The Role of Conservation and Fishery Science under the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976

Authors

Dayton L. Alverson

Abstract

The enactment of the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, which extends United States jurisdiction over fishery resources seaward to 200 nautical miles, constitutes a radical departure from the legal and philosophical foundations of past United States fishery management. The Act incorporates major changes in the distribution of authority to manage fishery resources seaward of the territorial sea and broadens the goals of management to accommodate socioeconomic objectives. Furthermore, it explicitly mandates employment of the best scientific information available in the development of fishery management plans and seeks to establish a comprehensive program of fisheries research to carry out the purposes, policies, and provisions of the Act. It is the purpose of this article to examine and discuss those provisions of the Act which may have a profound impact on the future of fisheries science.

First Page

723

Recommended Citation

Dayton L. Alverson, The Role of Conservation and Fishery Science under the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, 52 Wash. L. Rev. 723 (1977).
Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/wlr/vol52/iss3/12