basis, close contact with people of like interests 

 outside the Federal establishment. What is needed, 

 then, is not a massive new effort but a central 

 operating unit within which the relevant expert 

 knowledge will be brought to bear on detection, 

 harvest system dynamics, behavior of fish to fish- 

 ing gear and physical stimuli, and concepts of 

 fisliing strategy. 



The major function of such a group would be 

 to work with the private sector of the engineering 

 and fishing communities to focus attention on 

 practical research and development problems that 

 would stimulate more effective extraction of 

 fishery resources. In view of the wide range of 

 potential interests of such a group, it is expected 

 that the bulk of the actual studies would be 

 contracted out to academic institutions, the engi- 

 neering community, and industry. Such contracts 

 would not be concerned with long term research, 

 but rather with clearly identifiable problems of 

 fairly immediate significance, with greatest 

 emphasis on those that offer a promise of stimu- 

 lating subsequent development by the private 

 sector. 



It is therefore reconmiended by the panel that 

 one or more fishery technological development 

 centers be established within the framework of the 

 BCF to carry on such work. While it is obviously 

 desirable in the long run to have at least three such 

 centers— one each in the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific 

 areas-even a single center, with proper physical 

 facilities and located in close proximity to strong 

 university, engineering, and industry support could 

 serve the national interest very effectively. 



7. Aquaculture 



At the present time, aquaculture is practical 

 only on a limited scale except in parts of the Far 

 East, where it has become integrated with spe- 

 cialized agricultural operations, and in European 

 oyster and mussel culture. The aggregate contribu- 

 tion of aquaculture to world output of fish and 

 shellfish is very small, and most of it comes from 

 fresh water operations. 



On the other hand, aquaculture supports a 

 substantial number of small, local industries pro- 

 viding high priced specialty items, particularly in 

 areas adjacent to major metropolitan areas. Much 

 of Japan's fish farming effort is centered on 

 shellfish, fin fish, and various types of marine 



plants that are highly prized in the restaurant and 

 gourmet trade. Similarly, European operations are 

 geared largely to specialty fish products from fresh 

 and brackish water for the restaurant trade. 



It is likely that this type of operation may also 

 prove to be an attractive area for investment for 

 localized private industry in various parts of the 

 United States, though fresh water operations, 

 particularly in the lower Mississippi Valley, and 

 farming of mollusks in estuaries, appear more 

 promising than salt water culture at present. 



Marine aquaculture does not appear to hold 

 great promise as a technique for bulk production 

 of cheap protein food. In the foreseeable future it 

 is clear that expansion of low priced fishery 

 products from the sea can provide greater returns 

 per dollar of investment than can be realized from 

 known aquacultural techniques in salt water. From 

 a longer run point of view, the possibOities of 

 controlled genetic techniques and other extensions 

 of scientific cultivation of living organisms on land 

 remain essentially unknown. Given the urgent 

 need for expansion of protein food, the necessary 

 scientific and technological groundwork should be 

 laid for a thorough exploration of these prospects. 



In summary, aquaculture fully merits an ex- 

 panded program of scientific investigation, starting 

 from some evident basic research needs and 

 moving forward to applications on an increasingly 

 wide front as knowledge and technique are de- 

 veloped. It would not appear to be a high priority 

 program, with respect to other areas of marine 

 fisheries or to other elements of the National 

 effort in the marine environment, and the most 

 attractive intermediate term possibilities lie in 

 fresh and brackish water. 



The panel endorses the more detailed program 

 and recommendations dealing with the technology 

 of aquaculture in the Report of the Marine 

 Engineering and Technology Panel. 



X. REGULATION OF FISHERIES: WHY AND 

 HOW? 



Preceding sections have stressed the fact that 

 there are large stocks of under-utilized fish and 

 shellfish in U.S. coastal waters that offer a 

 challenge and an opportunity for expansion of 

 landings by U.S. vessels and, quite possibly, an 

 increased share of the U.S. market. It should not 

 be surprising, however, to find, side by side with 



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