What major policy did the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 establish?

• A. Long-line fishing
• B. Global fishing ban
• C. Fishing quotas worldwide
• D. 200-mile exclusive fishing zone

Answer: (D)

The major policy being tested is the establishment of a 200-nautical-mile exclusive fishing zone. The Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 extended U.S. fisheries jurisdiction from the traditional 12-mile territorial sea to a 200-mile zone, creating what we now call the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Within this zone, the United States gained exclusive rights to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage living marine resources and the authority to regulate fishing by both domestic and foreign vessels. This framework enabled the federal government to set quotas, gear restrictions, seasonal closures, and enforcement measures to protect fish stocks and promote sustainable fisheries. It’s not about a global fishing ban, worldwide quotas, or simply long-line fishing policy; it’s about the U.S. assertion and management of a broad maritime zone for resource control.