Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73

§521 Fishing industry; associations authorized; “aquatic products” defined; marketing agencies; requirements

Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 13A— - FISHING INDUSTRY › § 521

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

People who fish, harvest, or grow sea and freshwater products can form groups, whether they are corporations or not, and whether they have stock or not. These groups can work together to catch, raise, prepare, process, handle, and sell those products across state lines and to other countries. They can share marketing agencies and make the contracts they need to do this. "Aquatic products" means commercial products from water life in fresh or salt water in U.S. states, territories, possessions, or other places under U.S. control. The groups must run for the members' mutual benefit and follow rules: either each member gets only one vote, or the group does not pay more than 8% per year on stock or membership capital. Also, the group cannot handle more value in nonmembers' products than it handles for its members.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §521

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Persons engaged in the fishery industry, as fishermen, catching, collecting, or cultivating aquatic products, or as planters of aquatic products on public or private beds, may act together in associations, corporate or otherwise, with or without capital stock, in collectively catching, producing, preparing for market, processing, handling, and marketing in interstate and foreign commerce, such products of said persons so engaged. The term “aquatic products” includes all commercial products of aquatic life in both fresh and salt water, as carried on in the several States, the District of Columbia, the several Territories of the United States, the insular possessions, or other places under the jurisdiction of the United States. Such associations may have marketing agencies in common, and such associations and their members may make the necessary contracts and agreements to effect such purposes: Provided, however, That such associations are operated for the mutual benefit of the members thereof, and conform to one or both of the following requirements: First. That no member of the association is allowed more than one vote because of the amount of stock or membership capital he may own therein; or Second. That the association does not pay dividends on stock or membership capital in excess of 8 per centum per annum. and in any case to the following: Third. That the association shall not deal in the products of nonmembers to an amount greater in value than such as are handled by it for members.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 521

Title 15 — Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73