is necessary the national organization which acts as a 

 liason between such an international body and the individual agencies and 

 institutions participating in interational programs. Moreover, it is desirable 

 that such organization does not only coordinate the efforts of individual agencies 

 and institutions but also carry out its own plan of an international scope. There- 

 fore in some occasions it may operate a few research ships which belong to 

 individual agencies under special contracts. 



In the North Pacific and the North Atlantic region the committees mentioned 

 in the paragraph one may act dual roles of interdepartmental and interna- 

 tional coordination, because the most countries with excellent qualification in 

 oceanography are interested in these regions and are now doing active work. 



Technical aids to underdeveloped countries in the marine sciences must be 

 planned jointly or independently with this program of international coopera- 

 tion. Some countries in eastern south Asia and Africa are surrounded or 

 faced with the oceans which are rather rich in marine resources. But un- 

 fortunately they are unable to utilize these resources owing to lack of knowl- 

 edges and facilities, although they need such resources more than other civi- 

 lized countries. Therefore, dispatches of oceanographic research ships to these 

 countries may contribute to their development by exploring the seas around them 

 and by training the scientists of these countries who will participate in 

 such surveys. Further such ships will certainly serve good diplomatic missions. 



4. MARINE SCIENCES FOR FISHING FLEET 



Obviously the advancement in marine sciences will greatly benefit fishery. 

 However, the true goal for improvement of fishery may not be reached until 

 the prediction of fishing conditions in adequately imparted to fishermen. Such 

 prediction which is based on the oceanographic conditions is particularly im- 

 portant in herring fishing in the northern North Atlantic, salmon fishing in the 

 North Pacific, tuna fishing in the Central Pacific, and shrimp and oyster culture 

 on the coast. 



In order to give precise prediction ample data both in time and space as 

 well as researches about the method of prediction are indispensable. The 

 oceanographic data collected by ordinary research ships are accurate but limited 

 in time and space. On the other hand, fishing fleets cover entire fishing fields 

 with more frequencies than the research ships. Therefore when — 



(1) Scientific instruments such as temperature recorder, plancton sam- 

 pler etc., which need not high precision as required by research ships are 

 equipped by these fishing boats ; and when 



(2) Crew of these boats are trained in handling of the instruments and 

 in general observation techniques, the data collected by these boats are valu- 

 able not only in the prediction of fishing condition but also in basic research 

 on oceanography. In order to collect these data there may be a center at 

 each fishing area. Fishing fleet may send their data to such centers by 

 radio or in written forms. In return, these centers may broadcast various 

 informations to the fishing fieet during the season, and be responsible for 

 maintenance of the scientific instruments of the boats. 



Such plans are not novel. I have heard that Russia is already sending a few 

 hundreds fishing boats which are well equipped with scientific instruments to 

 the fishing ground of herring in the North Atlantic. The Forecasting Center at 

 Moscow is giving prediction of fishing conditions 3 to 6 months ahead the fishing 

 season from the data thus collected. In Japan, though in a small scale, this 

 kind of cooperation between the fishing fieet and oceanograph laboratories is 

 done during the fishing season of bonito in the Pacific. 



5. IMPORTANCE OF RESRiVRCH OF CONTINENTAL SHELF AND COASTAL AREAS 



The immediate importance of Continental Shelf and coastal areas to our daily 

 life can be realized if we consider that the marine resources are mostly found 

 in these areas and our defense problem is to protect these areas against the 



