Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act of 1986 Law and Legal Definition
The Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act of 1986 (“Act”) is a U.S. federal legislation aimed to promote and encourage state activities in support of interjurisdictional fishery resources and management of interjurisdictional fishery resources throughout their range. The provisions of the Act are codified at 16 USCS §§ 4101 through 4107. The Act has been amended a number of times since its enactment.
The Act authorizes the Secretary of Commerce (“Secretary”) to provide assistance to states to manage their interjurisdictional commercial fishery resources. Pursuant to the provisions of the Act, the Secretary is directed to apportion funds to each state based on the value and volume of fishery resources harvested by domestic commercial fishermen in the three years preceding the Act's passage.
States, through a state agency or interstate commission, may submit a proposal for a project to the Secretary. The research proposals should include full plans, specifications, and cost estimates needed to manage their fishery resources. Approved projects are paid by the Department of Commerce once the proposal is complete.
