16 USC 941h - Great Lakes monitoring, assessment, science, and research

U.S Code last checked for updates: Nov 22, 2024

§ 941h.

Great Lakes monitoring, assessment, science, and research

(a)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Director

(2)

Great Lakes Basin

(b)

Findings

Congress finds the following:

(1)

The Great Lakes support a diverse ecosystem, on which the vibrant and economically valuable Great Lakes fisheries depend.

(2)

To continue successful fisheries management and coordination, as has occurred since signing of the Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries between the United States and Canada on September 10, 1954, management of the ecosystem and its fisheries require sound, reliable science, and the use of modern scientific technologies.

(3)

Fisheries research is necessary to support multi-jurisdictional fishery management decisions and actions regarding recreational and sport fishing, commercial fisheries, tribal harvest, allocation decisions, and fish stocking activities.

(4)

President Richard Nixon submitted, and the Congress approved, Reorganization Plan No. 4 (84 Stat. 2090), conferring science activities and management of marine fisheries to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(5)

Reorganization Plan No. 4 expressly excluded fishery research activities within the Great Lakes from the transfer, retaining management and scientific research duties within the already-established jurisdictions under the 1954 Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries, including those of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and the Department of the Interior.

(c)

Monitoring, assessment, science, and research

(1)

In general

(2)

Specific authorities

The Director shall, under paragraph (1)—

(A)

execute a comprehensive, multi-lake, freshwater fisheries science program;

(B)

coordinate with and work cooperatively with regional, State, tribal, and local governments; and

(C)

consult with other interested entities groups, including academia and relevant Canadian agencies.

(3)

Included research

To properly serve the needs of fisheries managers, monitoring, assessment, science, and research under this section may include—

(A)

deepwater ecosystem sciences;

(B)

biological and food-web components;

(C)

fish movement and behavior investigations;

(D)

fish population structures;

(E)

fish habitat investigations;

(F)

invasive species science;

(G)

use of existing, new, and experimental biological assessment tools, equipment, vessels, other scientific instrumentation and laboratory capabilities necessary to support fishery management decisions; and

(H)

studies to assess impacts on Great Lakes Fishery resources.

(4)

Savings clause

(d)

Authorization of appropriations

(Pub. L. 116–94, div. P, title II, § 201, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 3184.)

cite as: 16 USC 941h