389 



this important area. A lon^ period of drift and inaction in reviewing 

 and studying the Commission's report would be most discouraging to 

 industry and the investment community. 



It is felt that a coordinating agency certainly is needed to provide 

 communications among all the various different departments and 

 agencies having murine programs, both military and civilian. Natu- 

 rally, all concerned want to avoid duplication. 



The proposed National Advisory Committee for the Oceans 

 (NACO) would perform this function. 



It should, perhaps, be established first, and at least, on the same 

 level as any executive agency such as the proposed National Oceano- 

 graphic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) and be clearly independ- 

 ent of this latter agency. 



We would encourage strong representation be given to industry on 

 the advisory committee and that all major spheres, large and small, 

 such as petroleum, fisheries, recreation, pollution and construction, be 

 included. It is also most important to have well-qualified representa- 

 tives from the States of the regions along the coast and Great Lakes on 

 such a committee. 



An executive agency, such as NOAA, to formulate and direct many 

 of the more important marine operations of the Federal Government 

 in the civilian sector would seem to be desirable, even essential. 



Naturally, an interdepartment agency mechanism to coordinate the 

 various marine functions of the departments and other agencies is vital 

 and should, of course, provide coordination with the Navy. 



The modernization of the U.S. fishing industry, particularly the 

 catching and harvesting end of it, is urgently needed and requires en- 

 couragement from the Government. It should be made clear that a 

 leading mission of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries is to place pri- 

 mary emphasis on increasing the U.S. fish catch on an economic basis. 



Perhaps encouraging the Bureau with a new sense of purpose could 

 be best accomplished by assigning it to this new agency, if established. 

 In addition, the civilian operations of the Coast Guard might well be 

 more attuned to assisting in the accomplishment of oceanographic mis- 

 sions, if it w^ere assigned to NOAA as long as it did not jeopardize its 

 important military mission to the Navy. 



If the atmosphere is to be considered a part of NOAA, as proposed 

 by the Commission, and E'SSA is to be included in this agency, then 

 perhaps air and water pollution control programs, so vital to our en- 

 vironment, should be very closely coordinated and supported and 

 maybe even affiliated with NOAA. Certainly, it is vital to encourage 

 l^rograms which will improve the accuracy of forecasting the weather. 

 Advances here would have tremendous benefits both to the Government 

 as well as industry. 



We definitely agree that the main Government role should be to 

 provide seed money to act as a catalyst in activating industry in its 

 marine research and development operations and that direct Govern- 

 ment subsidies should be avoided at all costs, except possibly in the 

 construction of modernized fishing vessels. 



However, even this subsidy might be unnecessary if U.S. operated 

 fishing vessels could be built in the lower cost shipyards abroad. The 

 building of plants by the Government, for example, to make fish protein 



