Opinion ID: 1308283
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Implicit Pre-emption

Text: Neither can we conclude that Congress implicitly pre-empted all state regulation in the FCZ. First, 16 U.S.C. § 1856(a) specifically allows regulation of state registered vessels. Thus, cases holding that the very delegation of regulatory power to an administrative agency supersedes state regulation, even in the absence or the failure of the federal agency to fully exercise its authority, [7] are distinguishable and inapposite. Second, a holding that the FCMA pre-empted all state regulation in the FCZ even in the absence of the promulgation of federal regulations would frustrate the primary purpose of the FCMA, which is to provide proper management to ensure the fisheries are not depleted. The process of instituting federal regulation under the FCMA is extensive and lengthy. [8] It is difficult to believe that Congress contemplated pre-empting state efforts to conserve fishing resources in the interval between passage of the Act and adoption of federal regulations covering a specific species of fish. [9] A contrary conclusion would conflict with the Act's stated purposes. Third, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council has prepared a fishery management plan and proposed federal regulations for king crab fishing in waters outside the Alaskan territorial sea. The Secretary of Commerce currently is reviewing the plan. Under the proposed plan, the fishery will be governed by federal standards which wholly incorporate the Alaskan state regulations. If approved by the Secretary, the incorporated Alaskan regulations will become the federal regulatory scheme. This negates any inference that the Council has decided that regulation of the king crab fishery in the FCZ outside Alaskan water is unnecessary. Furthermore, it is strong evidence that the Alaskan regulatory regime does not stand as an obstacle to the accomplishment and execution of the purpose of the FCMA. Fourth, the Secretary of Commerce, the federal official charged with implementing the FCMA, has filed an amicus brief urging us to hold that the Act does not pre-empt state regulation of king crab. This interpretation by the agency responsible for the FCMA's administration is entitled to considerable weight. Udall v. Tallman, 380 U.S. 1, 4, 85 S.Ct. 792, 795, 13 L.Ed.2d 616, 619 (1965); United States v. RCA Alaska Communications, Inc., 597 P.2d 489, 498 (Alaska 1979). Thus, we conclude that the FCMA did not pre-empt Alaskan king crab regulation of vessels registered in Alaska.