Which act created a 200 nautical mile offshore fishing zone controlled by the US, enacted in 1976?

Which act created a 200 nautical mile offshore fishing zone controlled by the US, enacted in 1976?

• A. Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976
• B. Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation Act of 1976
• C. Marine Resources Protection Act of 1976
• D. Coastal Fisheries Act of 1976

Answer: (A)

The establishment of a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone gives the United States sole rights to explore, harvest, and manage living marine resources within that area. In 1976, Congress enacted the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, which created this EEZ and set up the framework for regulating fishing, licensing, and enforcement, including the creation of regional fishery management councils to develop conservation and management plans. This statute is the foundation for the modern system; today it’s commonly referred to as the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation Act due to later amendments, but the 1976 law that actually created the 200-mile zone is the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The other named acts do not correspond to the legislation that established the EEZ.

The establishment of a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone gives the United States sole rights to explore, harvest, and manage living marine resources within that area. In 1976, Congress enacted the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, which created this EEZ and set up the framework for regulating fishing, licensing, and enforcement, including the creation of regional fishery management councils to develop conservation and management plans. This statute is the foundation for the modern system; today it’s commonly referred to as the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation Act due to later amendments, but the 1976 law that actually created the 200-mile zone is the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The other named acts do not correspond to the legislation that established the EEZ.