halibut and tuna) in which international commis- 

 sions are staffed to provide such data. 



The problem is further confused because design 

 of research projects for management of resources 

 in which the States are involved requires a commu- 

 nity approach. Since each State may be expected 

 to view any problem in terms of the interests of its 

 own fishermen, the outcome is usually a research 

 and management scheme reduced to the lowest 

 possible denominator; constant squabbling for 

 available funds; dupUcation of effort; inability to 

 move in a decisive manner to deal with critical 

 conservation problems whenever the benefits or 

 burdens may accrue unequally; and total failure to 

 mount a joint effort on long-range objectives. 



Against this background it is pertinent to ask 

 why BCF devotes a large portion of its budget to 

 monitoring and documenting the effects of man's 

 exploitation on a wide variety of commercial 

 species taken in waters off the United States. 



Much of this information takes the form of 

 general life histories, investigations of the environ- 

 ment and its effect on the availabihty and distribu- 

 tion of resources, management theory, including 

 the development of new population models. 

 Nearly $20 million is armually spent for this 

 purpose, even though the Bureau is not involved to 

 a large degree in direct management of the 

 resources. Moreover, implementation of findings, 

 more often than not, requires that data and 

 findings be routed to and through State agencies. 

 On the other hand, we must recognize that the 

 Federal conservation arm is the only national body 

 capable of undertaking large scale research on 

 ocean resources; without this information the 

 development of rational use poUcies, for species 

 which are strictly domestically exploited or for 

 those in which the United States participates with 

 other nations, would not be possible. It is not 

 apparent, however, that many official, specifically 

 formulated, recommendations have gone forth to 

 the States. 



The fact that implementation problems are 

 severe is in no way a criticism of the quaUty of 

 research undertaken by the Bureau as it relates to 

 management of fisheries. The Bureau has built up 

 a relatively strong research capacity in this area, 

 and this fact, together with the greater sense of 

 pubUc urgency with conservation of over exploited 

 species as compared to the more mundane task of 

 developing new ones, has led to a strong tradition 



stressing this aspect of Federal concern with the 

 fisheries. In addition, the Bureau's conservation 

 programs have emphasized population dynamics 

 and measurement of parameters, biological or 

 physical, which may help to explain fluctuation in 

 abundance that result from man's use of Uving 

 marine resources. The equally important eco- 

 nomic, social, and legal imphcations of regulation 

 have received far less attention. 



E. International Activities 



In addition to the funds spent by the Bureau in 

 the acquisition of information that may be utilized 

 for the management of fisheries, it is directly 

 involved in the management of the Pribilof Island 

 stocks of fur seals, a small but eminently success- 

 ful example of an international agreement that has 

 stimulated rational use of a highly vulnerable 

 resources. 



In addition to funds that are normally ex- 

 pended by the BCF, several miUion dollars are 

 provided through the State Department to the 

 various fishery commissions with which the United 

 States is associated. Considerable amounts are also 

 made available through the State Department to 

 international agencies concerned with fisheries 

 exploration, development and management; the 

 most important of these are the United Nations 

 Development Program and the Food and Agricul- 

 ture Organization of the United Nations. Other 

 agencies which collect oceanographic and hydro- 

 graphic information of value to fisheries investiga- 

 tors include, for example, UNESCO and WMO. 

 Finally, a certain portion of funds available 

 through the World Bank also find their way into 

 fisheries exploration and development programs. 

 The Asian Development Bank also contributes 

 increasingly to financing fishery development. 



F. Evaluation of the Federal Fisheries Effort 



Since 1950 the Bureau's budget has accelerated 

 sharply. The increase is particularly marked since 

 1960; in a seven-year period it more than doubled. 

 During this same period (and extending back by 

 two decades or more) no increase in United States 

 fish landings has occurred. Indeed, if the stable 

 total landings are disaggregated, it becomes clear 

 that many fisheries have grown to a peak and then 

 declined. Stabihty has been attained only by 



VII-44 



