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that development will have on other elements. In the previous chapter 
we have shown that seapower today is a much broader concept than 
it has been prior to the Second World War. Today, the oceans are 
not only important as trade routes and a source of food. In an era 
of growing scarcity of energy resources and raw materials, man is 
looking increasingly to the oceans for solutions to his problems. But, 
the solution to some of his energy and raw material problems has 
created environmental problems, and perhaps interference with naviga- 
tion and food gathering. Centralization of civilian ocean activities 
would have the advantage of taking a comprehensive look at all ocean 
activities to see to it that ocean resources are utilized to their optimum 
capacity without undue interference with the environment and other 
uses of the seas. 
Government, however, cannot fulfill the complex task of managing 
U.S. ocean activities without close cooperation with the nongovern- 
mental sector of society. While the Government, for example, can 
assist fishermen by creating a 200 nautical mile fisheries zone and 
managing the living resources within that area, many of the problems 
related to the stagnation of some of our coastal fisheries are cultural 
in nature, and are not likely to be positively affected by governmental 
action. 
The necessary improvement of the competitiveness of our merchant 
marine is another example of an area where Government action is 
limited. Government action has at least temporarily slowed down the 
rapid decline of the U.S. merchant marine in the post-World War 
II era. Infusion of Government funds, made possible by the passage 
of the Merchant Marine Act of 1970 has increased the volume of 
goods shipped in U.S. bottoms. It seems, however, that in order to 
increase the volume of goods shipped in U.S. bottoms significantly, 
Government subsidy programs are not sufficient. A recent report by 
the National Academy of Sciences found that reorganization of both 
management and labor union practices are necessary to improve the 
position of the U.S. merchant marine. 
There are many other areas related to the various uses of the 
seas where cooperation between government and nongovernment 
insitutions are called for. It seems evident, however, that reorganiza- 
tion of ocean activities leading to further centralization of civilian 
ocean affairs, in concert with a coordinating and policymaking council 
attached to the Executive Office, would be a major step in the 
direction of recognizing the importance of an oceans policy to the 
United States, and toward the optimization of the uses of the seas. 
O 
