927 



Article I 



Whereas tJie Gulf Co<ast states have the pro- 

 prietary interest in and jurisdiction over fisheries 

 in the waters \viti)in tlieir respective boundaries, it 

 is the purpose of tiiis compact to pi-oniote the bet- 

 ter utilisation ol the fislierics. marine, shell and 

 nnadromoiis, of tlie seaboard of the Gulf of Mexico. 

 by the development of a joint program for the pro- 

 motion and i)rotection of such fisheries and the , pre- 

 vention of the physical waste of the fisheries from 

 any cause. 



Article n 



This compact shall become operative iuimedi- 

 ntely as to tlirse states ralifymi; it wlionevcr ruiy 

 two or more of ilie .st'ites of Morida. Alabama. 

 Mississippi, Louisiana and Texiis Irave ratilici it 

 and the Congress has i.ncn lis consent subject to 

 Article 1, Section 10, of the Constitution of the 

 Unitctl Statw. Any state contiL.uous to any of the 

 aforementioned states or riparian upon waters 

 which flow into waters under the jurisdiction of 

 .my of the aforeniontioncd states and which arc 

 frequented by anadromous hsii or marine species 

 may become a parly hereto as liereinafter provided. 



Article III 



Each state joining herein shall appoint three 

 representatives to a commission hereby constituted 

 and designated as the Gulf States Marine Fisheries 

 Commission. One shall be the head of tJie admin- 

 istrative agency of such state charged with the 

 conservation of the fishery resources to which this 

 compact pertains or, if there be more than one 

 officer or agency, the official of that state named by 

 the jTOvemor thereof. The second shall be a member 

 of the legislature of such state designated by such 

 legislature or in the absence of such designation, 

 such legislator shall be designated by the governor 

 thereof, provided that if it is constitutionally im- 

 possible to appoint a legislator as a commissioner 

 from such state, the second member shall be ap- 

 pointed in such manner as may be established by 

 law. The third shall be a citizen who shall have a 

 knowledge of and interest in the marine fisheries, to 

 be appointed by the governor. This commission 

 shall be a body corporate with the powers and 

 duties set forth herein. 



Article IV 



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 Gulf Coast. The commission 

 shall have power to recommend the coordination of 

 the exercise of the police powers of the several 

 states within their respective jurisdiction to pro- 

 mote the preservation of these fisheries and their 

 protection against overfishing, waste, depletion or 

 any abuse whatsoever and to assure a continuing 

 yield from the fishery resources of the aforemen- 

 tioned states. To that end the commission shall 



draft and recommend to the governors and legisla- 

 tures of the various signatory states, legi-slation 

 dealing with the conservation of the marine, shell 

 and anadromous fisheries of the Gulf seaboard The 

 commission shall from time to time present to tlie 

 governor of each compacting state its recommenda- 

 tions relating to enactments to be presented to the 

 legislature of that state in furthering the interest 

 and purposes of this compact. The commission shall 

 consult with and advise the pertinent administra- 

 tive agencies in the states party hereto with regard 

 to problems connected with the fisheries and rec- 

 ommend the adoption of such regulations as it 

 deems advisable. The commission shall have power 

 to recommend to the states party hereto the stock- 

 ing of the waters of such stales with fish and fish 

 eggs or joint stocking by some or all of the slates 

 party hereto and when two or more states shall 

 jointly stock waters the commission shall act as 

 the coordinating agency, for such stocking. 



Article V 



The commission shall elect froJn its munber a 

 chairman and vice-ch.rJnuan and shall uppoiiit and 

 at its pleasure remove o'' di.-^^^harge such oUicers and 

 employees as may be required to carry the provi- 

 sions of this compact into elTcct and shall fix and 

 determine their duties, qualifications and compen- 

 sation. Said commission shall adopt rules and reg- 

 ulations for the conduct of its business. It may 

 establish and maintain one or more ofliccs for the 

 transaction of its business and may meet at aiiy 

 time or place but must meet at least once a year. 



Article VI 



No action shall be taken by the commission in 

 regard to its general att'airs except by the affirma- 

 tive vote of a majority of the whole number of com- 

 pacting states. No recommendation shall be made 

 by the coimnission in regard to any species of fish 

 except by the affirmative vote of a majority of the 

 compacting states which have an interest in such 

 species. The commission shall de:^ne what shall be 

 an interest. 



Article vn >• 



The Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department 

 of the Interior of the Government of the United 

 States shall act as the primary research agency of 

 the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission coop- 

 erating with the re-search agencies in each state for 

 that purpose. Representatives of the said Fish and 

 Wildlife Service shall attend the meetings of the 

 commission. An advisor;.- committee to be repre- 

 sentative of the comme:xial salt water fisherman 

 and the salt water anglers and such other interest 

 of each state as the commissioners deem advisable 

 may be established by the commissioners from each 

 state for the purpose of advising those commis- 

 sioners upon such recommendations as it may desire 

 to make. 



Article vm 



When any state other than those named 

 specifically in Article 11 of this compact shall be- 

 come a party hereto for the purpose of con- 

 serving its anadromous fish or marine species in 

 accordance with \he provisions of Article II, the 

 participation of such state in the action of the 

 commission shall be limited to such species of fish. 



