278 



As a population ecologist, I am especially pleased by the Commis- 

 sion's recommendations for extensive exploration for latent resources 

 and monitoring of environmental changes in the oceans surrounding 

 our continent. Individual fish stocks exist as parts of multispecies 

 systems, and it is of great importance to measure the characteristics of 

 other components of the biological community as well as those of the 

 single stock being fished. 



Far too often in the past we have waited until some stock has been 

 seriously damaged before initiating adequate scientific studies. Bio- 

 logical studies of intensely exploited stocks are very expensive and are 

 not nearly as informative as studies started before exploitation begins 

 and continued while the fishery develops. 



I must confess less personal enthusiasm for the Commission's recom- 

 mendations concerning international fisheries affairs. On the positive 

 side, I support their recommendations that : 



(1) The United States work to improve and extend the existing 

 framework of specific bilateral and multilateral agreements. 



(2) Operational ecological units should be defined to serve as a 

 basis for international fisheries regulation in place of existing manage- 

 ment schemes based on either one species or a small number of species. 



(3) International fisheries commissions should have their own scien- 

 tific staffs, and the enforcement and arbitration machinery of inter- 

 national conventions should be strengthened. 



On the negative side, I do not believe we know enough to support 

 wholeheartedly overall area total catch quotas, such as that proposed 

 for the cod and haddock stocks of the North Atlantic. Misapplication 

 of a similar quota scheme was partly responsible for the near de- 

 struction of the Antarctic whale stocks. 



The problem of how to properly manage international fisheries is 

 enormously complicated and needs a great deal more study. 



I was also disappointed that the Commission did not emphasize 

 more strongly the need for more research on new techniques for col- 

 lecting and organizing data to make them truly useful for managing 

 large international fisheries. 



However, any such disagreements on specific proposals are of minor 

 importance. The overriding issue is the necessity to create a new, strong, 

 and independent governmental entity oriented toward the use of the 

 sea and its resources. I strongly support the Commission's recom- 

 mendations for such an agency. 



Mr. Lennozst. Thank you. Doctor. 



Mr. Calhoun. Dr. Donald Pritchard of Johns Hopkins University. 



(The document referred to follows :) 



Biographical Data of Donald William Pritchard, September 1968 



Born : Santa Ana, California, October 20, 1922. 



Education: B.A. Degree in Meteorology, University of California at Los 

 Angeles, 1943. M.A. (1948) and Ph. D. (1951) degrees in Oceanography, Seripps 

 Institution of Oceanography, University of California, Da Jolla, California. 



Present Employment : Director, Chesapeake Bay Institute, The Johns Hopkins 

 University (since 1951) ; also Professor of Oceanography, Department of Earth 

 and Planetary Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University. 



Past Professional Employment : Served as Weather Oflacer in World War II, 

 forecasting sea and swell for amphibious landing operations in Normandy and in 

 Pacific. Head, Current Analysis Section, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 

 1946. Oceanographer, U.S. Navy Electronics Laboratory, San Diego, California, 



