The Governor is hereby authorized and directed to execute a compact on behalf of the State of Maryland with any one or more of the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Massachusetts and Florida and with such other states as may enter into the compact, legally joining in the form substantially as follows:

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Compact

The contracting states solemnly agree:

Article I

The purpose of this compact is to promote the better utilization of the fisheries, marine, shell and anadromous, of the Atlantic seaboard by the development of a joint program for the promotion and protection of the fishing industry, and by the prevention of the physical waste of the fisheries from any cause.

Article II

This agreement shall become effective as to those states ratifying it whenever any two of the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida have ratified it and Congress has given its consent. Any state contiguous with any of the aforementioned states and riparian upon waters frequented by anadromous fish, flowing into waters under the jurisdiction of any of the aforementioned states, may become a party hereto as hereinafter provided.

Article III

Each state joining herein shall appoint three representatives to a commission hereby constituted and designated as the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. One shall be the executive officer of the administrative agency of such state charged with the conservation of the fisheries resources to which this compact pertains, or, if there be more than one officer or agency, the official of that state named by the governor thereof. The second shall be a member of the legislature of such state designated by the Commission or committee on interstate cooperation of such state, or if there be none, by the governor thereof. The third shall be a citizen who shall have a knowledge of and interest in the marine fisheries problem to be appointed by the governor. This Commission shall be a body corporate with the powers and duties set forth herein.

Article IV

The duty of the said Commission shall be to make inquiry and ascertain from time to time such methods, practices, circumstances and conditions as may be disclosed for bringing about conservation and the prevention of the depletion and physical waste of the fisheries, marine, shell and anadromous, of the Atlantic seaboard. The Commission shall have power to recommend the coordination of the exercise of the police powers of the several states within their respective jurisdictions to promote the preservation of those fisheries and their protection against overfishing, waste, depletion or any abuse whatsoever and to assure a continuing yield from the fisheries resources of the aforementioned states.

To that end the Commission shall draft and, after consultation with the advisory committee, recommend to the governors and legislatures of the various signatory states legislation dealing with the conservation of the marine and anadromous fisheries of the Atlantic seaboard. The Commission shall, more than one month prior to any regular meeting of the legislature in any signatory state, present to the governor of the state its recommendations relating to enactments to be made by the legislature of that state in furthering the intents and purposes of this compact.

The Commission shall consult with and advise the pertinent administrative agencies in the states parties hereto with regard to problems connected with the fisheries and recommend the adoption of such regulations as it deems advisable.

The Commission shall have power to recommend to the states party hereto the stocking of the waters of such states with fish and fish eggs or joint stocking by some or all of the states party hereto and when two or more of the states shall jointly stock waters the Commission shall act as the coordinating agency for such stocking.

Article V

The Commission shall elect from its number a chairman and a vice–chairman and shall appoint and at its pleasure remove or discharge such officers and employees as may be required to carry the provisions of this compact into effect and shall fix and determine their duties, qualifications and compensation. Said Commission shall adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of its business. It may establish and maintain one or more offices for the transaction of its business and may meet at any time or place but must meet at least once a year.

Article VI

No action shall be taken by the Commission in regard to its general affairs except by the affirmative vote of a majority of the whole number of compacting states present at any meeting. No recommendation shall be made by the Commission in regard to any species of fish except by the affirmative vote of a majority of the compacting states which have an interest in that species. The Commission shall define what shall be an interest.

Article VII

The Fish and Wild Life Service of the Department of the Interior of the government of the United States shall act as the primary research agency of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission cooperating with the research agencies in each state for that purpose. Representatives of the said Fish and Wild Life Service shall attend the meetings of the Commission.

An advisory committee to be representative of the commercial fishermen and the salt water anglers and the other such interests of each state as the Commission deems advisable shall be established by the Commission as soon as practicable for the purpose of advising the Commission upon such recommendations as it may desire to make.

Article VIII

When any state other than those named specifically in Article II of this compact shall become a party thereto for the purpose of conserving anadromous fish in accordance with the provisions of Article II, the participation of such state in the action of the Commission shall be limited to species of anadromous fish.

Article IX

Nothing in this compact shall be construed to limit the powers of any signatory state or to repeal or prevent the enactment of any legislation or the enforcement of any requirement by any signatory state imposing additional conditions and restrictions to conserve its fisheries.

Article X

Continued absence of representation or of any representative in the Commission from any state party hereto shall be brought to the attention of the governor thereof.

Article XI

The states party hereto agree to appropriate to the support of the Commission in proportion to the primary market value of the products of their fisheries, exclusive of cod and haddock, as recorded in the most recent published reports of the Fish and Wild Life Service of the United States Department of the Interior, provided no state shall contribute less than two hundred dollars and the contribution of each state above the minimum shall be figured to the nearest one hundred dollars.

The compacting states agree to appropriate initially the amounts scheduled below, which amounts are calculated in the manner set forth herein, on the basis of the catch record of 1938. Subsequent budgets shall be recommended by majority of the Commission and submitted to the compacting states.

Schedule of initial state contributions:

Maine      $ 700

New Hampshire      200

Massachusetts      2300

Rhode Island      300

Connecticut      400

New York      1300

New Jersey      800

Delaware      200

Maryland      700

Virginia      1300

North Carolina      600

South Carolina      200

Georgia      200

Florida      1500

Article XII

This compact shall continue in force and remain binding upon each ratifying state until renounced by it. Renunciation of this compact must be preceded by sending six months’ notice in writing of intention to withdraw from the compact to the other states party hereto.