Magnuson-Stevens Act
Federal Law Governing Fisheries
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Public Law 94-265 as amended (Magnuson-Stevens Act), provides for the conservation and management of fishery resources within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It also provides for fishery management authority over continental shelf resources and anadromous species beyond the EEZ, except when they are found within a foreign nation’s territorial sea or fishery conservation zone (or equivalent), to the extent that such sea or zone is recognized by the United States. The EEZ extends from the seaward boundary of each of the coastal States (generally three nautical miles from shore for all but…
