capacity is matched by retirement of older vessels 

 in order to prevent excessive expansion of total 

 fishing effort and should be restricted to fisheries 

 in real need. It would also be more accurate and 

 effective to regard the program as a subsidy to the 

 U.S. shipbuilding industry and move it outside the 

 budget of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries. 



Several incidents of food poisoning in recent 

 years have drawn public attention to inadequate 

 sanitary conditions in many processing and mar- 

 keting establishments throughout the country. It is 

 estimated that less than one-third of the 4,200 fish 

 processing plants in the United States could meet 

 standards equivalent to those required of meat and 

 poultry packers. In addition, industry representa- 

 tives at a recent fishery conference cited improved 

 quahty control as the most important requirement 

 in building stronger U.S. markets for seafood. 



Recommendation : 



The panel endorses the President's request for 

 legislation requiring mandatory inspection of fish, 

 fishery products, fish processing plants, and fishing 

 vessels. It recognizes, however, the need for 

 interim financial and technical assistance to assist 

 firms in upgrading facilities and recommends that 

 the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries undertake 

 such assistance. 



Recommendation : 



Programs must be developed to fill more ade- 

 quately the gaps in present State data collection 

 programs, either by financial assistance to the 

 States or by direct participation of Bureau of 

 Commercial Fisheries personnel. In addition, there 

 is urgent need for standardization of statistical 

 materials and compilations. An even larger effort is 

 required and should be undertaken to develop an 

 adequate statistical program for sport fisheries. 



Some conflict between commercial and recrea- 

 tional utilization of marine fish stocks is inevit- 

 able. The two groups of users may exploit the 

 same species; they may use gear that is mutually 

 incompatible in the same area; they may interact 

 through common forage species; and each may 

 inflict restrictions on the other through biased 

 legislation and regulation. Though the extent of 

 the competition is frequently overstated, failure to 

 recognize and resolve it properly has resulted in 

 serious losses to both sport fishermen and com- 

 mercial users. To a very large extent, resolutions of 

 these conflicts in orderly fashion is a responsibiUty 

 of the States. Nevertheless, the Bureau of Com- 

 mercial Fisheries and the Bureau of Sport Fisheries 

 and WUdUfe can do much to minimize unnecessary 

 conflicts. 



There are good opportunities for expansion of 

 the presently limited culture of shellfish and a few 

 high-value fin fish to other species and new areas. 

 The long run potential for major increases remains 

 essentially unknown, but it could be significant. 



Recommendation : 



A carefully planned, long range program of biolog- 

 ical research and development of technical require- 

 ments should be initiated at this time for expan- 

 sion of aquaculture in the estuarine and marine 

 enviroimient. 



Present statistical data on U.S. commercial 

 fisheries are inadequate for biological, technolog- 

 ical, and economic research needs and for resource 

 management. Sport fishing statistics are even less 

 complete and reUable. 



Reconunendation : 



The Fish and Wfldlife Service can and should take 

 the lead in devising sensible criteria for aUocating 

 fish among competing uses and encouraging uni- 

 formity in their application by the various States. 

 Specifically, it can assist through: (1) provision of 

 better statistical data; (2) expanded working rela- 

 tions with State, interstate, and international 

 government bodies on the one hand, and with 

 commercial and sport fishermen groups on the 

 other; and (3) by active promotion of greater 

 luiiformity in State legislation affecting both 

 commercial and sport fishing. 



The scattering of ocean science, technology, 

 and resource activities among Federal agencies has 

 made it difficult to develop or implement National 

 policies for fisheries management and develop- 

 ment. 



VlI-6 



