22 



that two-thirds of the total value, or approximately $300 million, can 

 be considered for estuarine-dependent species. This is a conservative 

 estimate of the direct value derived from the estuarine fishery for it 

 does not include the value of fish harvested by foreign vessels off the 

 U.S. coast. Five of the six leading species by weight, representing over 

 one-half of the U.S. commercial fish tonnage in 1967, are estuarine- 

 dependent. 



Recreation 



The demand for outdoor recreation has increased significantly over 

 the past decade. The trend toward higher personal income and more 

 leisure time has made it possible for a greater precentage of the popu- 

 lace to seek new outlets. Companies manufacturing equipment for out- 

 door recreation have sprung up by the hundreds. 



The advertising industry has campaigned vigorously to sell the pub- 

 lic on the need for recreation, and service facilities to support the 

 recreationalist are blossoming in all parts of the country. 



There are a wide variety of land and water recreational activities 

 available in the estuarine zone and many estuarine systems are inten- 

 sively used for recreational pursuits. The unique combination of avail- 

 able resources in close proximity to large population centers ojffers an 

 unparalleled recreational opportunity for many people who could not 

 afford to travel far from their homes. 



Each type of recreational activity has a certain sensitivity to the 

 quality of the environment in which the activity takes place. Clusters 

 of activities that require similar environmental conditions but differ 

 in environmental quality needs can be grouped as follows: (1) swim- 

 ming and associated shore activities, including picnicing and camping ; 

 (2) sports fishing from shore or small boats; (3) boat-centered ac- 

 tivities, such as cruising or water skiing; and (4) aesthetic apprecia- 

 tion of the total environment. 



Transportation and National defense 



The Nation's estuaries provide the physical, social, and economic 

 conditions required for an effective system of water terminals serving 

 international trade and coastal shipping. According to a 1966 inven- 

 tory of ports and terminals by the Maritime Administration, there 

 were 1,626 marine terminal facilities providing deep water berths in 

 132 ports on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts. The significance of 

 these ports and terminal facilities is indicated by the 1965 statistics 

 which show that these ports handled 346,315,000 tons of foreign trade 

 cargo which was 78 percent of the U.S. foreign trade total. In addi- 

 tion, the port facilities handled 332.1 million tons in coastal cargo and 

 288.2 million tons in local shipping. 



The estuarine ports also serve as essential elements of the national 

 defense system. The deep water terminals exert a significant influence 

 on the location of defense installations as well as of the industrial com- 

 plexes necessary for logistical support of the defense effort. A direct 

 indication of the use of estuaries by naval vessels is the total number 

 of ships in commission. During the fiscal year 1967 this number was 

 931 with a planned increase to 960 in the fiscal year 1969. 



The use of the harbors for waterborne transportation is competitive 

 in that it may cause other uses to be foregone. Heavy ship traffic inter- 

 feres with pleasure boating and related activities. Maintenance of the 



