Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 98 Part 3.djvu/815

 PUBLIC LAW 98-613—OCT. 31, 1984

98 STAT. 3187

Public Law 98-613 98th Congress An Act To provide for the conservation and management of Atlantic striped bass, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the "Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act". SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds and declares the following: (1) Atlantic striped bass are of historic commercial and recreational importance and economic benefit to the Atlantic coastal States and to the Nation. (2) As a consequence of increased fishing pressure, environmental pollution, the loss and alteration of habitat, and the inadequacy of fishery conservation and management practices and controls, certain stocks of Atlantic striped bass have been severely reduced in number. (3) Because no single government entity has full management authority throughout the range of the Atlantic striped bass, the harvesting and conservation of these fish have been subject to diverse, inconsistent, and intermittent State regulation that has been detrimental to the long-term maintenance of stocks of the species and to the interests of fishermen and the Nation as a whole. (4) It is in the national interest to implement effective procedures and measures to provide for effective interjurisdictional conservation and management of this species. (b) PURPOSE.—It is therefore declared to be the purpose of the Congress in this Act to support and encourage the development, implementation, and enforcement of effective interstate action regarding the conservation and management of the Atlantic striped bass. SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

As used in this Act— (1) The term "Act of 1976" means the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the conservation and management of the fisheries, and for other purposes", approved April 13, 1976 (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). (2) The term "Atlantic striped bass" means members of stocks or populations of the species Morone saxatilis, which ordinarily migrate seaward of the waters described in paragraph (3)(A). (3) The term "coastal waters" means— (A) all waters, whether salt or fresh, of a coastal State shoreward of the baseline from which the territorial sea of the United States is measured; and

Oct. 31, 1984 [H.R. 5492] Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act. 16 USC 1851 note. Fish and fishing. 16 USC 1851 note.

16 USC 1851 note.

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