Genesis

• Scientific research has long revealed that certain breeds of fish had declined to the point that the continued survival of their species had become threatened. These threats were a result of overfishing, the absence of any kind of wide-scale fisheries management policy and the fishing-related changes in ocean habitats. Affected species included salmon, sturgeon, whitefish and numerous species of whales.
  
  

Purpose

• The purpose of the Fisheries Act is multifaceted. First and foremost, it aims to immediately impose regulations aimed at the conservation and management of U.S. fishery resources, most notably governing which parts of the oceans can be fished and when. The act also aims to promote catch-and-release programs, construct Regional Fishery Management councils, create and maintain fishery yield counts and protect fish habitats in the review of infrastructure projects conducted under federal permits and licenses.
  
  

Prohibited Under the Fisheries Act

• The Fisheries Act makes it unlawful for companies and individuals to fish in areas where fishing has been temporarily or permanently suspended to allow for recovery of a species. It also prohibits the sale, purchase, import, export and possession of fish procured from such fishing grounds. The act also prohibits foreign vessels from fishing in American waters without the proper permits.
  
  

Enforcement

• The Fisheries Act is primarily enforced by the United States Coast Guard but stipulates that its parameters may be imposed by any other federal agency, including the Department of Defense, and any state law enforcement agency that determines that the statutes have been violated.
  
  

Criticism

• While the Manguson-Stevenson Act has benefited species in numerous American fisheries, its establishment and frequent revisions are not without controversy. Many fishermen regard the laws enacted by the Fisheries Act as inflexible and inconsiderate of variable factors such as tides and weather. Some also regard the yield data of fish populations to be largely conjectural and open to debate.