An Act to amend the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Act of 1950
PL 92-87 (H.R.9181), enacted 08/11/1971

310 
PUBLIC LAW 92-87-AUG. 11, 1971 
[85 STAT. 
August 11, 1971 
[H. R. 9181] 
Northwest Atlan-
tic Fisheries Act 
of 1950, amend-
ments. 
64 Stat. 1067; 
82 Stat. 419. 
16 u s e 981. 
10 UST 59. 
14 UST 924. 
17 UST 635. 
21 UST 567, 
576. 
"International 
measures of con-
trol." 
"National meas-
ures of control." 
Proposals. 
16 u s e 985. 
1 UST 477. 
Public Law 92-87 
AN ACT 
To amend the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Act of 1950. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled., 
SEC. 101. Subsection (a) of section 2 of the Northwest Atlantic 
Fisheries Act of 1950 (hereafter referred to as the "Act") is amended 
by striking out "and amendments including the 1961 declaration of 
understanding and the 1963 protocol, as well as the convention signed 
at Washington under date of February 8, 1949" and inserting in lieu 
thereof "and any amendments thereto which have entered or may 
enter into force for the United States including, but not limited to, 
the 1956 protocol, the 1961 declaration of understanding, the 1963 
protocol, and the 1965 protocols". 
SEC. 102. (a) Section 2(c) of the Act is amended by striking out 
"subject to the jurisdiction of the United States" and inserting in lieu 
thereof "subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, or to the 
jurisdiction of other parties to the convention with respect to interna-
tional measures of control in force for such parties". 
(b) Section 2(e) of the Act is amended by striking out ""subject to 
the jurisdiction of the United States," and by inserting immediately 
before the period at the end of such section 2 (e) the following: "sub-
ject to the jurisdiction of the United States, or to the jurisdiction of 
other parties to the convention with respect to international measures 
of control in force for such parties." 
SEC. 103. Section 2 of the Act is amended by adding at the end 
thereof the following: 
"(i) International measures of control: The-term 'international 
measures of control'-means any proposal of the Commission which had 
entered into force with respect to the United States with regard to 
measures of control on the high seas which may be undertaken for the 
purposes of insuring the application of the convention and the meas-
ures in force thereunder by the United States with respect to persons 
or vessels of some or all other parties to the convention and by other 
parties to the convention with respect to persons or vessels of the 
United States. 
"(j) National measures of control: The term 'national measures of 
control' means any proposal of the Commission which has entered into 
force for the United States with regard to measures of control on the 
high seas which may be undertaken for the purposes of insuring the 
application of the convention and the measures in force thereunder 
by the United States with respect to persons or vessels subject to its 
jurisdiction, and any other actions which may be undertaken by the 
United States for the purposes of insuring the application of the 
ponvention and the measures in force thereunder to persons or vessels 
subject to its jurisdiction pursuant to the provisions of this Act.". 
SEC. 104. Subsection (b) of section 6 of the Act is amended to read 
as follows: 
"(b) The Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the Secretary 
of Commerce, is authorized to take appropriate action on behalf of 
the United States with regard to proposals received from the Commis-
sion pursuant to article VIII of the convention. The "Secretary of 
Commerce shall inform the Secretary of State as to what action he 
considers appropriate within five months of the date on the notification 
of the propo^l by the depositary government, and again, within the 
first forty days of the additional sixty-day period provided by the 
85 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 92-87-AUG. 11, 1971 
311 
convention if a rejection is presented by another party to the conven-
tion, or within twenty days after receipt of a rejection received within 
the additional sixty-day period, whichever date shall be the later. 
The Secretary of the Department in which the United States Coast 
Guard is operating shall similarly inform the Secretary of State 'as 
to whether he considers that any such proposal relating to inter-
national measures of control or national measures of control should 
be rejected.". 
SEC. 105. Section 6 of the Act is amended by adding at the end 
thereof the following: 
"(c) In the event that a proposal of the Commission does not 
come into effect because of a number of objections in accordance with 
the provisions of paragraph 7 of article VIII of the convention, 
the Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the Secretary of Com-
merce and the Secretary of the Department in which the C^oast Guard 
is operating, may nevertheless assent to giving effect to it on an 
agreed date by agreement with one or more of the parties to the 
convention, as provided for in that paragraph.". 
