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

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LegalText	16 U.S.C. § 971i	Research on Atlantic highly migratory species	us	united_states_code	code_section	16	CONSERVATION	16A	ATLANTIC TUNAS CONVENTION	971i	16 U.S.C. § 971i	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/s971i	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-16/usc16.xml	afa495d88e9e6af2762a59b23f0d6642aaff3dcaea7b48774fa42e2fbec2322a	7be8950da5a93cac7c98e4576ce00340f2aba5e8e46d29915382c203c421d503	2e5f27b0f9bd174389df5507e39e9e8945e3789aab20f377d544d6d097de4a8a	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

16 U.S.C. § 971i - Research on Atlantic highly migratory species

Text

(a) Omitted

(b) Highly migratory species research and monitoring (1) Within 6 months after November 3, 1995, the Secretary of Commerce, in cooperation with the advisory committee established under section 4 of the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975 (16 U.S.C. 971b) and in consultation with the United States Commissioners on the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (referred to elsewhere in this section as the “Commission”) and the Secretary of State, shall develop and implement a comprehensive research and monitoring program to support the conservation and management of Atlantic bluefin tuna and other highly migratory species that shall—

(A) identify and define the range of stocks of highly migratory species in the Atlantic Ocean, including Atlantic bluefin tuna; and

(B) provide for appropriate participation by nations which are members of the Commission.

(2) The program shall provide for, but not be limited to—

(A) statistically designed cooperative tagging studies;

(B) genetic and biochemical stock analyses;

(C) population censuses carried out through aerial surveys of fishing grounds and known migration areas;

(D) adequate observer coverage and port sampling of commercial and recreational fishing activity;

(E) collection of comparable real-time data on commercial and recreational catches and landings through the use of permits, logbooks, landing reports for charter operations and fishing tournaments, and programs to provide reliable reporting of the catch by private anglers;

(F) studies of the life history parameters of Atlantic bluefin tuna and other highly migratory species;

(G) integration of data from all sources and the preparation of data bases to support management decisions;

(H) include a cooperative research program on Atlantic billfish based on the Southeast Fisheries Science Center Atlantic Billfish Research Plan of 2002; and

(I) other research as necessary.

(3) In developing a program under this section, the Secretary shall—

(A) ensure that personnel and resources of each regional research center shall have substantial participation in the stock assessments and monitoring of highly migratory species that occur in the region;

(B) provide for comparable monitoring of all United States fishermen to which the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975 applies with respect to effort and species composition of catch and discards;

(C) consult with relevant Federal and State agencies, scientific and technical experts, commercial and recreational fishermen, and other interested persons, public and private, and shall publish a proposed plan in the Federal Register for the purpose of receiving public comment on the plan; and

(D) through the Secretary of State, encourage other member nations to adopt a similar program.

(Pub. L. 96–339, § 3, Sept. 4, 1980, 94 Stat. 1070; Pub. L. 104–43, title III, § 302(b), Nov. 3, 1995, 109 Stat. 382; Pub. L. 105–384, title II, § 202(b)(2), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3453; Pub. L. 109–479, title IV, § 405(b), Jan. 12, 2007, 120 Stat. 3633.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

References in TextThe Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975, referred to in subsec. (b)(3)(B), is Pub. L. 94–70, Aug. 5, 1975, 89 Stat. 385, which is classified generally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 971 of this title and Tables.

Codification Subsection (a), which required the Secretary of Commerce to prepare and submit to Congress a biennial report on the level of taking of bluefin tuna by United States fishermen in the Convention area as defined in Article I of the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, the status of bluefin tuna stocks within the Convention area and the trends in their population level, and related information resulting from implementation of the observer program under section 1827 of this title, terminated, effective May 15, 2000, pursuant to section 3003 of Pub. L. 104–66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance. See, also, page 50 of House Document No. 103–7. Section was not enacted as part of the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975 which comprises this chapter.

Amendments2007—Subsec. (b)(2)(H), (I). Pub. L. 109–479 added subpar. (H) and redesignated former subpar. (H) as (I). 1998—Subsec. (b)(3)(B). Pub. L. 105–384 inserted “of 1975” after “Act”. 1995—Pub. L. 104–43 amended section catchline generally, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, struck out last sentence which read as follows: “There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.”, and added subsec. (b).