470 
and go out fishing again. They have reported losses totaling over 
$100,000 in some cases. 
In an attempt to alleviate the economic hardships incurred by U.S. 
fishermen, the United States negotiated an agreement in February 
1973 in Moscow establishing a Claims Board to consider claims result- 
ing from damage to fishing vessels or gear which are brought to 
the attention of the Board by a national of one country against the 
national of another country. The Board, after conducting a full, 
detailed inquiry into the facts of a case, is empowered to make recom- 
mendations on payment of compensation. As of January 1, 1976, 
a total of 246 incidents occurring since 1971 has been reported to 
the Board; 94 involved Soviet fishing vessels. The Board has examined 
a total of 68 incidents (57 of which were claims) and has settled 
20 claims involving Soviet vessels, ruling favorably for U.S. fishermen 
in 15 cases (settlement totaling $100,013) and 5 unfavorably. 
COOPERATION IN FISHERIES RESEARCH 
For both the Northwest Atlantic and Northeast Pacific cooperation 
in fisheries research grew out of bilateral arrangements reached with 
the Soviet Union in the mid-1960’s. Over the years, cooperation in 
research has included: 
a. Meetings of scientists to discuss status of stocks of mutual in- 
terest, research techniques and results of national research. 
b. Annual exchange of biological data and catch statistics. 
c. Participation of scientists of both countries in research cruises. 
d. Develop field programs and carry out joint operations of research 
vessels of both countries. 
e. Exchange of samples for comparative evaluation. 
f. Limited sampling of Soviet commercial catches by U.S. scientists. 
The above activities over approximately a 10-year span has provided 
U.S. scientists with valuable insight into Soviet research activities and, 
of course, opened new lines of communication with their counterparts 
in the Soviet Union. 
When one looks at the more tangible benefits from cooperative 
research, it is apparent that there has been a different degree of 
progress between the Pacific and North Atlantic. As seen by USS. 
scientists, the cooperative trawl surveys have resulted in the develop- 
ment of a more comprehensive and accurate data base on the fisheries 
and fish populations of the Northeast Atlantic. Conversely, in the 
North Pacific only a few joint field activities have been successful. 
Other operations planned and scheduled, such as hake trawl surveys 
off Washington and Oregon and groundfish trawl surveys in the Bering 
Sea, have failed to take place or have had to be substantially modified 
with the resultant loss of desired coverage. 
PROBLEMS REMAINING AHEAD 
Despite the success which the United States has achieved recently 
in negotiating a more effective conservation arrangement with the 
Soviet Union, there continues to remain many resource problems of 
concern to the United States. These problems obviously cannot be 
solved only in context of our bilateral relations with the Soviet Union 
since the Soviet Union is but one of many countries fishing off the 
