§ 655. — Agents to be disinterested.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 16USC655]
TITLE 16--CONSERVATION
CHAPTER 5--PROTECTION OF FUR SEALS AND OTHER FUR-BEARING ANIMALS
Sec. 655. Agents to be disinterested
The persons charged with the management of the seal fisheries in
Alaska, and the performance of such other duties as may be assigned to
them by the Secretary of the Interior, shall never be interested
directly or indirectly in any lease of the right to take seals, nor in
any proceeds or profits thereof either as owner, agent, partner, or
otherwise.
(R.S. Secs. 1973, 1975; Feb. 14, 1903, ch. 552, Sec. 7, 32 Stat. 828;
Mar. 4, 1913, ch. 141, Sec. 1, 37 Stat. 736; 1939 Reorg. Plan No. II,
Sec. 4(e), eff. July 1, 1939, 4 F.R. 2731, 53 Stat. 1433.)
Codification
R.S. Secs. 1973, 1975 derived from act Mar. 5, 1872, ch. 31, Sec. 1,
17 Stat. 35.
R.S. Sec. 1973 read as follows: ``The Secretary of the Treasury is
authorized to appoint one agent and three assistant agents, who shall be
charged with the management of the seal fisheries in Alaska, and the
performance of such other duties as may be assigned to them by the
Secretary of the Treasury.''
R.S. Sec. 1975 read as follows: ``Such agents shall never be
interested, directly or indirectly, in any lease of the right to take
seals, nor in any proceeds or profits thereof, either as owner, agent,
partner, or otherwise.''
Act. Feb. 14, 1903, transferred jurisdiction, supervision and
control over the fur seal, salmon and other fisheries of Alaska from
Department of the Treasury to Department of Commerce and Labor.
Act. Mar. 4, 1913, changed designation of Department of Commerce and
Labor to Department of Commerce and provided that the Secretary thereof
should be called the Secretary of Commerce.
Transfer of Functions
For transfer of functions of other officers, employees, and agencies
of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of
the Interior, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950,
Secs. 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out in
the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
Reorg. Plan No. II of 1939, set out in the Appendix to Title 5,
transferred Bureau of Fisheries in Department of Commerce, and its
functions and functions of Secretary of Commerce relating to protection
of fur seals and other fur-bearing animals and supervision of Pribilof
Islands and care of natives thereof, to Department of the Interior.
Reorg. Plan No. III of 1940, Sec. 3, eff. June 30, 1940, 5 F.R.
2108, 54 Stat. 1232, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, consolidated
Bureau of Fisheries and Bureau of Biological Survey with their
respective functions into one agency in Department of the Interior to be
known as Fish and Wildlife Service, and abolished office of Commissioner
and Deputy Commissioner of Fisheries and transferred their functions to
the consolidated agency.
Responsibility for Matters Relating to Seals
Bureau of Commercial Fisheries within the Fish and Wildlife Service
as responsible for matters relating to commercial fisheries and to
seals, see section 742b of this title.
