servation and Management Act, and allocating the 
total allowable level of foreign fishing in the fishery 
conservation zone, the State Department is also ac- 
tive in other affairs that touch on the management 
of marine fisheries. It represents the United States 
in several international organizations and interna- 
tional fishery commissions that are coordinated by 
and under the auspices of the United Nations. Jt also 
represents the United States in the international com- 
missions and focuses on the conservation and man- 
agement of fishery stocks of domestic commercial 
interest. In a related function, the State Department, 
in consultation with NMFS, negotiates bilateral and 
multilateral fishing agreements with other countries. 
The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 was 
one of several related pieces of legislation written 
with the intent of protecting the dwindling numbers 
of marine mammals. Responsibility for administer- 
ing the Act is divided between NMFS and the Fish 
and Wildlife Service. The Marine Mammal Com- 
mission, aided by its Committee of Scientific Ad- 
visors, is an advisory body which, among other re- 
sponsibilities, keeps the Secretaries of Commerce 
and Interior aware of the status of marine mammals 
and makes recommendations for action as needed. 
Related to the Marine Mammal Protection Act 
is the International Whaling Convention and the 
Whaling Convention Act of 1949. The Secretary of 
Commerce is responsible for carrying out the U.S. 
commitments under the Convention and provisions 
of the Act. 
The Endangered Species Act also affects fishery 
and marine mammal conservation and management. 
This Act is more comprehensive than the Marine 
Mammal Protection Act, because it applies to all 
threatened or endangered fauna and flora. It author- 
izes the Secretaries of Interior and Commerce to 
determine and subsequently to make efforts to pro- 
tect those species whose numbers have been severely 
diminished, and whose populations are therefore 
threatened or endangered. The Department of Com- 
merce has responsibility for most endangered and 
threatened marine species of plants and animals; 
the Department of the Interior is responsible for 
all other species including manatees, polar bears, 
sea otters, and walruses. The Fish and Wildlife 
Service is responsible for the creation of wildlife 
refuges and for the regulation of their use by the 
public. The Marine Mammal Protection’® Act ini- 
tially exempted native Alaskans from its severe re- 
strictions on the hunting and use of marine mam- 
mals. This, along with the preservation of native 
Americans’ traditional hunting and fishing rights, 
leads to other conflicts in fishery management. The 
Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs 
protects traditional native fishing rights. 
There are several activities, in addition to those 
of the Environmental Protection Agency, which 
protect the environmental quality of fishery habi- 
tats and restore those that have been damaged. The 
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has major respon- 
sibility for habitat protection, working with other 
agencies as needed. In addition, the Department of 
Agriculture’s Soil Conservation Service has a water 
conservation function which, in cooperation with 
State and local groups as well as other Federal 
agencies, enhances fish habitats and develops recre- 
ational fishery facilities. 
FWS works closely with State fish and game agen- 
cies to provide financial and technical assistance 
to restore harmed areas and to create refuges for 
fish and other wildlife. Much of the land appropri- 
ated for these refuges is administered by the National 
Park Service and FWS refuge systems. 
The concern of FWS is primarily with freshwater 
fish that include the anadromous species in fresh- 
water areas. Since the States are responsible for 
the activities in their inland, coastal, and territorial 
waters, FWS provides technical assistance to them 
and supports multistate programs. 
In addition to operating hatcheries, FWS also 
has the general mission of enhancing the recrea- 
tional value of the coastal regions by establishing 
and managing wildlife refuges. These refuges are 
administered in cooperation with NMFS and State 
agencies. In addition, estuarine sanctuaries may be 
set aside under a provision of the Coastal Zone 
Management Act of 1972. (See chapter IV.) 
Since many spawning grounds fall in territory 
under its control, the Agriculture Department’s For- 
est Service also has a management responsibility 
for anadromous fish. The Army Corps of Engineers 
often aids in this management effort by construction 
of salmon ladders at dams and locks built and 
operated by the Corps. 
Use of Fishery Resources and Development of the Domestic Fishing industry 
The role .of the Federal Government in fishery 
resource use and domestic fishing industry develop- 
ment is to attempt to assist_in the development_and 
maintenance of a healthy commercial fishing indus- 
*16 U.S.C. 1361. 
try, encourage the de ubli ri- 
vate aquaculture for selected species of fish, and 
assure_the safety and quality of seafoods for U.S. 
consumers. To succeed, such assistance has to. bal- 
—————— . . ° >) 
ance support for industry with protecting consumers 
interest in low-priced, quality seafoods. Some of 
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