84 



focuses on mineral development. Until the Bureau of Commercial 

 Fisheries was allowed to get into the act of approving such licenses, 

 there was no machinery to insure the protection of living resources 

 which might be affected. 



My question, Mr. Stratton, is: Does your Commission intend to 

 give greater emphasis to the development of our tremendously valu- 

 able fishing resources, and do you expect to see a greater Government- 

 wide concern for improving and modernizing our means of exploiting 

 the oceans' food potential ? 



Dr. Stratton. Let me assure you that the Commission is well aware 

 of the serious problems relating to conflicting uses of the Continental 

 Shelf, and of the need for improving and modernizing our means of 

 exploiting the oceans' food potential. The Commission's panel on 

 marine resources is chaired by Dr. James Crutchfield of the Univer- 

 sity of Washington who is an internationally recognized authority in 

 the field of fisheries economics, and who is vitally concerned with 

 problems of effective utilization of the living resources of the sea. 

 Another panel, headed by Prof. Carl Auerbach of the University of 

 Minnesota, is formulating plans for the study of jurisdiction and use 

 of the Outer Continental Shelf, with particular reference to the ac- 

 commodation of conflicts among different types of users. Clearly, we 

 must avoid unnecessary destruction of fisheries resources as a result 

 of actions taken by oil prospectors and other users. Not only is this 

 an immediate problem of conflict, but it appears likely that recurring 

 use conflicts will continue to arise and that some permanent govern- 

 mental mechanism may be needed for their resolution. The Commis- 

 sion is giving close attention to this matter. 



Mr. Keith. In July, I filed a "Marine Sanctuaries Studv Act" on 

 behalf of myself and 13 other Members of the Congress. The -pliilos- 

 ophy behind this measure is that, before oil and mineral exploitation 

 begins in new areas of our ocean frontier, a thorough study should 

 determine the likely impact of such activities on the other natural re- 

 sources of the marine environment. 



My feeling is that some kind of "ocean zoning" may be necessary 

 to make these various uses of the sea comj^ntible witli each other, and 

 to prevent the destruction of the conservation, recreational, fishing, 

 scientific, and scenic values of our coastal oceans. For this reason, my 

 bill authorized the Secretary of Interior to study the possibility of 

 setting up "marine sanctuaries" as areas whose natural values war- 

 rant their being excluded from industrial or mininsr development. 



Mr. Stratton, would you comment on the approach in this bill, and 

 tell me whether you think this concept should be implemented as leg- 

 islation ? 



Dr. Stratton. On August 23, our Commission's Executive Director 

 wrote to the Honorable Edward A. Garmatz, cliairman of the Com- 

 mittee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, to express the Commis- 

 sion's views regarding the bill, H.R. 11.5.S4. which Mr. Keith had in- 

 troduced. A copy of this letter is attached for your information. I 

 would add that since this letter was prepared the Commission has 

 be.Q:un some discussion of the feasibility of marine zonino-. While I 

 am not in a position to speak for the Commission as a whole. I would 

 say personally that establishment of "marine spnctuaries" appears to 

 be consistent with the preliminary thinking of several of the Com- 

 missioners. 



(The letter mentioned follows :) 



