“Two characteristics unique to the fishing 
industry, the common property character of 
the resources and the typical small size of 
the firms, tend to deter substantial private 
investment in developing new fisheries. Fish 
in the ocean are subject to use for the most 
part by any fisherman. As a result, little 
incentive exists to invest in developing a 
new fishery because investors could not ex- 
pect to capture more than a small portion 
of the economic benefits generated.” 
In contrast, others *° see such industrial support 
as shifting the financial burdens of fishery promotion 
to the consumer, who pays the cost through higher 
commodity prices: 
“On the one hand, the enhancement of de- 
mand as conducted by the private sector 
is a standard way of doing business and 
should not be interfered with. However, 
when government programs serve to en- 
hance demand on established fish products, 
the programs have the effect . . . of typically 
increasing prices and profits. Thus, it is the 
consumer that pays, through taxes, for a 
program that raises consumer prices... . 
“On the other hand, the generation of de- 
mand for fishing stocks which do not have 
established markets can contribute to broad- 
ening the supply base and by enlarging it 
thus serve to stabilize prices in the face 
of increasing demand.” 
In a recent action, the Department of Commerce’s 
Economic Development Administration and NMFS 
have collaborated with the Regional Fishery Com- 
missions to fund a study assessing the existing and 
potential foreign markets for fish and shellfish which 
are now harvested by domestic fishers. 
NMFS has responsibility for assisting in the dis- 
tribution and marketing activities of the fishing in- 
dustry. NMFS cooperates with industry, the appro- 
priate State organizations (such as dietetic and 
restaurant associations), and with the Department of 
Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service to im- 
prove the efficiency and effectiveness of the use of 
fishery resources. 
Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service ad- 
ministers Federal funds to State Agricultural Experi- 
ment Stations for studies relating to agricultural 
marketing and rural development. Though most of 
the funds are directed to biological and ecological 
research, a portion is earmarked for marketing re- 
search and analysis. Some of the programs that have 
been funded in this vein were: Hawaiian Fish Prod- 
ucts Development (University of Hawaii), The Mar- 
ket Structure of the Fishing Industry in Maine and 
the Northeast (University of Maine), and Economics 
of the Commercial Fish Industry (Texas A&M 
University). 
Market analyses are also made by Agriculture’s 
Economic Research Service and NOAA’s National 
Sea Grant Program. The results of Agriculture’s 
efforts appear in the quarterly publication National 
Food Situation. The Economic Research Service 
also works with NMFS for the incorporation of 
projected consumption and utilization trends for 
many fish and fishery products. Sea Grant promotes 
new marine businesses and industries by supporting 
research on the economic and legal barriers to fish- 
ery development. 
The activities of several other governmental bodies 
can have a significant influence on the development 
of the fishing industry as well. These include the 
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the US. Inter- 
national Trade Commission (ITC). FTC aims at 
preventing general trade restraints and false or de- 
ceptive advertising. On the other hand, the ITC 
serves much more of an investigative function than 
a regulatory one. It reports its findings regarding the 
impact of trade and tariff policies on domestic in- 
dustries and markets to the President, the Congress, 
and Federal agencies administering relevant’ pro- 
grams. The Trade Act of 1974 details the ITC’s 
responsibilities. Title IT of this Act involves Relief 
From Injury Caused by Import Competition, and 
Title II] deals with Relief from Unfair Trade Prac- 
tices. Both are of particular relevance to domestic 
fishing interests. 
The Department of Health, Education, and Wel- 
fare’s Office of Education also assists the fishing in- 
dustry by conducting, on a State-by-State basis, 
training programs in seafood merchandising and re- 
lated occupations. This program is authorized by 
the Vocational Education Act of 1963. 
Financial Assistance to the Industry 
Several government agencies provide financial aid 
and incentivesto the fishing industry. Grants,toans, 
and incemntivesconstitute the government’s most direct 
support to the domestic industry. The programs de- 
BULULS, Department of Commerce, NOAA. B. J. Rothschild, A 
Policy Framework for Fishery Management, Unpublished, 1977. 
veloped to stimulate the domestic industry are pri- 
marily concentrated within the Department of Com- 
merce, Interior, and, to a growing extent, Agriculture. 
For example, there are a variety of aids to fishing 
vessel operators. The Fisherman’s Protective Act of 
1967, as amended, guarantees that the government 
will téimburse the owners of a fishing Vessel that 
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