SEC. 106. Subsection (b) of section 7 of the Act is amended to read 
as follows: 
"(b) Enforcement activities under the provisions of this Act 
relating to vessels engaged in fishing and subject to the jurisdiction of 
the United States shall be primarily the responsibility of the Secretary 
of the Department in. w^hich the Coast Guard is operating, in coop-
eration with the Secretary of Commerce. The Secretary of tlie Depart-
ment in which the Coast Guard is operating, with the concurrence 
of the Secretary of Commerce, is authorized and directed to adopt 
such regulations as may be necessary to provide for national measures 
of control, and with the concurrence of the Secretary of Commerce and 
the Secretary of State, for international measures of control and to 
cooperate with the duly authorized enforcement officials of the Govern-
ment of any party to the convention.". 
"SEC. 107. Section 7 of the Act is amended by adding at the end 
thereof the following: 
" (d) Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the duly authorized 
officials of any party to the convention shall have the same powders as 
Federal law-enforcement officers to enforce the provisions of the con-
vention, or of this Act, or of the regulations of the Secretaries of 
Commerce and the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating, 
with respect to persons or vessels of the United States, pursuant to 
and to the extent authorized by international measures of control, and 
such officials are authorized to function as Federal law-enforcement 
officers for the purposes of this Act. Such powers shall include, only 
if and to the extent authorized in international measures of control, 
arrest of any person or search of any vessel subject to the jurisdiction 
of the United States, execution of any warrant or process issued by 
an officer or court of competent jurisdiction for the enforcement of 
this Act, and seizure of any property. Unless such enforcement is 
authorized by the international measures of control or by agreement of 
the United States, such duly authorized officials shall not exercise these 
powers in that portion of the convention area in which the United 
States exercises the same exclusive rights in respect to fisheries as it 
has in the territorial sea except with regard to vessels of their own flag 
which may be entitled within such zone, by agreement with the United 
States, to (1) engage in the fisheries, or to (2) engage in activities in 
support of a foreign fishery fleet, or to (3) engage in the taking of any 
Continental Shelf fishery resource which appertains to the United 
States. 
64 Stat. 1069, 
16 use 985. 
1 UST 483. 
Enforcement. 
16 u s e 986. 
U.S. fishing 
vessels, inspec-
tion authority. 
312 
PUBLIC LAW 92-87-AUG. 11, 1971 
[85 STAT. 
Unlawful acts. 
64 Stat. 1069. 
16 use 988. 
Penalties. 
16 use 989. 
Supra. 
Transfer of funC' 
tions. 
16 u s e 986, 
16 use 990. 
"(e) Any duly authorized enforcement officer or employee of the 
Department of Commerce may be designated by the Secretary of 
Commerce and any Coast Guard officer may be designated by the 
Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating 
to enforce international measures of control on behalf of the United 
States with regard to persons or vessels of any other party to the con-
vention to which the measure is applicable, in any portion of the con-
vention area except such portions in which any other government 
exercises the same exclusive rights in respect to fisheries as it has in its 
territorial sea unless such enforcement is authorized by the interna-
tional measures of control or by agreement with the government con-
cerned. 
"(f) Any person designated to enforce international measures of 
control pursuant to subsection (e) of this section may be directed to 
attend as witness and to produce such available records and files or 
duly certified copies thereof as may be necessary to the prosecution in 
any country party to the convention of any violation of the provisions 
of the convention or any law or regulation of that country for the 
enforcement thereof when requested by the appropriate authorities of 
such country.". 
SEC. 108. Section 9 of the Act is amended by adding at the end 
thereof the following: 
"(c) It shall be unlawful for the master or owner or any person 
in charge of any vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States 
to refuse to permit any person authorized to enforce the provisions 
of this Act and any regulations adopted pursuant thereto, including 
in the convention area the duly authorized officials of any party to 
the convention authorized to undertake international measures of 
control, to board such vessel or inspect its equipment, books, docu-
ments, or other articles or question the persons on board in accordance 
with the provisions of the convention, this Act, regulations adopted 
pursuant thereto, international measures of control, and national 
measures of control, or to obstruct such officials in the execution of 
such duties.". 
