republic-os/legal/us/code/title-16/chapter-31/section-1417.md

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LegalText	16 U.S.C. § 1417	Prohibitions	us	united_states_code	code_section	16	CONSERVATION	31	MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION	1417	16 U.S.C. § 1417	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/s1417	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-16/usc16.xml	f547d5915059b3e6d8dc7f890c86df415b3ed970bb2f4bd34dd05f3a3b93c28f	7be8950da5a93cac7c98e4576ce00340f2aba5e8e46d29915382c203c421d503	59357eb2c9b3eec835663f09eef02922d03a99337531950ce93d31a77088a494	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

16 U.S.C. § 1417 - Prohibitions

Text

(a) In general It is unlawful—

(1) for any person to sell, purchase, offer for sale, transport, or ship, in the United States, any tuna or tuna product unless the tuna or tuna product is either dolphin safe or has been harvested in compliance with the International Dolphin Conservation Program by a country that is a member of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission or has initiated and within 6 months thereafter completed all steps required of applicant nations in accordance with Article V, paragraph 3 of the Convention establishing the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, to become a member of that organization;

(2) except as provided for in subsection 11 So in original. Probably should be “section”. 1371(d) of this title, for any person or vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States intentionally to set a purse seine net on or to encircle any marine mammal in the course of tuna fishing operations in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean except in accordance with this subchapter and regulations issued pursuant to this subchapter; and 22 So in original. The word “and” probably should not appear.

(3) for any person to import any yellowfin tuna or yellowfin tuna product or any other fish or fish product in violation of a ban on importation imposed under section 1371(a)(2) of this title;

(4) for any person to violate any regulation promulgated under this subchapter;

(5) for any person to refuse to permit any duly authorized officer to board a vessel subject to that person’s control for purposes of conducting any search or inspection in connection with the enforcement of this subchapter; and

(6) for any person to assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, or interfere with any such authorized officer in the conduct of any search or inspection described in paragraph (5).

(b) Penalties (1) Civil penalty A person that knowingly and willfully violates subsection (a)(1), (2), (3), (4), or (5) shall be subject to a civil penalty under section 1375(a) of this title.

(2) Criminal penalty A person that knowingly and willfully violates subsection (a)(5) or (a)(6) shall be subject to a criminal penalty under section 1375(b) of this title.

(c) Civil forfeitures Any vessel (including its fishing gear, appurtenances, stores, and cargo) used, and any fish (or its fair market value) taken or retained, in any manner, in connection with or as a result of the commission of any act prohibited by this section shall be subject to forfeiture to the United States in the manner provided in section 1860 of this title.

(Pub. L. 92–522, title III, § 307, as added Pub. L. 102–523, § 2(a), Oct. 26, 1992, 106 Stat. 3431; amended Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title II, § 211(b)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–41; Pub. L. 105–42, § 6(d), Aug. 15, 1997, 111 Stat. 1136.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Codification Another section 307 of Pub. L. 92–522 was renumbered section 407 and is classified to section 1421f of this title.

Amendments1997—Subsec. (a)(1) to (3). Pub. L. 105–42, § 6(d)(1), added pars. (1) to (3) and struck out former pars. (1) to (3) which read as follows: “(1) for any person, after June 1, 1994, to sell, purchase, offer for sale, transport, or ship, in the United States, any tuna or tuna product that is not dolphin safe; “(2) for any person or vessel that is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, intentionally to set a purse seine net on or to encircle any marine mammal during any tuna fishing operation after February 28, 1994, except— “(A) as necessary for scientific research approved by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission; “(B) in accordance with a recommendation that is approved under section 1412(c)(2) of this title; or “(C) as authorized by the general permit issued to the American Tunaboat Association on December 1, 1980 (including any additional restrictions applicable under section 1416(a) of this title), notwithstanding any agreement under section 1412 of this title with a country that is not a major purse seine tuna fishing country (as that term is defined in section 1416(c) of this title); “(3) for any person to import any yellowfin tuna or yellowfin tuna product or any other fish or fish product in violation of a ban on importation imposed under section 1415(b)(1) or (2) of this title;”. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 105–42, § 6(d)(2), inserted “(a)(5) or” before “(a)(6)”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 105–42, § 6(d)(3), struck out heading and text of subsec. (d). Text read as follows: “For purposes of this section, tuna or a tuna product is dolphin safe if— “(1) it does not contain tuna that was harvested on the high seas by a vessel engaged in driftnet fishing, as that term is defined in section 4003 of the Driftnet Impact, Monitoring, Assessment, and Control Act of 1987; “(2) in the case of tuna or a tuna product that contains tuna harvested in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, it is dolphin safe under subsection (d)(2) of section 1385 of this title; “(3) in the case of tuna or a tuna product that contains tuna harvested outside the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean by a purse seine vessel, it is accompanied by a written statement executed by the captain of the vessel certifying that no purse seine net was intentionally deployed on or to encircle dolphins during the particular voyage on which the tuna was harvested; and “(4) in the case of tuna or a product that contains tuna harvested outside the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean by a purse seine vessel in a fishery in which the Secretary has determined that a regular and significant association occurs between marine mammals and tuna, and in which tuna is harvested through the use of purse seine nets deployed on or to encircle marine mammals, it is accompanied by a written statement executed by the captain of the vessel and by an observer, certifying that no purse seine net was intentionally deployed on or to encircle marine mammals during the particular voyage on which the tuna was harvested.” 1996—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–208 made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to section 1860 of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1997 AmendmentFor effective date of amendment by Pub. L. 105–42, see section 8 of Pub. L. 105–42, set out as a note under section 1362 of this title.

Effective Date of 1996 AmendmentPub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title II, § 211(b)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–41, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective 15 days after Oct. 11, 1996.