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portance on a world basis through the United Nations Development Program and 
FAO Department of Fisheries. There is beginning to be substantial support for 
fishery development projects in the developing world by the World Bank, and 
associated international credit organizations, and in this the United States pro- 
vides its proportion of investment funds. These projects now involve expendi- 
tures by all concerned of about $25 million per year. It supports in a similar 
manner, and on a lesser scale, related scientific work through the Intergovern- 
mental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and the World Meteorological 
Organization. It is a member of nine intergovernmental fishery conservation 
commissions, whose scientific and managerial work it supports with an annual 
budget of somewhat more than $2 million. The U.S. flag fishing industry is little 
involved in any of this except as an object of the work of the fishery commissions. 
FAO Department of Fisheries draws little upon fishing masters or nonscientific 
personnel trained in the U.S. fishing industry for its staff in these matters. 
The processing and marketing segments of the United States fish business is 
involved to a greater or less extent in the active development of the fisheries of 
upwards of 30 countries and is one of the more important factors in fishery 
development in the developing world. It uses personnel trained in the United 
States flag fisheries rather extensively in these wide spread activities. This is 
not related in any direct way to United States policy or official technical assist- 
ance programs, and is little known of by officials responsible for the latter. It is 
not supported in any consequential manner by the United States Government. 
The sum of it is unrecorded. 
5. At times in past history U.S. flag fishing vessels have provided support of 
greater or less importance to naval activities, particularly in times of stress, from 
the standpoint of vessel and crew strength and intelligence. The last such occa- 
sion was the Pacific War when a considerable segment of the tuna fleet was taken 
into Navy service, and other fleets of smaller individual vessel size performed 
coastal patrol duty for periods of time. The growing technological specializa- 
tion of the U.S. Navy since that time, and the relative stagnation in growth of 
the U.S. flag fishing fleet in the intervening time, have divorced the two interests 
so that at the present time little consequential relationship exists between 
the two. 
Thus from the standpoint of five major fields in which a national flag fishing 
industry can contribute to the posture of a major sea power, that of the United 
States is of little consequence to it. The U.S. flag fishing fleet has been stable 
as to overall physical productivity for thirty years, it provides a decreasing 
share of fishery products used by the United States economy (which is now below 
30% of such use), and its contribution in value to the Gross National Product 
is inconsequential; the value of export products for which it provides the base 
is growing, but they amount to less than half of 1% of the value of total exports; 
the contribution to the foreign exchange balance is substantial and negative, 
the costs of fishery imports exceeding those of exports by about $605 million 
in 1967, with the gap growing between value of fishery imports and exports rather 
steadily; the contribution of the U.S. flag fishing fleet either to governmentally 
sponsored technical assistance or military and diplomatic posture is negligible. 
B. Contrast with situation of the Soviet-fiag fishing fleet 
It is valid to contrast the contribution of Soviet fishing strength to Soviet 
posture with that of the United States, as noted above, because these two nation 
states are the principal present elements in the world power structure and are 
competing on many fronts. 
1. In terms of volume of production the catch of fish and shellfish by Soviet 
flag vessels was 5.8 million short tons in 1966. The current five year plan antici- 
pates production to be about 10 million short tons in 1975. It had been 1.7 tons 
in 1938, and 2.8 million tons in 1957. The accurate value of the 1966 catches are 
not at hand, but can be reckoned at not less than $1 billion at dockside. 
2. As of 1967 fish and fish products made up 34.2% of the animal protein sup- 
ply of the U.S.S.R. The per capita consumption of fish products in U.S.S.R. was 
5.2 kilograms in 1913, was 13.5 kilograms in 1966, and is planned to be 20 kilo- 
grams in 1970. Three billion rubles ($3.2 billion) have been allocated to improving 
the capital structure of the fish business during the current five year plan. While 
full statistics of imports and exports are not at hand it is known that imports of 
fish products have declined relative to production and absolutely, and that the 
export of fish products has expanded steadily. 
3. Fishery development forms a prominent part of Soviet technical assistance. 
Group fellowhip tours, seminars and studies in fishery development and tech- 
