LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL U.S. SENATE, September 27, 1976. DEAR COLLEAGUE: The recently enacted Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 (Public Law 94-265) must be considered one of the most important pieces of legislation enacted by the 94th Congress. It establishes, for the first time in this Nation's 200-year history, a comprehensive management program for fisheries subject to U.S. jurisdiction. And, of course, this new law expands U.S. fishery management jurisdiction to 200 nautical miles, effective March 1, 1977. The United States now will have paramount control over all fishery resources found off its shores. The need for, and purpose of, this control is to protect and conserve our valuable natural resources, first and foremost. To assist those who will be implementing and working with this new law, we asked the Ocean and Coastal Resources Project of the Congressional Research Service in the Library of Congress to prepare a detailed legislative history. Mark Zilberberg of the project prepared the history. As is often the case, many of the important documents relating to the development of this legislation, such as committee reports, are either in limited supply or are out of print. This compilation is intended to bring together all those materials for use by administrators, members of the regional councils created by the new law, lawyers, fishermen, and others who are affected by, or must deal with, this farreaching statute. We expect that this document will be in great demand. The section-by-section index included herein will enhance its usefulness. We wish to emphasize that this document compilation has neither been approved, disapproved, nor considered by the Committee on Commerce or the National Ocean Policy Study. To assure the general availability of this legislative history of Public Law 94-265, we have asked that it be published as a committee print for the use of the members of the Committee on Commerce and National Ocean Policy Study. Sincerely, WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Chairman, ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, Chairman, National Ocean Policy Study. (III) CONTENTS Page iii 1 34 Chapter I: Public Law 94-265, the Fishery Conservation and Management Statement by the President upon signing H.R. 200 into law.. Chapter II: Conference report and conference prints of H.R. 200: Report of the conference committee: March 24, 1976- Conference policy issues summary of H.R. 200 (S. 961): February 19, Comparative print on H.R. 200, Marine Fisheries Conservation Act Chapter III: Senate debates and passage of H.R. 200, as amended.. Statement of Senator Mark O. Hatfield on H.R. 200, as passed: |