Summary
Over the past 125 years, the NMFS and its predecessor agencies have played a
crucial role in the development, use, and protection of the Nation's marine
resources:
Its early work fostered and advanced the Nation's now huge aquaculture
industry.
Its research into fish biology and ecology has greatly improved the
assessment of fish populations and the ways to protect, manage, and restore
them.
It promoted the establishment of many state fish commissions and their fish
cultural work, research, and management.
Its assessment of the nutritional and healthful values of fish and fish oils
have materially contributed to the Nation's food supply and health.
Its work has greatly advanced the safety and preservation of fishery products
through research to prevent botulism, detect and prevent red tide problems, and
more.
Its research into pollution and pesticide problems helped generate
environmental awareness and protective measures.
When Spencer Baird set up the U.S. Fish Commission in 1871, the U.S. fishing
industry was locally important, and fish harvests, preservation,
transportation, and sales were limited. Lack of ice, cold-storage facilities,
and rapid transit limited fresh fish sales to nearshore cities and local
markets. Canned, dried, and pickled fish sales remained small. Most of the
products we see now in our fish markets were nonexistent.
But the Nation's fishery potential was huge, awaiting research and development
to unlock it. Progress in fishery development began to accelerate after 1900
and moved far faster after World War II. The U.S. tuna industry is just one
example.
Serious tuna fishing began in 1903 in southern California when albacore was
successfully canned for the first time. Eventually, U.S. tuna vessels would
roam farther and farther south during the 1920's and 1930's, finding the
tropical tunas, yellowfin and skipjack, in great abundance, and by the 1930's,
tunas were a major source of food. In addition, Atlantic Ocean tuna fishing
became important.
Development of the U.S. tuna and other important fisheries has required
exploration for new fishing grounds, creation of new fish products and markets,
assistance in coping with foreign competition, finding better ways of chilling,
freezing, holding, and packaging fish, and more. In addition, Bureau and NMFS
scientists studied the oceanographic processes that affect the fishes as well
as fish biology and behavior—gaining information needed by commercial
fishermen and for fishery management programs.
Today, American consumers are no longer limited to a few fish or fish
products. Owing to NMFS research, our own U.S. fish products are sold around
the world in many forms, and our fish markets provide a broad variety of fresh,
frozen, and prepared food products from species from around the globe.
