The Act is a piece of federal legislation that lays out the goals of fisheries policies. It identifies rebuilding and managing for maximum sustainable yield as key priorities and delegates' responsibility for meeting these objectives to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through its sub-agency the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Substantial authority in turn is delegated to Regional Fishery Management Councils (RFMCs) who develop fishery management plans to restore and manage stocks.