Íslenskar landbúnaðarrannsóknir - 01.09.1978, Page 8

6 ÍSLENZKAR LANDBÚNAÐARRANNSÓKNIR
mon, which enables studies of ocean sur-
vival ofartifically reared smolts. This pro-
vides a technical basis for expansion of
ocean ranching of salmon.
In 1972 the Government of Iceland
applied to the United Nations Develop-
ment Program for grants for promoting
research in various fields of agriculture
under which freshwater fisheries belong
administratively according to Icelandic
law. From the grant received, $100,050
were allotted to salmon and trout re-
search. Among the urgent problems to be
dealt with were the assessment of the
stocks of Atlantic salmon in the rivers and
brown trout and char in the lakes, and
testing of the effíciency releases in the riv-
ers of the hatchery-produced salmon
smolts. The undersigned requested as a
project leader, Professor Ole A. Mathisen,
Ph. D., from the College of Fisheries of the
University of Washington, Seattle,
Washington, U. S. A., who accepted the
offer. On behalf of the Food and Agricul-
tural Organization of the United Nations
in Rome, Dr. C. H. Clay, Coordinator of
Lake Projects, Department of Fisheries,
supervised the project.
In accordance with the needs stated
above Professor Mathiesen drew up a plan
for the project and recruited scientists
from the University of Washington,
Washington State Department of
Fisheries, and the University ofOslo, who
all worked in close cooperation with the
scientists and other staff members of the
Institute and of the Experimental Fish
Farm at Kollafjördur.
Now, when the project supported by the
UNDP and executed mainly during the
years 1974 to 1976 is drawing to an end, I
wish on behalf of the Institute of
Freshwater Fisheries in Iceland to bring
to the UNDP, the FAO, and Professor
Mathisen and his fellow scientists my
most sincere thanks for their important
contribution, as well as for the excellent
cooperation of the foreign experts with the
staff of the Institute. Special thanks are
due to Professor Mathisen for editing this
publication.
Thór Gudjónsson
Director of Freshwater Fisheries
Institute of Freshwater Fisheries
Reykjavík, Iceland