Section, acts Mar. 4, 1911, ch. 285, § 1, 36 Stat. 1436; Mar. 4, 1913, ch. 141, § 1, 37 Stat. 736, provided for an acting Commissioner of Fisheries.

Reorg. Plan No. II of 1939, § 4(e), (f), eff. July 1, 1939, 4 F.R. 2731, 53 Stat. 1433, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, transferred Bureau of Fisheries in Department of Commerce and its functions, and Bureau of Biological Survey in Department of Agriculture and its functions, to Department of the Interior, to be administered under direction and supervision of Secretary of the Interior.

Reorg. Plan No. III of 1940, § 3, eff. June 30, 1940, 5 F.R. 2108, 54 Stat. 1232, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, consolidated Bureau of Fisheries and Bureau of Biological Survey into one agency in Department of the Interior to be known as the Fish and Wildlife Service. It was further provided that functions of consolidated agency should be administered under direction and supervision of Secretary of the Interior by a director and assistants, and that offices of Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Fisheries and offices of Chief and Associate Chief of Bureau of Biological Survey should be abolished and their functions transferred to consolidated agency.

The Fish and Wildlife Service, created by Reorg. Plan No. III of 1940 was succeeded by United States Fish and Wildlife Service established by act Aug. 8, 1956, ch. 1036, § 3, 70 Stat. 1119. See section 742span of this title.

Ex. Ord. No. 9634, Sept. 28, 1945, 10 F.R. 12305, provided in part:

By virtue of and pursuant to the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is hereby ordered that the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Interior shall from time to time jointly recommend the establishment by Executive orders of fishery conservation zones in areas of the high seas contiguous to the coasts of the United States, pursuant to the proclamation entitled “Policy of the United States With Respect to Coastal Fisheries in Certain Areas of the High Seas” [Proc. No. 2668, Sept. 28, 1945, 10 F.R. 12304], this day signed by me, and said Secretaries shall in each case recommend provisions to be incorporated in such orders relating to the administration, regulation and control of the fishery resources of and fishing activities in such zones, pursuant to authority of law heretofore or hereafter provided.