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heretofore given little attention. This effort has faced difficulty, however, because the treaty under which the Commission operates limits the study of stocks to those which are under substantial exploitation by two or more contracting parties. The treaty was negotiated primarily to protect salmon and halibut at a time when the enormous new fisheries for other species were not foreseen. Despite its deficiencies, however, this treaty, together with additional agreements between the United States and other countries fishing the North Pacific, has generally served to provide significant protection for U.S. salmon interests, to reduce conflicts among fishermen, and to increase the flow of biological and fisheries data. However, certain groundfish resources, especially halibut and Pacific Ocean perch, remain in jeopardy.

Fishermen of the Republic of Korea entered into the northeastern Pacific salmon fisheries in 1969 and 1970, creating considerable apprehension in the U.S. fishing industry. The United States reviewed this problem with Korea, and the two Governments signed a 5-year agreement in December 1972, which prohibits South Korean fishermen from fishing for salmon or halibut in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and eastern Bering Sea.

In December 1972, the United States reviewed two bilateral agreements with Japan and signed new versions which provide additional protection for U.S. coastal fishermen and improved conservation measures. In one agreement, particular progress was made in improving the opportunities for U.S. fishermen to have unimpeded access to, and to play the major role in, the fisheries for king and tanner crab in the eastern Bering Sea. The other agreement, which was initiated in 1967 following the establishment by the

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Purse seining, surrounding a school of fish with a large net and drawing it together, has become the primary commercial method of catching salmon in the Alaskan region.

United States of a contiguous fisheries jurisdiction zone extending 9 miles beyond the 3-mile territorial sea, provides certain limited privileges within this zone for fishing and cargo-transfer operations by Japanese vessels, in return for which Japan agrees to certain limitations on its fishing activities on the high seas outside the zone. In an understanding related to the review of this latter agreement, Japan also agreed not to undertake specific fisheries for lobster off our Atlantic coast and agreed to attempt to minimize the incidental catch of lobster.

Similar bilateral agreements with the Soviet Union were reviewed in February 1973. The new versions of the US-USSR North Pacific agreements include substantial conservation improvements from the U.S. point of view, especially limits to the Soviet catch of certain species. The two countries also negotiated and signed a new agreement initially applicable to the northeastern Pacific Ocean. It provides for consideration of claims resulting from damage to fishing vessels or gear during fishing operations of the two countries. by claims boards with joint membership. The boards will consider claims voluntarily submitted by either side and will seek conciliation through fact finding. Judicial rights of U.S. and Soviet nationals remain unaffected. The countries adopted a set of interim rules to govern the conduct of fishing and prevent conflicts until further negotiations.

Renegotiation of the Mid-Atlantic bilateral fisheries agreement with the USSR was initiated at a meeting in Moscow in February 1973. Most matters were resolved successfully. However, because it was not possible to reach agreement on two points, it was decided to extend the existing agreement through June 30, 1973, and to meet then to conclude the renegotiation.

The Soviets made it clear that they had no plans to initiate a lobster fishery and would take measures to reduce incidental catches of lobster and to return to the sea in a viable condition all lobster taken incidentally, insofar as possible. This commitment, among others from the USSR, is contingent upon resolution of the remaining. Mid-Atlantic fishery issues at the meeting in June 1973.

A similar Mid-Atlantic bilateral fisheries agreement with Poland was extended on October 1, 1972, through June 30, 1973. It provides protection for species of interest to U.S. fishermen.

The five-year agreement with Mexico on reciprocal traditional fishing privileges within the 9- to 12-mile zone off both countries terminated at the end of 1972 without immediate prospect of renewal. The U.S. shrimp catch in this area, however, had accounted for only a minor portion of the total U.S. shrimp catch.

Although the United States was unable to bring about a moratorium on whaling, it did effect changes in the International Whaling Commission's conservation program. At the 1972 meeting of the International Whaling Commission, the United States. delegation made strenuous efforts to obtain agreement on a blanket moratorium on commercial whaling. These efforts were consistent with domestic actions to prohibit commercial whaling by U.S.

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citizens and importation of whale products, as well as with U.S. efforts at the U.N. Conference on the Human Environment that resulted in a vote favoring a whaling moratorium. The U.S. delegation, however, was unsuccessful in obtaining the necessary three-fourths majority for approval within the Whaling Commission. Nevertheless, the strength of the support for the U.S. proposal created an atmosphere which made it possible to achieve further improvements in the Commission's conservation program. Significant reductions were made in the catch quotas for fin whales in the North Pacific and Antarctic, which should enable the depleted stocks of this species to recover to some degree. Quotas were also reduced for sei whales in the Antarctic and North Pacific and for sperm whales in the North Pacific. For the first time, quotas were imposed on the capture of sperm whales in the Southern Hemisphere and minke whales in the Antarctic. It is significant that a precautionary quota was imposed for the minke whales since they have been exploited to only a slight degree.

The Commission, in accordance with previous commitments, eliminated the combined quota for Antarctic baleen whales. Separate quotas for fin and sei whales were established to enable more precise management. As previously recommended by the Commission, a system of international observation for regulation enforcement went into effect in 1972. In other actions, a number of proposals made by the U.S. delegation were adopted to increase the effectiveness of the Commission's conservation program.

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Precautionary quotas established by the International Whaling Commission on minke whales assure the survival of this species.

Assistance to Developing Countries in Marine Science and Technology

The Agency for International Development (AID) did not initiate any new marine programs of significance during the past year. Modest supplementary funds were provided to NOAA's National Oceanographic Data Center to conclude the AID-funded collaborative program with UNESCO to train developing country marine scientists in ocean data acquisition, processing, and utilization. Twenty-three trainees from sixteen developing countries completed the course. As the demand remains high for this mutually beneficial program, it will be reestablished for at least one year more under funding from the Office for the International Decade of Ocean Exploration within the National Science Foundation.

A policy determination was recently made that the National Oceanographic Instrumentation Center of NOAA would provide advisory services to both developing and developed countries in matters relating to instrument calibration, testing, and testing facilities, and, on a cost-reimbursable basis, provide as feasible actual calibration and testing services, including training. The United States recently made available to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission 100 mechanical bathythermographs for distribution to developing countries. An IOC working group has recommended that other nations follow suit.

In response to repeated requests by the CICAR countries for opportunities for their marine scientists and students to obtain atsea training, NOAA planned and carried out NOAA-Carib. The cruise extended from October 9 to December 15, 1972, and included cooperative work with scientists and students from Mexico, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, and Colombia, plus one man each from the Netherlands Antilles and France. NOAA-Carib was set up to accomplish research work planned completely by the participating nations. Participating scientists from each country decided what research work would be done, where it would be accomplished, and which of their own. people would take part.

In addition to the actual research work at sea, the major port stop in each country included a one-day education and training cruise for 50 to 60 students. A total of 401 Latin-American scientists and students received at-sea training aboard the Discoverer during NOAA-Carib for periods ranging from one day to two weeks.

Through arrangements made with the U.S. Navy, 23 reconditioned and calibrated mechanical bathythermographs were provided to the NOAA ship Discoverer for distribution to the participating LatinAmerican countries. These were presented to Mexico, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, and Colombia in ceremonies at the end of each one-day cruise. In addition, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service provided sets of bongo nets and neuston nets to Colombia and Venezuela so that the results of their plankton sampling will be compatible with those of other CICAR nations by utilizing these standard CICAR nets.

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