---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 5101"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "5101"
heading: "Findings and purpose"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/5101"
units:
  - "Chapter 71 — Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management"
---

# §5101. Findings and purpose

- (a) **Findings—** The Congress finds the following:
  - (1) [Coastal fishery resources](/usc/16/5102.md?p=2) that migrate, or are widely distributed, across the jurisdictional boundaries of two or more of the Atlantic [States](/usc/16/544.md?p=r) and of the Federal Government are of substantial commercial and recreational importance and economic benefit to the Atlantic coastal region and the Nation.
  - (2) Increased [fishing](/usc/16/5102.md?p=9) pressure, environmental pollution, and the loss and alteration of habitat have reduced severely certain Atlantic [coastal fishery resources](/usc/16/5102.md?p=2).
  - (3) Because no single governmental entity has exclusive management authority for Atlantic [coastal fishery resources](/usc/16/5102.md?p=2), harvesting of such resources is frequently subject to disparate, inconsistent, and intermittent [State](/usc/16/5102.md?p=13) and Federal regulation that has been detrimental to the [conservation](/usc/16/5102.md?p=4) and sustainable use of such resources and to the interests of fishermen and the Nation as a whole.
  - (4) The responsibility for managing Atlantic coastal [fisheries](/usc/16/5102.md?p=8) rests with the [States](/usc/16/544.md?p=r), which carry out a cooperative program of [fishery](/usc/16/5102.md?p=8) oversight and management through the Atlantic [States](/usc/16/544.md?p=r) Marine [Fisheries](/usc/16/5102.md?p=8) [Commission](/usc/16/5102.md?p=3). It is the responsibility of the Federal Government to support such cooperative interstate management of [coastal fishery resources](/usc/16/5102.md?p=2).
  - (5) The failure by one or more Atlantic [States](/usc/16/544.md?p=r) to fully implement a [coastal fishery management plan](/usc/16/5102.md?p=1) can affect the status of Atlantic coastal [fisheries](/usc/16/5102.md?p=8), and can discourage other [States](/usc/16/544.md?p=r) from fully implementing [coastal fishery management plans](/usc/16/5102.md?p=1).
  - (6) It is in the national interest to provide for more effective Atlantic [State](/usc/16/5102.md?p=13) [fishery](/usc/16/5102.md?p=8) resource [conservation](/usc/16/5102.md?p=4) and management.
- (b) **Purpose—** The purpose of this chapter is to support and encourage the development, implementation, and enforcement of effective interstate [conservation](/usc/16/5102.md?p=4) and management of Atlantic [coastal fishery resources](/usc/16/5102.md?p=2).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 103–206, title VIII, § 802, Dec. 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 2447; Pub. L. 106–555, title I, § 122(b)(1)(A), Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2766.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original “this title”, meaning title VIII of Pub. L. 103–206, Dec. 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 2447, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of title VIII to the Code, see Short Title note below and Tables.

### Amendments

2000—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 106–555, which directed amendment of par. (3) of this section by substituting “such resources is” for “such resources in”, was executed by making the substitution in par. (3) of subsec. (a), to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Short Title of 2000 Amendment

Pub. L. 106–555, title I, § 121, Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2766, provided that: “This subtitle [subtitle B (§§ 121, 122) of title I of Pub. L. 106–555, amending this section and sections 5102, 5103, 5106, and 5107a to 5108 of this title and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 5107 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Act of 2000’.”

### Short Title

Pub. L. 103–206, title VIII, § 801, Dec. 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 2447, provided that: “This title [enacting this chapter and amending section 4107 of this title and provisions set out as a note under section 1851 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act’.”