161 



Dr. Cain. You get a little problem sometimes in terms of geomor- 

 pliology as to how you define the shelf. I refer to deep trenches that 

 interrupt more shallow bottoms. 



Mr. Rogers. You might tell us whether this is specifically within 

 the Continental Shelf. I would hope they are not. I would hope they 

 are beyond it so we can start using the Geneva Conference. 



( The information follows :) 



Boundaries of the Outee Continental Shelf 



The Department of the Interior regards areas which it has leased under the 

 ■Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act as being on the Continental Shelf of the 

 United States. 



Mr. EoGERS. You mention new stocks of fish. Could you give us a 

 rundown a little bit on the work in this area ? 



Dr. Cain. You mean from our exploration activities, the new stocks 

 that have been unexploited or underexploited ? 



Mr. Rogers. Yes, and maybe any other facts as to where you have 

 discovered or where they have not fished before and discovered re- 

 sources. 



For instance, I understand off Florida they are finding shrimp at 

 a depth where they have never been fished. I think this helps us to 

 know what these resources are. 



(The following material was received in response to the above :) 



New Stocks of Fish and Shellfish Discovered in Recent Years 



Fishery surveys in recent years by the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries have 

 ■defined a number of undeveloped or underdeveloped stocks of fish and shellfish, 

 including shrimp off Alaska, hake and groundfish in the Pacific North-west, 

 anchovy off the west coast, thread herring in the Gulf of Mexico, calico scallops 

 off Florida, and surf clams and ocean quahogs along the Atlantic coast. Viable 

 commercial fisheries have developed in many instances from these surveys. The 

 commercial fishery for Alaskan shrimp produced 28.0 million pounds valued at 

 $1.3 milion in 1966. In the summer of 1967, during 2% months of fishing by 10 

 vessels, the commercial yield from the Pacific hake fishery was 20.0 milion 

 pounds. The anchovy catch off the west coast in 1966 was 60.5 million pounds 

 valued at $650,000. Potential annual yields of Pacific groundfish off the Pacific 

 Northwest and Alaska coasts, such as Pacific ocean i)erch and pollock are esti- 

 mated to exceed 150 milion and 500 million pounds respectively. The potential 

 yield of thread herring in the Gulf of Mexico is estimated at 2.5 billion pounds 

 annually. During late summer 1967, commercially significant concentrations of 

 <;alico scallops were delineated off the Florida coast, and arrangements are cur- 

 rently being made by industry representatives in North Carolina and Florida to 

 harvest these resources. New beds of surf clams and ocean quahogs were also 

 discovered along the Atlantic coast during 1967, some of which were utilized by 

 the fishing industry. 



Mr. Rogers. What work is being done on obtaining an inventory 

 of the natural resources, particularly on the Continental Shelf? Are 

 you doing any work here ? 



Dr. Cain. One of the express needs which is in the testimony I can 

 explain as follows : 



I think I did mention that the Geological Survey feels, and we feel, 

 a very great need for a study of the entire Continental Shelf from the 

 point of view of geology. We have a very real need in food from the 

 sea to extend our exploration activities. 



On the discussion that came up with Mr. Keith, we do not know 

 enough about the resource complexes of the coastline now to judicially 



