TITLE XIV— INTERSTATE COMPACTS 

 1. Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Compact 

 P.L. 77-539 and P.L. 81-721 



AN ACT . 



Granting the consent and approval of Congress to an 

 Interstate compact relating to the better utilization 

 of the fisheries (marine, shell, and anadromous) of 

 the Atlantic seaboard and creating the Atlantic States 

 Marine Fisheries Comnnlsslon. 



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- 

 sentauves of the United States o) America in Con- 

 gress assembled. That the consent ?.nd approval of 

 Congress is hereby given to an interstate compact 

 (••vhich shall be operative for not more than fifteen 

 years from the date of the enactment of this Act) 

 relating to the better utilization of the fisheries 

 (marine, shell, and anadromous) of the Atlantic 

 sea'ooard and creating the Atlantic States Marine 

 Fisheries Oommission, negotiated and entered into 

 or to be entered into under the authority of Public 

 Resolution Numbered 79, Seventy-sixth Congress, 

 approved June 8, 1940, and now ratified by the 

 States of Maine, New Hampshire, Masachusetts, 

 Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, 

 Maryland, and Virginia, which compact reads as 

 follows: 



"The contracting states solemnly agree; 

 "Article I 



"The purpose of Uiis compact is to pvoniote the 

 better utilization of t!ie fuhenes. maune. siiell and 

 anadromous c£ tht Atlantic seaboard by the de- 

 velopment of a joint prOb'rani for the pronation 

 LUid protection of such fisheries, and by the preven- 

 tion 01 the pl;y5ical waste of the fisheries from anjj 

 cause. It is not the purpose of this compact to 

 RufJioriee the states joinuitr herein to limit Ihe 

 production of lish. or fiah products for the purpose 

 01 establishing or fixing tlic price thereof, Oi creat- 

 ing and perpeluatmi; monopoly. 



"Article n 



"This agreement shall become operative immedi- 

 ately as to those states executing it whenever any 

 two or more of the states of Mauie. New Hampshire, 

 Ma^ssachusetts, RhcKie Island, Comi^cticut, New 

 York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, 

 North Carolina, South Carolina. Georgia and Flor- 

 ida have executed it in the form that is in accord- 

 ance with the laws of the executing state and the 

 Congress has given its consent. Any state con- 

 tiguous with any of the aforementioned states and 

 riparian upon waters frequented by anadromous 

 fish, flowing into waters under the jurisdiction of 

 any of the aforementioned states, may become a 

 party hereto as hereinafter provided. 



"Article m 



"Each state joining herein shall appoint three 

 representatives to a Commission hereby constituted 

 and designated as the Atlantic States Marine 

 Fisheries Commission. One shall be the executive 

 officer of the administrative agency of such state 

 charged with the conservation of the fisheries 

 resources to which this compact pei-tains or, if 

 there be more than one officer or agency, the official 

 of that state named by the governor thereof. The 

 second shall be a member of the legislature of such 

 state designated by the Commission or Committee 

 on Interstate Cooperation of such state, or if there 

 be none, or if said Comrniicioii on Interstate Coop- 

 eration cannot constitutionally designate the said 

 member, such legislator shall be designated by the 

 governor thereof; provided, that if it is constitu- 

 tionally impossible to appomt a legislator as a com- 

 missioner from such state, the second member shall 

 be appointed by the governor of said state in his 

 discretion. The third shall be a citizen aIio .shall 

 have a knowledge of and interest in the marine 

 fisheries problem, to be appointed by the governor. 

 The Commission .shall be a body corporate with the 

 powers and duties set forth herein. 



"Article rv 



"The duty of the said Commission shall be to 

 make inquiry and ascertain from time to time such 

 methods, practices, circumstances and conditions 

 as may be disclosed for bringing about the conser- 

 vation and the prevention of the depletion and 

 physical waste of the fisheries, marine, shell and 

 anadromous. of the Atlantic seaboard. The Com- 

 mission shall have power to recommend the coordi- 

 nation of the exerci.sc of the police powers of the 

 several states within their respective jurisdictions 

 to promote the preservation of those fisheries and 

 their protection against overfishing, waste, deple- 

 tion or any abuse whatsoever and to as.sure a con- 

 tinuing yield from tlic fisheries resources of the 

 aforementioned states. 



"To that end the Commission shall draft and, 

 after consultation with the Advisory Committee 

 hereinafter authorized, recommend to the gover- 

 nors and legislatures of the various signatory states 

 legislation dealing with the con.servation of the ma- 

 rine, shell and anadiwiious lislienes of the Atlantic 

 seaboard. The Commission shall, more than one 

 month prior to any regular meeting of the legisla- 

 ture in any signatory state, present to the governor 

 of the state its recommendations relating to enact- 

 ments to be made by the legislature of that state 

 in furthetlng tlie intents. and piuposes of tliis 



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