July 1966 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



15 



quake rates based on samples in the spring of 

 1964. While the zones are similar with re- 

 spect to the tide, they occupy different loca- 

 tions because of the earthquake. The present 

 upper intertidal zone is essentially the old 

 middle or lower tidal zone. 



American Fisheries Advisory Committee 



2 1ST ANNUAL MEETING HELD 



IN WASHINGTON, D.C.: 



The 21st annual meeting of the American 

 Fisheries Advisory Committee was held May 

 9-10, 1966, in Washington, D. C. The Com- 

 mittee was addressed by Secretary of the In- 

 terior Stewart L. Udall. Text of the address 

 by the Interior Secretary follows: 



"it is again my pleasure to welcome the 

 American Fisheries Advisory Committee to 

 Washington, It is also gratifying to see that 

 the excellent attendance continues through the 

 21 meetings held by this Committee since it 

 was organized in 1955. This fact speaJiswell 

 for your great interest and your willingness 

 to assist the Department in deliberating the 

 problems of the United States commercial 

 fishing industry. I look forward to receiving 

 your advice and recommendations for their 

 solution. 



"In scanning the agenda for this meeting, 

 I note discussions dealing with the quality of 

 the environment in which we live; interna- 

 tional competition for fisheries resources; 

 and current developments in respect to Fish 

 Protein Concentrate. These topics are very 

 timely, and are of vital importance to each of 

 us as individuals; to the Nation as a whole; 

 and to the world-wide struggle to which the 

 United States is irrevocably committed. 



"I especially share the concern of Dr. 

 Cain (Assistant Secretary of the Interior for 

 Fish and Wildlife and Parks), over the de- 

 teriorating quality of the environment in 

 which we live. As you know, one of my main 

 interests in very recent years has been in 

 the conservation and management of water. 

 Of all the natural resources presently known 

 to man, undoubtedly the most abused is wa- 

 ter. So long as streams could cope with the 

 load of wastes, we were content to let them 

 struggle along. Suddenly, the load has become 

 too much. Even our salt water estuaries 

 and c e rt ain coastal ocean waters are 



being fouled. As representatives of the fish- 

 ing industry, you are aware of the conse- 

 quences which follow the deterioration of 

 spawning and nursery areas for such impor- 

 tant commercial species as shrimp, oysters, 

 salmon, and menhaden. Anyone flying over 

 Lake Erie can look down and see the cloudy 

 mess of pollution which is killing much of the 

 fish and plant life of that once sparkling clear 

 body of water. The scene is like looking at 

 the flyleaf of a book on the end of civilization. 

 If we are unable to turn our great material 

 wealth into saving our great natural wealth, 

 then our prospects are indeed grim. It is not 

 a situation we can dismiss--the piper is wait- 

 ing to be paid. 



"In recognition of our water resource prob- 

 lems, the 88th Congress passed the Water Re- 

 sources Research Act on July 17, 1964. On 

 that same date, an Office of Water Resources 

 Research was established within the Depart- 

 ment of the Interior. The purpose of this Act 

 is to stimulate and sponsor programs of re- 

 search and to promote the training of scien- 

 tists capable of dealing with water problems. 

 The program, within one year, stimulated es- 

 tablishment of water resources research in- 

 stitutes in each of the 50 States and the Com- 

 monwealth of Puerto Rico. Some of the proj- 

 ects initiated in the first year have dealt with 

 the use and management of water for outdoor 

 recreation, fish and wildlife, and other simi- 

 lar uses to which limited attention had been 

 given. 



"In addition, on July 22, 1965, President 

 Johnson signed into law the Water Resources 

 Planning Act --a history making piece of leg- 

 islation designed to encourage conservation, 

 development, and use of water and related 

 land resources on a comprehensive and co- 

 ordinated basis by the Federal Government, 

 States, municipalities, and private enterprise. 

 It also established the Water Resources Coun- 

 cil, of which I am proud to be the chairman. 

 The first task of the Council has been to study 

 the serious drought condition in the Northeast, 

 and to make recommendations for alleviating 

 it in all possible ways. 



"As the chief executive of this Nation's 

 resource agency, I have dedicated myself to 

 the conservation of all of our natural re- 

 sources, both on land and in the sea. This 

 goal is shared with me by many likewise 

 dedicated members of this Department, some 

 of whom are with us at this moment. 



