widely publicized. Instances involving other foods 
also have occurred but their public image has not 
been damaged as severely as that of fishery 
products. 
The consumer is developing increased awareness 
of the need for quality and health protection in all 
classes of food—poultry, meat, and fish. As a 
result, mandatory inspection of fishery products 
soon may be instituted by Federal and State 
governments. 
b. New Products Emphasis also will be placed on 
convenience products manufactured from cur- 
rently abundant and under-utilized marine re- 
sources. It is estimated that over half the seafood 
products on the market today were unknown a 
decade ago. These include breaded fish portions, 
breaded shrimp, heat-and-serve fish sticks, frozen 
fish dinners, and other convenience items that are 
a basic part of seafoods used by the American 
consumer. 
c. Technical Barriers A chemical change in the 
oil of stored, frozen, or processed fish is one major 
factor causing quality to deteriorate. As yet, 
successful control has not been developed. The 
antolytic enzymes in fish flesh rapidly bring about 
undesirable textural and flavor characteristics in 
frozen fish. Moderate quality is maintained for an 
average of only three months. Methods to control 
enzyme activity have not been developed. How- 
ever, the use of anti-oxidants is reportedly extend- 
ing the shelf life of fish meal and fish oil. 
3. Promising Technological Breakthroughs 
Controlled atmosphere storage could retard 
degradation of fresh fish and increase shelf life. 
Such protein products as fish protein concen- 
trate could become commercially available as 
supplements to foods nutritionally deficient in 
animal protein. They also could be used in gravies 
and soups. 
Fish oil could become a component of human 
food in the United States. For example, fish oil in 
Europe is normally used to make margarine. 
D. Government Role 
1. Technology Transfer 
Until 1950 fishermen knew more about the 
ocean and fish than scientists did. Scientists were 
involved mostly with biological and conservation 
research, not having studied the environment ona 
scale of interest to fishermen. By 1960 the 
situation had begun to change. Now not only can 
the scientist inform the fishermen beneficially, but 
in the near future scientific data may reduce the 
fisherman’s production costs substantially, ena- 
bling him to harvest a much larger percentage of 
the sea’s living resources. However, no presently 
satisfactory mechanism exists to transmit data to 
the fisherman similar to the county agent organi- 
zation in agriculture. 
2. Environmental Effects on Fish Location 
Pelagic fishermen in particular, but bottom 
fishermen increasingly, require a more precise 
appreciation of the effects of environmental 
changes on fish availability than any Government 
service can provide now. 
Great emphasis frequently is put on the lack of 
precision in scientific prediction. However, each 
fisherman must make decisions daily whether 
scientific information is available or not. If scienti- 
fic information, theory, and models improve the 
precision of predictions by five per cent, the effect 
on his economic success would be measurable. 
3. Navigation and Bottom Charts 
The fisherman has long used Government navi- 
gational and bottom charts to great advantage. 
However, fishermen need precision navigation be- 
yond that now provided by Governmental services. 
Satellite navigation equipment is too expensive 
and bulky. Many fishing areas are not covered by 
Loran C; and Loran A, a system of reasonable 
price and bulk, does not adequately cover major 
fishing grounds to the south of the United States. 
It is of interest that a private navigation system is 
deployed along many foreign coasts and is used by 
the U.S. Navy for special applications. It has high 
accuracy, reliability, simplicity, and low cost. 
Navigation by bottom type and character al- 
ways has had great value to fishermen. Bottom 
trawlers require much better knowledge of the 
continental shelf and slope than is available on 
Government charts or likely in the near future. 
Most knowledge has been acquired by individuals 
through experience. 
VI-153 
