In November of 1970 the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, its Division of Economic Research, held a subject workshop which was attended by 60 persons from broad research backgrounds, including representatives from the British Whitefish Authority, the ORganization fro Economic Co-operation and Development, and Food and Agricultural Fisheries and Forestry, as well as representatives of U.S. government agencies and universities. Research topics ranged from production economics and bio-economic models to general discussions of management for both conservation and economic purposes, the political framework involved. This paper summarizes the key issues in the 16 papers presented at that Workshop and the discussions that resulted. The highlights of these issues are presented to this symposium in the form of suggested critical problems which must urgently be faced by the professionals gathered here.