

Washington, D. C. 



THE INDUSTRIAL FISHERIES OF 

 TOMORROW-CHARTING THE COURSE 



17 



By Donald L. McKernan 



I am grateful for the opportunity to attend the first Annual Meeting of the National Fish 

 Meal and Oil Association. I view with mixed feelings the passing of an era--the Virginia 

 Fishermen's Association meetings--the passing almost of a tradition. But, that is progress; 

 and the new organization is obviously designed to be broad in scope and to be "good" for the 

 industry because it is more national in character. 



It was in February 1958 that I first spoke before the Virginia Fishermen's Association. 

 At that time I pleaded for support for a national program. It appeared at that time that the 

 industrial fishery of this country was in for trouble, and I said at that time, "it looks to me 

 our most difficult period lies immediately ahead." I urged us to quit being defensive and go 

 on the offensive in our fisheries. Much fish has been processed since then. I've also been 

 wrong a good many times since, but I wasn't wrong when I made that statement; and it can be 

 made again with the same force and conviction. American fisheries prosper when we com - 

 pete with other forms and sources of protein economically . When we don't, we lose markets 

 to other forms of protein, whether the fish be in the form of a high protein meal or human 

 food. 



When I spoke to you before, back in 1958, 

 your production of meal was not much different 

 from this past year (1965)--248,000 tons. Im- 

 ports were less than one-half of this produc- 

 tion, and prices were good. Things have 

 changed. Not long after my first appearance 

 before you, in late 1959 and early 1960 the 

 world price of fish meal began to decline. The 

 industry was in trouble, and the catch of men- 

 haden was high. 



Many in this room well remember the ef- 

 forts of Government and industry to rapidly or- 

 ganize a world conference on the subject of the 

 production and use of fish meal. Such a confer- 

 ence was held in Rome in late March of 1961. It 

 was a useful conference and brought together in- 

 dustry and scientific leaders from all important 

 producers and users of fish meal. 



A most useful exchange of views occurred, 



and at that time in fact--despite the uneconomic f^g^ ^ - a large menhaden fishing vessel at the Reedville, Va., 



conditions of the industry which preceded the dock of an industrial fish plant. 



1^/An address given by Donald L. McKernan, Director, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, U. S. Department of the Interior, at the First 

 Annual Meeting of the National Fish Meal and Oil Association, Norfolk, Va. , February 27 -March 1, 1966. 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

 Fish and Wildlife Service 

 Sep. No. 767 



