16 U.S.C. § 8031

Current through P.L. 118-107 (published on www.congress.gov on 11/21/2024)

Section 8031 - Interagency Working Group on IUU fishing

(a) In general

There is established a collaborative interagency working group on maritime security and IUU fishing (referred to in this chapter as the "Working Group").

(b) Members

The members of the Working Group shall be composed of-

(1) 1 chair, who shall rotate between the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating, acting through the Commandant of the Coast Guard, the Secretary of State, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, acting through the Administrator, on a 3-year term;

(2) 2 deputy chairs, who shall be appointed by their respective agency heads and shall be from a different Department than that of the chair, from-

(A) the Coast Guard;

(B) the Department of State; and

(C) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;

(3) 12 members, who shall be appointed by their respective agency heads, from-

(A) the Department of Defense;

(B) the United States Navy;

(C) the United States Agency for International Development;

(D) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service;

(E) the Department of Justice;

(F) the Department of the Treasury;

(G) U.S. Customs and Border Protection;

(H) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement;

(I) the Federal Trade Commission;

(J) the Department of Agriculture;

(K) the Food and Drug Administration; and

(L) the Department of Labor;

(4) 1 or more members from the intelligence community (as defined in section 3003 of title 50), who shall be appointed by the Director of National Intelligence; and

(5) 5 members, who shall be appointed by the President, from-

(A) the National Security Council;

(B) the Council on Environmental Quality;

(C) the Office of Management and Budget;

(D) the Office of Science and Technology Policy; and

(E) the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

(c) Responsibilities

The Working Group shall ensure an integrated, Federal Government-wide response to IUU fishing globally, including by-

(1) improving the coordination of Federal agencies to identify, interdict, investigate, prosecute, and dismantle IUU fishing operations and organizations perpetrating and knowingly benefitting from IUU fishing;

(2) assessing areas for increased interagency information sharing on matters related to IUU fishing and related crimes;

(3) establishing standards for information sharing related to maritime enforcement;

(4) maximizing the utility of the import data collected by the members of the Working Group by harmonizing data standards and entry fields;

(5) developing a strategy to determine how military assets and intelligence can contribute to enforcement strategies to combat IUU fishing;

(6) increasing maritime domain awareness relating to IUU fishing and related crimes and developing a strategy to leverage awareness for enhanced enforcement and prosecution actions against IUU fishing;

(7) supporting the adoption and implementation of the Port State Measures Agreement in relevant countries and assessing the capacity and training needs in such countries;

(8) outlining a strategy to coordinate, increase, and use shiprider agreements between the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard and relevant countries;

(9) enhancing cooperation with partner governments to combat IUU fishing;

(10) identifying opportunities for increased information sharing between Federal agencies and partner governments working to combat IUU fishing;

(11) consulting and coordinating with the seafood industry and nongovernmental stakeholders that work to combat IUU fishing;

(12) supporting the work of collaborative international initiatives to make available certified data from state authorities about vessel and vessel-related activities related to IUU fishing;

(13) supporting the identification and certification procedures to address IUU fishing in accordance with the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826d et seq.); and

(14) publishing annual reports summarizing nonsensitive information about the Working Group's efforts to investigate, enforce, and prosecute groups and individuals engaging in IUU fishing.

16 U.S.C. § 8031

Pub. L. 116-92, div. C, title XXXV, §35513551,, 133 Stat. 2005; Pub. L. 117-263 title CXIII, §11331(a), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 4099.

EDITORIAL NOTES

REFERENCES IN TEXTThis chapter, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original "this subtitle", meaning subtitle C of title XXXV of div. C of Pub. L. 116-92, 133 Stat. 1997, known as the Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforcement Act and also as the Maritime SAFE Act, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 8001 of this title and Tables.The High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act, referred to in subsec. (c)(13), is Pub. L. 104-43, 109 Stat. 391, which enacted sections 1826d to 1826g of this title and provisions set out as a note under section 1826d of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1995 Amendment note set out under section 1801 of this title and Tables.

AMENDMENTS2022-Subsec. (c)(4) to (14). Pub. L. 117-263 added par. (4) and redesignated former pars. (4) to (13) as (5) to (14), respectively.

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

PROHIBITION ON AGGREGATED CATCH DATA FOR CERTAIN SPECIES Pub. L. 117-263 title CXIII, §11331(b), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 4099, provided that: "Beginning not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 23, 2022], for the purposes of compliance with respect to Northern red snapper under the Seafood Import Monitoring Program, the Secretary may not allow an aggregated harvest report of such species, regardless of vessel size."[For definition of terms as used in section 11331(b) of Pub. L. 117-263 set out above, see section 11329 of div. K of Pub. L. 117-263 set out as a note under section 1885a of this title.]

IUU fishing

The term "IUU fishing" means illegal fishing, unreported fishing, or unregulated fishing (as such terms are defined in paragraph 3 of the International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, adopted at the 24th Session of the Committee on Fisheries in Rome on March 2, 2001).

Port State Measures Agreement

The term "Port State Measures Agreement" means the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing set forth by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, done at Rome, Italy November 22, 2009, and entered into force June 5, 2016, which offers standards for reporting and inspecting fishing activities of foreign-flagged fishing vessels at port.