The Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce, as appropriate, may take or cause to be taken at all times, in the waters of the seacoast of the United States, where the tide ebbs and flows, and also in the waters of the lakes, such fish or specimens thereof as may in his judgment, from time to time, be needful or proper for the conduct of his duties, any law, custom, or usage of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.
(R.S. §4398; 1940 Reorg. Plan No. III, §3, eff. June 30, 1940, 5 F.R. 2108,
R.S. §4398 derived from Res. Feb. 9, 1871, No. 22, §4,
Secretary of the Interior or Secretary of Commerce, as appropriate, substituted for Director of Fish and Wildlife Service in view of transfer of functions by Reorg. Plan No. 4 of 1970, see note set out under section 744 of this title.
For transfer of functions of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174,
Transfer and consolidation of bureaus and functions, see note set out under section 742 of this title.