AEE ee MPM elaRil Lee ' tneS vali Fadl Inshore Fisheries Development The inshore fisheries development program strives to promote and encourage full development and use of marine resources for the people ofthe Territory, including marine recreational resources, sport fishing, skin diving, shelling, and commercial fish- ing, imcluding trochus culture, and trepang. shell, pearl Offshore Fisheries Development With the help of Peace Corps Volunteers, the Marine Resources Development Program has opened offices in Truk, Ponape, and Yap. In Truk, a Fisheries Volunteer assists the Pis Fisheries Cooperative with its operational and construction programs. Another Fisheries Volunteer is trying to develop the fisheries of the outer islands with special attention to re-establishing the formerly lucrative trepang (sea cucumber) fisheries of Truk. Another Fisheries Volunteer is helping to train the crew and engineer of the Government tuna boat in the proper operation and maintenance of shipboard equipment. Other Fisheries Volunteers, under the direction of the Marine Resources program, work in various ways to develop the inshore marine resources of districts to which they are assigned. t ' 4 The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAQ) and the South Pacific Commission (SPC) sponsored a fisheries training course in Palau in June 1968. The FAOstaff member who directed the course was assisted by the SPC Fisheries Officer and the Fisheries Management Biologist of the Trust Territory. Two experienced fishery experts from Hawaii and the Cook Islands instructed the 21 trainees from New Guinea, Guam, and the Trust Territory. 64 The SPC also scheduled a top meeting of fisheries experts in K but it was canceled at the last mi when transportation difficulties a Because a number of experts already in Koror or Guam, a ‘ Territory Marine Resources ference was called instead to di development of marine resource grams. The goals of the offshore fis/ development program are to prc commercial exploitation of ski tuna stocks by Micronesian fishe to develop freezing, canning, anc cessing operations as well as building and repair facilities at su locations throughout the Terr and to promote an increase in fishing for marlin, large tuna other gamespecies. The major marine industry Trust Territory is the skipjack f in the Palau District which an lands about 4,000 tons of fish, at about $420,000, from manned largely by Okinawan men. To prepare Micronesians tf ever-increasing role in this fishe: Administration sponsors an ad fisheries training program in where Micronesian fishermen w. skipjack Hawaii. boats operating 01 Because live bait is essent skipjack fishing, the program at to explore the availability of 1i in the Territory. During the re: period, the Government tuna was used to conduct a survey 1 to determine the availability anc dance of the local bait specie survey produced inconclusive Part VI—Economic Advan. ee *%