44 



Mr. Downing. And you provide for the extension of subsidies for 

 fishing vessels? 



Dr. Adams. With amendments; yes, sir. 



Mr. Downing. Do you have any details on that? 



Dr. Adams. Our recommendation was that there be a flat 50-percent 

 subsidy rate and not the present system of having to get foreign bids 

 and compare them with domestic bids. We felt this really cut down 

 the efficiency of the whole program because there was so much red 

 tape between the fishermen and the vessel that the whole program was 

 jeopardized. 



Mr. Keith. You got good advice there. 



Mr. Downing. One of the recommendations was to recodify laws 

 on vessel safety standards, extend certificates, provide safety stand- 

 ards for commercial fishing vessels, empower Coast Guard to establish 

 minimum safety standards for pleasure boats. 



Is that not being a little presumptuous in so far as your main effort 

 with oceanography is concerned? 



Dr. Adams. This comes from industry, I believe. I will comment 

 on one part of it. Of all groups of vessels in coastal operations, fish- 

 ing vessels have a higher casualty rate than any others. The feeling-^ 

 even within the fishing industry is that the industry needs a little 

 encouragement here to design their vessels more safely and to operate 

 them more safely. This is one means of asserting a little courage here. 



Mr. Downing. What, if any, agency not included in NOAA was 

 seriously considered for inclusion? 



Dr. Stratton. Obviously the Geological Survey of the Department 

 of the Interior, some functions of the Corps of Engineers. 



The real problem of the Geological Survey was that some of the 

 functions they perform will have to be performed — or there are 

 parallel actions on the seabed. 



Our conclusion was that the Geological Survey was too intimately 

 involved in land and other programs and we could not see how to 

 justify moving them over to the sea. 



Mr. Lennon. The Commission, of course, had representatives 

 from the Federal Government, the Department of Commerce, the 

 Department of the Interior, DOD, and the Department of the Navy. 



Would you gentlemen say either on the record or off the record that 

 the report was unanimous respecting the mandate of the legislation 

 which you are requesting? Was this a unanimous consensus of the 

 Commission with respect to the organizational plan? 



Dr. White. We participated, the three Government members, in 

 all discussions dealing with this organization. We have not, however, 

 taken a position with regard to the specific proposals now being 

 recommended by the Commission. 



I can speak only for myself as a representative from the Government 

 as to what my view is, sir. That is that this is an innovative and 

 imaginative way by which one can organize and manage the efforts 

 recommended by the Commission. 



On the other hand, I do act in my official capacity as a member 

 of the Department of Commerce and a member of the executive 

 branch. There are discussions going on in the executive branch with 

 regard to where it would like to go in this area. 



I feel it is only proper for myself, sir, to await any kinds of pro- 

 posals or recommendations from the executive branch of the Gov- 



