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3 . The Human Environment 

 a. Introduction 



In enacting the Fishery Conservation and Management 

 Act of 1976 Congress created a national program of conser- 

 vation and management intended to realize the full potential 

 of the Nation's fishery resources. Eight Regional Fishery 

 Management Councils were created to develop and implement 

 management plans for regional fisheries within the U.S. 

 fishery conservation zone. The New England and Mid-Atlantic 

 Councils, however, are placed in the difficult position of 

 imposing restraints on U.S. fishermen in the interest of 

 sound management, while having no control over Canadian 

 fishermen fishing the same stocks. The Agreement seeks to 

 resolve this problem by providing for coordinated manage- 

 ment of the stocks in which both countries have an economic 

 interest, consistent with the management principles of the 

 FCMA, and with the full participation of the Regional 

 Councils. 



With or without an agreement, efforts to manage or 

 rebuild fully or over-exploited stocks would involve some 

 degree of socio-economic dislocation. Effective stock 

 management may require temporarily lower catch levels for 

 some stocks than those of recent years, while others may 

 be increased. One or both countries may thus experience 



