414 



Q 2. How much "has been appropriated to carry out this program for fiscal 

 year 1968 under Public Law 89'-701 as well as any other law? 



A. The sum of $2,564,000 was appropriated in fiscal year 1968 for the fish 

 protein concentrate program. This includes $429,000 for continuation of FPC 

 research program underway prior to the enactment of Public Law 89-701, 

 $1,135,000 for carrying out the research and plant operating provisions of Public 

 Law 89-701, and $1,000,000 for design and construction of an experiment and 

 demonstration plant. 



Q 3 (a). When do you contemplate production will begin from either or both 

 of these plants? 



A. Production from the constructed plant will begin about 18 months after 

 the contract has been signed. 



Q 3 (b). How many pounds of fish protein concentrate do you anticipate 

 will be produced per annum? 



A. It is diflScult to anticipate the output on the FPC plant because it will not 

 be used wholly for production purposes. Instead, it will be involved in many 

 different types of experiments and demonstrations which will require start and 

 stop operations. 



A. In an effort to quantify production estimates, an assumption can be 

 made that the plant might operate a total of 3,200 hours during the first year. 

 Under these circumstances. 2,200,000 pounds of FPC would be produced. Such 

 an assumption would be based on a production schedule of 24 hours a day for 

 5 days a week during 3% months of peak fish harvesting. This would demon- 

 strate the feasibility and costs of fulltime operation. During the remainder of 

 the year, SVz months of experimental runs of 8 hours a day for 5 days a week 

 might be scheduled. 



A. If the plant were to be run on a full capacity basis for 24 hours a day 

 for 250 days a year. 4.100.000 pounds of FPC should be produced. 



Q 4 (a) . With resi)ect to the experiments being conducted at the plant operated 

 by the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries at Beltsville, Maryland, what other 

 species of fish are being experimented with at the present and with which species 

 are you planning future experiments? 



A. Atlantic red bake has been the principal species studied to date. "Very 

 limited work has been done on Pacific hake. Work on fatty fish i* scheduled 

 for the future which will lead to the development of a petition to the Food and 

 Drug Administration for approval of these species. 



Q 4 (b). Indicate if experiments are being conducted — or comtemplated — 

 with any process other than isopropyl alcohol. 



A. Experiments are not being conducted by the Bureau with processes other 

 that isopropyl alcohol, except for a very preliminary study on screening enzymes 

 for potential use in an enzymatic digestion process. Experiments are contem- 

 plated with processes that include : 



1. Solvents other than isopropyl alcohol, 



2. Enzymatic digestion processes, and 



3. Shipboard applications of the processes. 



Q. 5. Please provide the Committee with a copy of the certification submitted 

 by the Secretary of Health, EdiTcation, and Welfare to the Secretary of the 

 Interior. 



A. There is attached a copy of a letter dated May 26, 1967. from the Deputy 

 Assistant Secretary for Science and Population, Department of Health, Educa- 

 tion, and Welfare, which supports our position that the certification requirement 

 of Public Law 89-701 had been met. However, to avoid any misunderstanding, we 

 have recently requested the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to- 

 furnish a specific certification. It will be forwarded to the Committee upon 

 receipt. 



Q. 6. Advise the Committee of other provisions of law, if any, under which the 

 Secretary of the Interior is carrying out fish protein concentrate research, and 

 to what extent. 



A. Our past research was conducted \inder the Saltonstall-Kenned.v Act of 

 July 1. 1954. as amended (15 U.S.C. 713), and imder the Fish and Wildlife Act of 

 August 8, 1956, as amended (16 U.S.C. 742). In fiscal year 1968, $429,000 was 

 appropriated under provisions of the Fish and Wildlife Act of August 8, 1965, 

 as amended, and $2,135,000 was appropriated, including $1,000,000 for construc- 

 tion, under the provisions of Public Law 89-701. 



Q. 7. Section 4 of Public Law 89-701 makes it mandatory that the Secretary 

 of the Interior cooperate with public and private agencies, organizations, institu- 



