1168 
ential position in the United States market not growng out of natural competi- 
tive forces or abilities. The market for ground fish in the United States has 
grown rapidly, even to the extent of exacerbating the United States’ problems 
of balance of payments. Ground fish resources off the coast not possible of use by 
U.S. flag fishermen are increasingly fished by foreign fishermen with the product 
frequently coming into the United States market. 
The Federal Fishery Function should be provided funds and authority to 
mount a concerted drive for a ten year period to revive the ground fish fisheries 
of the United States. This program should include for this period of time autkor- 
ity to provide vessel construction subsidies and other supports fully equivalent 
to Canadian supports in these fields. 
14. Use of the Academic Community.—Other agencies of the United States 
Government (NASA, NAVY, AEC, NSF) have used the academic community 
with great success, and tremendous benefit to the nation, through grants and 
contracts. This has been so successful that it has materially affected the entire 
higher educational system in the United States and the economy and posture of 
the nation. 
This enormously valuable tool has been very sparingly available to the U.S. 
flag fisheries for two reasons. The National Science Foundation has interpreted 
its mandate for the support of basic research in such a manner that research 
program proposals from the academic community related to commercial fisheries 
were referred by it to the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries. Most of the Bureau 
of Commercial Fisheries funds were tied to particular projects, Bureau labora- 
tories did not appreciate competition from academic laboratories for these funds, 
and the directives under which the Bureau operated were somewhat uncertain 
in this field. 
(a) Oysters, Clams and Mussels—Oysters, clams and mussels are excellent 
vectors of human disease bacteria and viruses. These are ingested in the normal 
feeding process if available in the environment, and ordinarily carried by the 
animal with no damage. Oysters and clams in particular thrive where there is 
some pollution by human wastes. Very large areas of excellent mollusc farming 
lands are removed from use by these public health problems. The public Health 
Service and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries are well advanced on the de- 
velopment of depurating methods. 
Industrial pollution is often more damaging to the sensitive molluscs than 
buman waste pollution. Copper and other high molecular weight metals are par- 
ticularly poisonous to them in exceedingly slight concentration. It is not at all 
certain that the waves of epideime diseases that have affected broad areas of 
mulluse producing areas are not induced by the weakened condition of the animals 
deriving from pollutants in undetectable amounts. 
Silting and the destruction of shell beds have destroyed the possibility of 
molluse culture in broad coastal areas by eliminating clean cultch for the embryo’s 
to set on (oysters) or smothering them before they can grow. 
Farming is not practiced where the farmer does not have control over and 
ownership of the product and land. Tideland tenure laws do not permit this in 
many states with excellent aquaculture possibilities. 
The Federal Fishery Function should work toward eliminating these and other 
barriers to the farming of oysters, clams and mussels. 
(b) Salmon and Trout.—Salmon and sea-run trout form particularly fine sub- 
jects for aquaculture and this is held back almost entirely by institutional 
barriers. 
The Federal Fishery Function should be given authority and funds to experi- 
ment with the aquaculture production of salmon and sea-run trout on a com- 
mercial basis involving private control of a whole river system, full authority to 
harvest the result by any method (including lease of sport fishing rights), and 
encouragement to selectively breed efficient stocks. 
This could readily be initiated and explored with light social interaction on 
small coastal streams, especially in Alaska but also is the other west coast 
states, and particularly on streams all, or mostly, included within federally 
owned lands. 
(a) Oysters, Clams and Mussels.—Oysters, clams and mussels are excellent 
vectors of human disease bacteria and viruses. These are ingested in the normal 
feeding process if available in the environment, and ordinarily carried by the 
animal with no damage. Oysters and clams in particular thrive where there is 
some pollution by human wastes. Very large areas of excellent molluse farming 
lands are removed from use by these public health problems. The Public Health 
Service and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries are well advanced on the devel- - 
opment of depurating methods. 
