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Several similar studies have been performed in the past but, in general, the effect of various types of agriculture on the evolution of herbaceous plant species is an area which is wor thy of greater attention.

R.D.B. W H A L L E Y (Armidale, N.S. W., Australia)

R E F E R E N C E

Whalley, R.D.B., 1970. E x o t i c or nat ive species - - t he o r i e n t a t i o n o f pas ture research in Austra l ia . J. Aust . Inst . Agric. Sci., 36 : 111- -118 .

BETTER FISHING PRACTICES COULD HELP CLOSE FOOD GAP

The oceans and seas could make a greater contribution to closing the world food gap, but more rational management of fisheries is handicapped by in- adequate, incomplete or delayed statistical information, according to the Com- mittee of Fisheries of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

"In a critical world food situation like the present ," FAO Deputy Director- General Roy I. Jackson told the Committee, "we need to examine every pos- sibility of increasing food supplies". The Commit tee met in Rome, June 3rd-- 10th, 1975.

Mr Jackson said that there is good reason to believe that fish, which today provides some 14% of the total direct world consumption of animal protein, can make a significantly greater contr ibut ion to the needs of developing countries than hitherto.

Regarding the problem of lack of sufficient data, the Committee stated that responsibility for improving statistics lay basically with individual governments -- which were urged to accept the commitment to collect, compile and dis- seminate adequate statistics, especially on fisheries exploited by more than one country.

The Commit tee noted favourably that FAO field programmes were giving in- creased emphasis to improving statistics and training statisticians.

The Commit tee also welcomed the fact that FAO was stressing assistance to small-scale fisheries. Several delegates pointed out that, aside from other bene- fits, small-scale fisheries provided badly needed employment in developing countries.

The Commit tee noted that it and the FAO Fisheries Department would face new tasks as a result of decisions coming ou t of the United Nations Con- ference on the Law of the Sea. Delegates agreed it was essential to ensure that any changes made would not disrupt the rational exploitation of the living re- sources of the sea. Particular emphasis was placed on the need to accelerate

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the transfer of technology to developing coastal states and provide them with support and advice on fishery management and development.

One step in dealing with these matters would be the convening in early 1976 of the Sub-Committee on the Development of Cooperation with International Organizations Concerned with Fisheries.

A first review of the current state of world fishery resources, prepared by the FAO Fisheries Department, reported that catches of marine fisheries, ex- cluding the anchoveta, were increasing at the rate of about two million tons per year. Nearly all stocks supporting major fisheries were now moderately or heavily exploited and there were few fisheries that were expanding rapidly.

Some expansion, the review stated, could still occur in lightly exploited stocks of conventional types in such areas as the Patagonian shelf or in the northwestern Indian Ocean.

The Committee also stated that more information should be collected on largely overlooked marine species such as the Antarctic krill.

Aquaculture .... or "fish farming" -- was cited as another food source that could be greatly expanded, and the Committee supported strengthening of FAO's aquaculture programme.

Dr R. Perez Prieto of the Ministry of Fisheries of Peru served as Chairman of the meeting, which brought together 90 officials and fisheries experts from 56 countries.

A.A.M.