SEC. 109. (a) Section 10 of the Act is amended— 
(1) by inserting " ( a ) " immediately after "SEC. 10."; 
(2) by striking out "any provision" and inserting in lieu thereof 
"subsection (a) or (b) of section 9"; 
(3) by inserting "by the Secretary of Commerce" immediately 
after "adopted"; and 
(4) by adding at the end thereof the following: 
"(b) Any person violating subsection (c) of section 9 of this Act 
or any regulation adopted pursuant to this Act, upon conviction, shall 
be fined for a first offense not more than $1,000 and be imprisoned 
for not more than six months, or both, and for a subsequent offense 
committed within five years not more than $10,000 and be imprisoned 
for not more than one year, or both.". 
SEC. 110. (a) In subsection (a) of section 7 of the Act strike out 
"The Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed to administer 
and enforce, through the Fish and Wildlife Service," and insert in 
lieu thereof "The Secretary of Commerce is authorized and directed 
to administer and enforce". 
(b) In subsection (c) of section 7 of the Act strike out "Secretary 
of the Interior" each place it appears and insert in lieu thereof at each 
such place "Secretary of Commerce". 
(c) In the first sentence in subsection (a) of section 11 of the-Act 
strike out "Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the 
Interior" and insert in lieu thereof "Department of Commerce". 
85 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 92-88-AUG. 11, 1971 
313 
(d) In the last sentence in subsection (a) of section 11 of the Act 
strike out "Secretary of the Interior" and insert in lieu thereof 
"Secretary of Commerce". 
SEC. 111. (a) Section 3(a) of the Act is amended by adding at the 
end thereof the following: "The Secretary of State, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Commei-ce, may designate from time to time 
Alternate United States Commissioners to the Commission. An Al-
ternate United States Commissioner may exercise, at any meeting of 
the Commission or of the United States Commissioners or of the 
advisory committee established pursuant to section 4, all powers and 
duties of a United States Commissioner in the absence of a duly desig-
nated Commissioner for whatever reason. The number of such Al-
ternate United States Commissioners that may be designated for any 
such meeting shall be limited to the number of authorized United 
States Commissioners that will not be present." 
(b) Section 3(b) of the Act is amended by inserting immediately 
after "Commissioners" in both places it occurs, the following: "or 
Alternate Commissioners". 
(c) Section 5 of the Act is amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 5. Service of an individual as a United States Commissioner 
or Alternate United States Commissioner appointed pursuant to sec-
tion 3(a), or as a member of the advisory committee appointed pur-
suant to section 4(a), shall be deemed service as a special Government 
employee of the United States, as defined in section 202 of title 18, 
United States Code." \ 
(d) Section 12 of the Act is amended by inserting immediately 
after "Commissioners" the following: ", Alternate United States 
Commissioners,". 
Approved August 11, 1971. 
64 Stat. 1070. 
16 u s e 990. 
Alternate U.S. 
Commissioners. 
16 use 982. 
16 u s e 983. 
16 use 984. 
76 Stat. 1121; 
82 Stat. 1115. 
16 u s e 991. 
Public Law 92-88 
AN ACT 
To amend the District of Columbia Code with respect to the administration 
of small estates, and for other purposes. 
August 11, 1971 
[H. R. 7931] 
Probate fees. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may „^^^"'\'^' 
be cited as the "District of Columbia Administration of Estates Act", itrat"^ o
^ 
SEC. 2. Sections 20-2101, 20-2102, 20-2106, and 20-2107 of the Dis- Act. 
trict of Columbia Code (relating to the administration of small 
79 stat. 
estates) are each amended by striking out "$500" wherever it appears 
and inserting in lieu thereof "$2,500". 
SEC. 3 (a) Section 15-707 (a) of the District of Columbia Code, 
as amended by section 144(10) (A) of the District of Columbia Court 
Reorganization Act of 1970, is amended by striking out "Superior 
84 stat. 553 
Court" and inserting in lieu thereof "court having jurisdiction over 
probate ma<^ters in the District of Columbia." 
(b) Section 15-707(b) of the District of Columbia Code, as 
amended by section 144(10) (A) of the District of Columbia Court 
Reorganization Act of 1970, is amended to read as follows: 
"(b) Where the estate does not exceed $500 in value the Register 
of Wills shall receive no fees, and where the estate does not exceed 
$2,500 in value the fees may not exceed $15." 
SEC. 4. The last sentence of section 20-2105 of the District of Co-
lumbia Code (relating to the administration of small estates) is 
amended to read as follows: "The Register of Wills may demand and 
receive for services performed by him under this chapter such fees 
of 
Adminis-
Estates 
730.