§ 5101. — Findings and purpose.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 16USC5101]
TITLE 16--CONSERVATION
CHAPTER 71--ATLANTIC COASTAL FISHERIES COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT
Sec. 5101. Findings and purpose
(a) Findings
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Coastal fishery resources that migrate, or are widely
distributed, across the jurisdictional boundaries of two or more of
the Atlantic States and of the Federal Government are of substantial
commercial and recreational importance and economic benefit to the
Atlantic coastal region and the Nation.
(2) Increased fishing pressure, environmental pollution, and the
loss and alteration of habitat have reduced severely certain
Atlantic coastal fishery resources.
(3) Because no single governmental entity has exclusive
management authority for Atlantic coastal fishery resources,
harvesting of such resources is frequently subject to disparate,
inconsistent, and intermittent State and Federal regulation that has
been detrimental to the conservation and sustainable use of such
resources and to the interests of fishermen and the Nation as a
whole.
(4) The responsibility for managing Atlantic coastal fisheries
rests with the States, which carry out a cooperative program of
fishery oversight and management through the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission. It is the responsibility of the Federal
Government to support such cooperative interstate management of
coastal fishery resources.
(5) The failure by one or more Atlantic States to fully
implement a coastal fishery management plan can affect the status of
Atlantic coastal fisheries, and can discourage other States from
fully implementing coastal fishery management plans.
(6) It is in the national interest to provide for more effective
Atlantic State fishery resource conservation and management.
(b) Purpose
The purpose of this chapter is to support and encourage the
development, implementation, and enforcement of effective interstate
conservation and management of Atlantic coastal fishery resources.
(Pub. L. 103-206, title VIII, Sec. 802, Dec. 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 2447;
Pub. L. 106-555, title I, Sec. 122(b)(1)(A), Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat.
2766.)
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original ``this
title'', meaning title VIII of Pub. L. 103-206, Dec. 20, 1993, 107 Stat.
2447, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete
classification of title VIII to the Code, see Short Title note below and
Tables.
Amendments
2000--Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 106-555, which directed amendment of
par. (3) of this section by substituting ``such resources is'' for
``such resources in'', was executed by making the substitution in par.
(3) of subsec. (a), to reflect the probable intent of Congress.
Short Title of 2000 Amendment
Pub. L. 106-555, title I, Sec. 121, Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2766,
provided that: ``This subtitle [subtitle B (Secs. 121, 122) of title I
of Pub. L. 106-555, amending this section and sections 5102, 5103, 5106,
and 5107a to 5108 of this title and enacting provisions set out as a
note under section 5107 of this title] may be cited as the `Atlantic
Coastal Fisheries Act of 2000'.''
Short Title
Section 801 of title VIII of Pub. L. 103-206 provided that: ``This
title [enacting this chapter and amending section 4107 of this title and
provisions set out as a note under section 1851 of this title] may be
cited as the `Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act'.''
