republic-os/legal/us/code/title-16/chapter-16a/section-971e.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, corpus, kind, title_number, title_name, chapter_number, chapter_name, section, citation, status, release_point, release_date, source, source_url, source_identifier, source_file, source_hash, raw_snapshot_hash, text_hash, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	corpus	kind	title_number	title_name	chapter_number	chapter_name	section	citation	status	release_point	release_date	source	source_url	source_identifier	source_file	source_hash	raw_snapshot_hash	text_hash	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
LegalText	16 U.S.C. § 971e	Violations	us	united_states_code	code_section	16	CONSERVATION	16A	ATLANTIC TUNAS CONVENTION	971e	16 U.S.C. § 971e	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc16@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t16/s971e	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-16/usc16.xml	cf08382584f1679faeb8e09f10c1bf5df4b961520f6b316403945dbfa21d0381	7be8950da5a93cac7c98e4576ce00340f2aba5e8e46d29915382c203c421d503	cf71376a2a9df1e9a32fc32f84eb1562d85e139a0f35e1eeca76a52aaf2dcc89	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

16 U.S.C. § 971e - Violations

Text

(a) In general It shall be unlawful—

(1) for any person in charge of a fishing vessel or any fishing vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to engage in fishing in violation of any regulation adopted pursuant to section 971d of this title; or

(2) for any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to ship, transport, purchase, sell, offer for sale, import, export, or have in custody, possession, or control any fish which he knows, or should have known, were taken or retained contrary to the recommendations of the Commission made pursuant to article VIII of the Convention and adopted as regulations pursuant to section 971d of this title, without regard to the citizenship of the person or vessel which took the fish.

(b) Failure to furnish returns, records, or reports It shall be unlawful for the master or any person in charge of any fishing vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to fail to make, keep, or furnish any catch returns, statistical records, or other reports as are required by regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter to be made, kept, or furnished by such master or person.

(c) Refusal of request to board and inspect vessel It shall be unlawful for the master or any person in charge of any fishing vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to refuse to permit any person authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter and any regulations adopted pursuant thereto, to board such vessel and inspect its catch, equipment, books, documents, records, or other articles or question the persons onboard in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, or the Convention, as the case may be, or to obstruct such officials in the execution of such duties.

(d) Importation of ineligible species or species under investigation It shall be unlawful for any person to import, in violation of any regulation adopted pursuant to section 971d(c) or (d) 11 See References in Text note below. of this title, from any country, any fish in any form of those species subject to regulation pursuant to a recommendation of the Commission, or any fish in any form not under regulation but under investigation by the Commission, during the period such fish have been denied entry in accordance with the provisions of section 971d(c) or (d) 1 of this title. In the case of any fish as described in this subsection offered for entry in the United States, the Secretary shall require proof satisfactory to him that such fish is not ineligible for such entry under the terms of section 971d(c) or (d) 1 of this title.

(e) Applicability of other laws All provisions of law relating to the seizure, judicial forfeiture, and condemnation of a cargo for violation of the customs laws, the disposition of such cargo or the proceeds from the sale thereof, and the remission or mitigation of such forfeitures shall apply to seizures and forfeitures incurred, or alleged to have been incurred, under the provisions of this chapter, insofar as such provisions of law are applicable and not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter.

(Pub. L. 94–70, § 7, Aug. 5, 1975, 89 Stat. 390; Pub. L. 104–43, title III, § 306, Nov. 3, 1995, 109 Stat. 385; Pub. L. 105–384, title II, § 202(b)(1)(F), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3453; Pub. L. 114–81, title I, § 107(2), Nov. 5, 2015, 129 Stat. 658.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

References in TextSection 971d(d) of this title, referred to in subsec. (d), was amended generally by Pub. L. 101–627, title II, § 207, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 4461. Prior to amendment, subsec. (d) related to Commission recommendations concerning bluefin tuna and issuance of regulations in that regard.

Amendments2015—Subsecs. (e) to (g). Pub. L. 114–81 redesignated subsec. (g) as (e) and struck out former subsecs. (e) and (f), which related to sanctions and forfeiture, respectively. 1998—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 105–384 made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to section 1858 of this title. 1995—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 104–43 amended subsec. (e) generally, substituting present provisions for provisions establishing civil penalties for violations of this section, providing for authority of Secretary to assess, remit, or mitigate any civil penalty, providing for notice and hearing prior to assessment, and providing for civil action upon failure to pay penalty.