gradually by initially licensing all existing vessels, 

 making the licenses non-transferable and issuing no 

 new ones. As the outstanding Ucenses began to 

 decline and to acquire value because access to the 

 catch quota of the United States was being limited 

 to the point where profitable operations were in 

 prospect, the licenses could be made transferable. 

 The objective in view might be reached more 

 directly by auctioning rights to fish for portions of 

 the catch quota to the highest bidders. The 

 portions offered should be large enough for 

 profitable operations by a technically advanced 

 and economically efficient fishing fleet. 



The panel recommends alternatives that directly 

 limit entry for the purpose of catching the United 

 States quota but which at the same time safeguard 

 against monopoly and effectuate rationalization of 

 the United States fish-catching industry gradually. 

 However this is done, it may require displacement 

 of men and capital equipment not easily absorb- 

 able elsewhere in the economy. It is important 

 that the displaced fishermen*^ should be taken 

 care of in the ways that men have been cared for 

 who have been displaced by technological innova- 

 tion on the railroads or the waterfront or by the 

 lowering of tariffs. 



E. Strengthening International Fishery Organiza- 

 tions 



1. Fishery Conventions 



The panel recommends that the existing inter- 

 national fishery conventions should be strength- 

 ened in the following particulars and that these 

 particulars should be embodied in any new con- 

 ventions that may be adopted: 



a. Coverage The geographical area subject to the 

 Convention should be large enough to permit 

 fishery management on the basis of ecological 

 units rather then species and, when necessary, 

 should include the territorial seas. The increasing 

 sophistication, range, and flexibility of modern 



There were about 128,000 U.S. fishermen on vessels 

 and boats and on shore in 1965, a decline from more than 

 161,000 in 1950. In 1960, median eaiings for fishermen 

 and oystermen were $2,395, while that per worlcer for the 

 experienced male labor force was $4,621. Nonetheless, 

 fuU-time fishermen may work at least 3 hours to every 2 

 worked by fuU-time employees in other industries. 



high seas fishing equipment tends to make species 

 regulation unrealistic. Even if effective, species 

 regulation tends to shift fishing pressure to other 

 species or to restrict development of underutilized 

 fish in the same area. Fishery commissions should 

 be authorized to manage ecological units whenever 

 they conclude that the additional gains from such 

 management are likely to outweigh the increased 

 costs of undertaking it. 



b. Membership Renewed diplomatic efforts 

 should be made to persuade all nations interested 

 in the fisheries in a particular area to become 

 parties to the applicable convention. It is impera- 

 tive, also, that all important fishing nations of the 

 world adhere to the Convention on Fishing and 

 Conservation of the Living Resources of the High 

 Seas. Fishery conventions should also permit 

 States that are important processors or consumers 

 of fish to become parties. 



c. Staff The fishery commissions created by the 

 conventions should be adequately financed so that 

 they can employ full-time, competent staffs to 

 provide the scientific, technical and economic 

 advice they need to accomplish the objectives of 

 the conventions. The availability of such a staff 

 will enhance the quaUty of the data upon which 

 each commission must base its reconmiendations 

 and the acceptability of the recommendations by 

 the States Parties to the Convention. 



The panel recognizes that this recommendation 

 may not be acceptable in some areas of the world. 

 But it is vital that it be accepted in those areas 

 where some State members of a fishery commis- 

 sion lack the necessary scientific personnel or the 

 resources to employ them. 



Adequate support of these fishery commissions, 

 including FAO fishery bodies, will not only 

 improve the outlook for United States fisheries 

 but will constitute a most effective form of aid to 

 the developing nations. 



d. Enforcement (1.) Enforcement of the provi- 

 sions of the convention and the implementing 

 regulations of the fishery commissions should be 

 strengthened in one or more of the following 

 ways: 



(a) Each fishery commission should be en- 

 trusted with the task of investigation, seizure and 



VIII-66 



