I thought some folks might want to see some commentary about the 1986 Md/Va Moratorium, as compared to the different ones from 1982 onward... so they could draw their own conclusions, bringing this to the top again.



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The original act authorized appropriations as necessary for 18 months, and required the Commission to monitor State enforcement of the Plan and report to the Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce biennially. It provided for penalties and forfeitures for violations of any moratorium, and provided that the Act would be effective through March 31, 1986.

Finally, it authorized the appropriation of $200,000 for each of FY 1986 and 1987 to be apportioned equally to the States of Maryland and Virginia for propagation of Chesapeake Bay striped bass.

Public Law 99-432, approved October 1, 1986 (100 Stat. 990) amended the Act to provide that the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce must jointly make the determination necessary to impose a moratorium, and it required the Commission to make annual determinations of compliance and enforcement beginning in December 1987.


It also amended the definition of "coastal waters" to include the waters of the District of Columbia and waters under the jurisdiction of the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, amended the definition of "coastal state" to include the District of Columbia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, extended the authorization of appropriations through FY 1988, and extended the effective period of the Act through September 30, 1988.

Public Law 100-589 (102 Stat. 2984), approved November 3, 1988, extended the authorization of appropriations through FY 1991, and extended the effective period of the Act through September 30, 1991.

It also provided that the Commission may make a determination of non-compliance at any time; required a study and report by November 3, 1991, on Albemarle Sound-Roanoke River (NC) stocks of striped bass;

and required the Secretary of Commerce to regulate fishing for striped bass in the Exclusive Economic Zone.

Public Law 102-130 (105 Stat. 626), approved October 17, 1991, extended the authorization of appropriations through fiscal year 1994 and extended the effective period of the operative provisions through September 30, 1994.

It amended the Act to allow the Secretaries to enter into cooperative agreements with the ASMFC for the purpose of providing financial assistance to the ASMFC for carrying out its functions under this Act. It deleted the requirement that the Regional Fishery Management Councils prepare an Atlantic striped bass fishery management plan, deleted the Act's sunset provision regarding the regulation of fishing in Federal waters, and added clarification of enforcement authority.
This Act also amended the striped bass study contained in the Anadromous Fish Conservation Act. (See that entry.) Public Law 104-208 (110 Stat. 3009), approved September 30, 1996, directed the Secretary of Commerce to regulate fishing for Atlantic Striped bass in the exclusive economic zone.

Public Law 105-146 (111 Stat. 2672), approved December 16, 1997, includes language which directs the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to determine if states have adopted adequate regulatory measures to implement the management plan for striped bass, and whether state enforcement of the plan is satisfactory. The Commission is to notify the Secretary of Commerce immediately of any negative determination. The legislation provides the Secretaries of Commerce and Interior the option of imposing a moratorium on fishing for striped bass in those states which do not comply with the Act.

The 1997 amendments direct that studies of striped bass populations, including stock assessments and socio-economic studies, continue, but repeals Albemarle Sound-Roanoke River Study in North Carolina. Also, the amendments authorize appropriations through the year 2000. Finally, the Act establishes new requirements for regulation of striped bass protection in the exclusive economic zone, repealing P.L. 104-208