Which act created a 200 mile offshore fishing zone to be controlled by the U.S. and enforced by the Coast Guard?

• A. Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976
• B. Clean Water Act
• C. National Environmental Policy Act
• D. Endangered Species Act

Answer: (A)

This question tests knowledge of which law established the United States’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and gave enforcement authority to the Coast Guard. The Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 created the framework for U.S. control over offshore fisheries out to 200 miles, replacing earlier arrangements and setting up the system of permits, quotas, and regional councils to manage fish stocks. It later became known as the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, with enforcement carried out by the Coast Guard to ensure compliance with fishing regulations within the EEZ.

The other acts address different issues: the Clean Water Act focuses on water pollution and discharges, not offshore fishing rights; the National Environmental Policy Act requires environmental reviews for federal actions but does not establish an offshore fishing zone; and the Endangered Species Act protects threatened or endangered species and their habitats, not the management of fisheries or the enforcement framework for offshore waters.