3. Federal-State Cooperation Modeled after the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 



a. Regulation of marine fisheries in the territorial and internal waters of the United States would 

 remain the primary responsibility and right of the States; 



b. Act would be administered by the Fish and Wildhfe Service, and would require the Service to 

 estabhsh priorities and fishery policies for the development and utilization of migratory marine species 

 for commercial and recreational purposes, in cooperation with other Federal agencies, and with State 

 and interstate agencies; 



c. Would encourage cooperative activities by States for regulation and conservation of migratory 

 marine species; encourage enactment of improved and uniform State laws relating to the regulation and 

 conservation of such species; 



d. Fish and Wildhfe Service would continue to perform scientific research, would strengthen its 

 economic research and technological research, and would provide for continuing studies of laws, 

 regulations, and institutional arrangements within States regarding the conservation, regulation, and 

 utilization of fish and fishery resources; 



e. Would authorize: grants up to 50 per cent of the administrative expenses of State and interstate 

 planning agencies; grants for research and developrhent (such as through amendment of the Commercial 

 Fisheries Research and Development Act, Anadromous and Great Lakes Fisheries Act, and Federal Aid 

 in Fish Restoration Act); and grants to assist the States, interstate and international agencies to meet the 

 costs of estabhshing and monitoring measures for regulation, conservation, and utilization of migratory 

 marine species. 



f. The Act would require States to submit plans for regulation, conservation, development, and 

 utilization of marine fisheries, which plans would include the methods for implementation of the State 

 fisheries plans in accordance with Federal policies and priorities for resource development, and would 

 include identification of institutional barriers inhibiting efficient development and use of the fisheries, 

 and the steps proposed to be taken by the State to remove them. Once accepted by the Federal 

 Government as the State plan, Federal grants mentioned above could be made. Should the State 

 change the plan without Federal approval, or fail to comply wdth its provisions for reasons unacceptable 

 to the Federal Goverrmient, the Federal Government would be authorized to withhold payments to the 

 State. 



g. The Act would provide administrative procedures for enforcement of the State plans in accordance 

 with Federal pohcies and priorities. It would provide that if the States fail to act to make plans for the 

 regulation, conservation, development, and utilization of its marine fisheries, the Secretary of the 

 Interior could do so, and the Secretary could take necessary steps to enforce those regulations. 



4. Regional Compact with Enforcement Powers 



A third alternative which we suggest, represents an amalgam of the regional compact for economic 

 development and the enforcement procedures and powers of the Federal-State cooperative efforts 

 discussed immediately above. 



a. Regulation of marine fisheries in the territorial and internal waters of the United States would 

 remain the primary responsibihty and right of the States; 



b. The marine fisheries compacts would be amended to make the United States of America a 

 signatory member of the Compacts, in addition to the States; 



c. Decisions of the marine fisheries commissions, formed under the Compacts, would be based upon 

 the affirmative vote of the Federal representative and a majority of the member States; 



d. The staffs of the marine fisheries commissions would be augmented to include planning and 

 coordinating competence; 



e. Administrative expenses of the marine fisheries commissions could be paid 50 per cent by the 

 Federal Goveriunent and 50 per cent by the States; 



f. That Federal monies for scientific research, economic investigations, and other programs, which 

 under present law or under legislation hereafter enacted, are to be expended by or under the authority 



VU-86 



