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U.S. coast. One of the major problems includes continued overfishing 
of certain species, such as hake and pollock. 
Hake, which is the primary target species of the Soviet fleet operat- 
ing off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, continues 
to be overfished. The maximum sustainable yield of this species is 
currently estimated by U.S. scientists to be 150,000 metric tons, but 
the all-nation harvest in 1976 is expected to total nearly 200,000 
metric tons. The Soviet Union’s quota alone for 1976 is 150,000 
tons. Thus, it will be necessary that the Soviet Union’s quota be 
reduced to a much lower level. Every effort was made to do this 
in negotiations held in July 1975 but the Soviet scientists claimed 
that the resource was in much better shape than claimed by U.S. 
scientists and it was finally agreed between the two parties that the 
Soviet quota would again be set at 150,000 tons. However, in other 
areas of concern to the U.S. fisheries, the Soviet Union did make 
significant concessions to the United States. 
Pollock in the eastern Bering Sea is another species still being 
overfished. The all-nation catch of this species is estimated at over 
1.3 million metric tons, whereas the maximum sustainable yield is 
calculated to be in the range of 800,000-850,000 tons. Japan by 
far has the largest quota share of this resource (85 percent or 1.1 
million tons), followed by the Soviet Union (15 percent or 210,000 
tons). Their catch quotas had both been reduced by nearly 30 percent 
to reduce the fishing pressure on this resource but the overfishing 
problem still remains. The United States will need to again make 
a major effort at negotiations scheduled in 1976 with both countries 
to seek their recognition of the serious condition of this resource 
and to reduce their catches. 
The problem of overfishing is compounded by the problem of high 
incidental catches (by-catches) of certain depleted species, that is 
the involuntary catching of species while fishing for other species. 
In this respect, ICNAF has taken a major step forward in reducing 
the by-catches of the depleted haddock and yellowtail flounder (these 
two species were overfished by the Soviets) by prohibiting bottom 
trawling on Georges Bank. 
On the Pacific Coast, the halibut resource has continued to decline 
despite the energetic efforts of the International Pacific Halibut Com- 
mission to protect it. The decline is attributed to the large incidental 
catches of young halibut in the eastern Bering Sea made by the 
foreign fleets of Japan and Soviet Union. Both countires, after 
protracted and difficult negotiations, agreed to the establishment of 
extensive closed areas to trawling during the winter and spring months 
when young halibut congregate in the eastern Bering Sea. Their great 
reluctance in readily accepting the U.S.-proposed measures stems from 
their view (with which the United States disagrees) that their trawl 
fisheries have minimal adverse impact on the halibut resource and 
from their concern that those measures would tend to deny their 
vessels of the opportunity of fishing for other species and would 
significantly increase their fleet operational costs. Observations made 
by the United States have shown that the foreign fleets have generally 
been able to adjust their operations despite the imposition of such 
measures and have been able to operate with relative efficiency and 
have not significantly impaired their ability to catch species they were 
seeking. 
