September 1966 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



41 



International (Contd.): 



Subcommittee on the Development of Coop - 

 eration with International Organizations Con- 

 cerned with Fisheries : In considering its 

 role, the Fisheries Committee noted and sup- 

 ported the recommendation of the 13th ses- 

 sion of the FAO Conference that the Commit- 

 tee should so conduct its work as to supple- 

 ment rather than supplant other organiza- 

 tions working effectively in the field of fish- 

 eries. It decided to set up at once a Subcom- 

 mittee on the Development of Cooperation 

 with International Organizations concerned 

 with Fisheries. The Subcommittee will (1) 

 prepare a compendium of the various inter- 

 national fishery bodies concerned with re- 

 search and conservation, (2) identify gaps 

 and recommend appropriate measures to fill 

 them, and (3) suggest steps likely to ensure 

 better coordination and strengthen coopera- 

 tion between the various international fish- 

 eries bodies and with FAO. Twelve nations 

 comprise the Subcommittee: Brazil, Federal 

 Republic of Germany, Ghana, Iceland, India, 

 Japan, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Romania, 

 Spain, and the United States. 



Regional Studies : Particular regions 

 which the Fisheries Committee discussed 

 and noted for more detailed study were the 

 Indian Ocean and the Middle and South Atlan- 

 ic. Further information will be collated for 

 detailed consideration by the Committee at 

 its next session. 



Indian Ocean : In the case of the Indian 

 Ocean, this task was given to a Working Par- 

 ty on the Rational Utilization of the Fishery 

 Resources of the Indian Ocean. The Working 

 Party will make recommendations to the 

 Committee, as soon as possible, on such mat- 

 ters as: (1) the area and resources requiring 

 attention and the information to be assembled 

 to this effect; (2) the nature and scope of in- 

 vestigations to be carried out; (3) the kind of 

 international body (existing or new) needed 

 to carry out such investigations and to pro- 

 mote the rational utilization of the fishery re- 

 sources; and (4) the relationship of the body 

 with FAO. Members of the Working Party are 

 Australia, Brazil, France, India, Iran, Japan, 

 Kenya, Kuwait, Madagascar, Pakistan, the U- 

 nited Arab Republic, and the United States. 

 The U.S.S.R., a nonmember of FAO, was rep- 

 resented by an observer at the meeting and 

 will be invited to join the Indian Ocean Work- 

 ing Party, after the approval of the FAO 

 Council is obtained. 



Training : The need for comprehensive 

 strengthening of training at all levels in the 

 field of fisheries was uppermost in the minds 

 of most representatives. The Committee felt 

 that FAO should take the lead in this field 

 and, as appropriate, enlist the cooperation of 

 UNESCO and other interested agencies. At 

 its next session, it will have the benefit of 

 the discussion of the Symposium on Training 

 which will take place at the 12th Session of 

 the Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council in Septem- 

 ber-October 1966. 



Resource Appraisal: Steps already taken 

 to make a world appraisal of fishery resources 

 were supported by the Committee. It agreed 

 that FAO should lead in supporting this work, 

 particularly in the exploration and assess- 

 ment of stocks not yet fully exploited. Manipu- 

 lation of the environment at the edge of the 

 sea (aquiculture) may provide a rich source 

 of food. 



The importance of more effective utiliza- 

 tion of fish resources was stressed by the 

 Committee, which noted that 40 percent of 

 the total world catch is being converted to 

 fish meal for animal feeding. As one repre- 

 sentative put it, the need is dire in many 

 countries with grave protein shortages, and 

 the stakes are therefore high. 



Placed high on the priority list was the 

 need for an intensive study of the economic 

 aspects of management of fishery resources. 

 Techniques for biological assessment of fish 

 stocks are relatively well advanced (although 

 far from universally applied) but the basic 

 concepts or criteria for judging economic re- 

 turns are still in a relatively early stage of 

 development. 



Pollution : Several delegations expressed 

 concern over the possible effects of marine 

 pollution. Little is known about the volumes 

 of different sorts of wastes being discharged 

 into the ocean, and national practices and 

 legislation to regulate this. There may be an 

 urgent need for international control meas- 

 ures and this will be discussed at the Com- 

 mittee's next session. 



The Committee noted that the Director- 

 General's Advisory Committee on Marine 

 Resources Research (ACMRR) was collect- 

 ing data about marine pollution and expressed 

 the wish that this work proceed as rapidly as 

 possible. 



