Exploratory fishing can aid the growth of our commercial fisheries by expanding present fishing grounds, diversifying effort on present grounds and discovering new fisheries. Development of better gear and catching methods through increasing gear research can help the domestic industry compete with foreign imports. Better fish-finding equipment is needed for more efficient operations. Midwater trawling and development of electrical fishing offer opportunities for additional fisheries of the open ocean. In the future, more emphasis should be placed on basic gear research by technicians who are especially qualified for this type of work.