 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is a commission of U.S. states formed to coordinate and manage fishery resources — including marine (saltwater) fish, shellfish, and anadromous fish (migratory fish that ascended rivers from the sea for spawning) - along the Atlantic coast of the United States.The Commission was formed by the 15 Atlantic coast states in 1940 and chartered by the United States Congress in 1942 in recognition that "fish do not adhere to political boundaries."