624 
ment, particularly in view of Western dependence on Middle East 
oil, the Soviet Union’s need for Indian Ocean fisheries, and Soviet 
political interests in East Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. 
The growing Soviet naval presence in the Indian Ocean is a cause 
for concern in view of the importance of Middle East oil and African 
raw materials for the well-being of the industrial nations of the West. 
Fourth. The Soviet civilian fleets support military activities. It has 
been shown that the Soviet merchant marine, fishing and oceano- 
graphic fleets are closely integrated with the Soviet Navy. While the 
primary function of the merchant marine is to carry overseas trade 
in Soviet bottoms, it is also uniquely equipped to serve as a naval 
auxiliary fleet and to supply client states with military equipment 
and other strategic goods. Prior to the Cuban missile crisis, the Soviet 
merchant marine had only a very limited capability to support client 
states. The Soviet Union has successfully penetrated overseas trade 
routes with rate-cutting practices. Private enterprise in the West can 
frequently not compete with artificial rates set by Soviet Government 
steamship companies. By employing such rate-cutting practices the 
Soviet Union has been particularly successful in gradually replacing 
the Western presence in third world countries. Soviet merchant marine 
vessels are also reported to serve importani surveillance and monitor- 
ing functions for the Soviet Navy, and at times they interfere with 
U.S. naval communications. 
In spite of recent Government financial support for merchant vessel 
construction, the total volume of U.S. overseas trade carried in U-S.- 
flag ships has continued to decrease. Some observers now fear that 
the United States may become too dependent on foreign shipping. 
Middle Eastern nations are expected to try to control much of the 
world oil shipments from the Middle East to consumer states. An 
effective U.S.-flag tanker fleet can divert oil flows from other areas 
to the United States in case of another embargo. The U.S. Navy 
is also concerned about the degree of obsolescence of the national 
defense reserve fleet and the fact that not enough dry cargo merchant 
vessels are being constructed in the United States to replace the 
aging reserve fleet. 
Fifth. The Soviet distant-water fishing fleet is the largest in the 
world, but by no means the most efficient.'% Like the merchant 
marine, the Soviet fishing fleet serves a dual purpose. Its primary 
purpose is economic; to supply Soviet citizens with more animal 
protein. Its secondary function is to gather intelligence and to show 
the Soviet flag around the world. Why, one asks, did the Soviet 
Union develop an expensive distant water fleet rather than concentrate 
on its own underutilized coastal fisheries—which have been estimated 
at between 3 and 4 million metric tons. 
The United States need not follow the Soviet example and develop 
a large distant water fleet. Fish is not as vital to the daily animal 
protein intake of Americans. U.S. fishermen harvest less than one- 
third of the maximum sustainable yield of all utilized species off 
U.S. coasts. The recently signed Fishery Conservation and Manage- 
ment Act of 1976 will provide the U.S. fishing industry with the 
opportunity to significantly increase its total catch, for domestic con- 
sumption and for export. Resources that cannot now be fully utilized 
by the U.S. fishing industry can be divided among foreign nations 
193 See chapter on the ‘‘Soviet Fishing Industry,” by Milan Kravanja. 
