D. L McKernan Sees Bright Future 

 for Fishing Industry 



Although its catch has been distanced by 

 the world catch, the value of United States 

 fishery products at both the fisherman's and 

 consumer's level has never been higher, 

 Donald L. McKernan said at the dedication 

 of the new Gorton plant at Gloucester, Mass,, 

 on September 23. 



On November 1, Mr. McKernan ended his 

 10 -year directorship of the Bureau of Com- 

 mercial Fisheries and assumed his new re- 

 sponsibilities as Special Assistant to the Sec- 

 retary of State for Fish and Wildlife. 



In 1965, he said, the value of the domestic 

 catch of fishery products at the fishermen's 

 level increased 18 percent, while the gross 

 national product increased only 8 percent. 

 This increase was not due to price inflation. 

 In fact, he noted, fish prices adjusted for 

 cost-of-living increases have not increased 

 since 1962. Instead, the increase came from 

 greater production of more valuable varie- 

 ties of fish and new and desirable products 

 for the kitchen. 



The burgeoning populations of both the af- 

 fluent and impoverished nations, greater 

 harvests from the sea, and a stream of new 

 fishery products will stimulate and insure 

 the growth of the fishing industries of this 

 nation and the world, Mr. McKernan said. 



What about the demand for fishery prod- 

 ucts in the years ahead? Mr. McKernan 

 referred to a BCF study based on a modest 

 population growth in the United States, dis- 

 posable income in the future, and expected 

 per -capita consumption of fish. During 1964, 

 the study showed, the United States, with a 

 population of 192 million, was consuming 12 

 billion pounds of fish in all forms. A popu- 

 lation projection to 1970 shows 209 million 

 people; to the year 2000, 340 million. The 

 use of fishery products, domestic and im- 

 ported, will most likely be about 15 billion 

 pounds in 1970 and 28 billion in 2000--2i 

 times the 1964 use. And, Mr. McKernan 

 added, if the fishing industry develops more 

 high-quality, convenient, and economical 

 products, the yearly requirements in 2000 

 may be 38 billion pounds in the United States 

 alone. 



Greater Harvests and Industrial Wizardry 



He said that most experts predict the mul- 

 tiplication of the world fish catch. He him- 

 self predicted that if the United States har- 

 vested efficiently the available living re- 

 sources of the sea and learned to improve the 

 farming of the sea's edge (aquaculture), the 

 sea could easily produce at least 5 times, 

 and maybe more, its present harvest. The 

 sea could be a powerful force in alleviating 

 food deficiency throughout the world. 



Not only are fish abundant, he said, but it 

 is practical to develop products that will in- 

 crease their acceptability to the world's pop- 

 ulation. "Industrial wizardry" has only 

 scratched the surface. For those who want 

 fresh fish in the skin, this "wizardry" prom- 

 ises to preserve the delicate flavor and tex- 

 tures much longer than now possible --by ir- 

 radiation, freeze drying, and by chemical 

 freezing using liquid nitrogen and other chem- 

 icals. 



The first fish protein concentrate has been 

 produced in a variety of colors, tastes, and 

 forms (from a coarse dried cake or colorless 

 powder to a colorful and pungent sauce). All 

 these concentrates, he asserted, are excep- 

 tionally nutritious, well preserved, and eco- 

 nomical. 



The Many Attributes of Fish 



Mr. McKernan said that Americans are 

 the most nutrition-conscious people in the 

 world and that fish and shellfish are essen- 

 tial requirements for a well-planned family 

 diet. These foods are suitable for all age- 

 groups - -but uniquely suited to the very young 

 and old, the most rapidly increasing segments 

 of the population. They are excellent addi- 

 tions to the diets of people suffering from 

 dietary deficiency diseases. And eminent 

 medical authorities recommend increased 

 use of fish to lower high blood-cholesterol 

 levels. 



He said he was not urging people to eat 

 fish and shellfish only because of these nu- 

 tritional and health values. These foods have 

 more to recommend them: "convenience. 



