In March 1977, the Fishery Conservation 

 and Management Act of 1976 became effec- 

 tive, extending U.S. jurisdiction over offshore 

 fisheries within 200 miles of its coast and 

 possessions, and making it the poHcy of the 

 land to use some of the most advanced ideas 

 available about ways to mange marine fish- 

 eries. 



Implementation of the law will require a 

 level of understanding about the fishing 

 resources and industry that has never before 

 been attempted by the U.S. Government. It 

 will require development of methods of 

 balancing biological, economic, and social fac- 

 tors relating to fisheries in order to best serve 

 the national needs. Most of the information 

 necessary for this process does not yet exist. 



The law establishes Regional Councils to 

 work with the National Marine Fisheries 

 Service of the Department of Commerce in 

 managing fishery resources and setting out 

 regulations, including allocation of the catch 

 of commercial species between domestic and 

 foreign fishermen. Preliminary regulations 

 and catch allocations have been drawn up, but 

 better working relationships between all in- 

 terested parties are needed and many changes 

 will be necessary in early management ac- 

 tivities as experience is gained. 



Management of the 200-mile fishery zone 

 will, of necessity, have enforcement of regula- 

 tions as an integral part if it is to accomplish 

 restoration and conservation of fish stocks 

 and provide the domestic fishing industry 

 with incentive to grow. The U.S. Coast Guard 



will be primarily responsible for enforcing 

 regulation of foreign fishermen and the Na- 

 tional Marine Fisheries Service will oversee 

 domestic fishing. Both enforcement groups 

 are beginning their tasks by increasing exist- 

 ing activities. This appears appropriate for the 

 time being, but it is likely new enforcement 

 techniques and advanced equipment will be 

 needed in the future. Improvements are 

 needed in long-term evaluation of enforce- 

 ment needs, costs and benefits, and attention 

 should be given to coordinating some military 

 information and equipment with Coast Guard 

 requirements for fisheries. 



The Office of Technology Assessment's 

 analysis of implementation of the new 200- 

 mile fisheries zone can be expressed in terms 

 of the conclusions reached during the assess- 

 ment, the practical and organizational 

 problems which were discovered, and the 

 OTA suggestions for resolving those 

 problems. 



The overall conclusions of the assessment 

 are given here for each of the major subject 

 areas of the report. These conclusions are 

 grouped as they relate to: 



• enforcement of the U.S. fisheries regula- 

 tions and jurisdiction; 



• management of the new fisheries zone; 



• data which will be needed for implemen- 

 tation of the law; and 



• opportunities for expanding and 

 revitalizing the U.S. fishing industry 

 which may result from implementation 

 of the law. 



These overall conclusions include four pilot 

 projects, which are OTA's major suggestions 

 for determining the most successful and cost- 

 effective means of enforcing U.S. jurisdiction 

 in the 200-mile fisheries zone. 



