114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 774 

AN ACT 

To strengthen enforcement mechanisms to stop illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, to amend the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950 to implement the Antigua Convention, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Illegal, Unreported, 

3 and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015’’. 

4 SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

5 The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title. 

Sec. 2. Table of contents. 

TITLE I—STRENGTHENING FISHERIES ENFORCEMENT 

MECHANISMS 

Sec. 101. Amendments to the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act. 

Sec. 102. Amendments to the High Seas Driftnet Fisheries Enforcement Act. 

Sec. 103. Amendments to North Pacific Anadromous Stocks Act of 1992. 

Sec. 104. Amendments to the Pacific Salmon Treaty Act of 1985. 

Sec. 105. Amendments to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act. 

Sec. 106. Amendments to the Antarctic Marine Living Resources Convention 

Act. 

Sec. 107. Amendments to the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act. 

Sec. 108. Amendments to the High Seas Fishing Compliance Act of 1965. 

Sec. 109. Amendments to the Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act. 

Sec. 110. Amendments to the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982. 

Sec. 111. Amendments to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Convention Act of 

1995. 

Sec. 112. Amendment to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act. 

TITLE II—IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ANTIGUA CONVENTION 

Sec. 201. Short title. 

Sec. 202. Amendment of the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950. 

Sec. 203. Definitions. 

Sec. 204. Commissioners; number, appointment, and qualifications. 

Sec. 205. General Advisory Committee and Scientific Advisory Subcommittee. 

Sec. 206. Rulemaking. 

Sec. 207. Prohibited acts. 

Sec. 208. Enforcement. 

Sec. 209. Reduction of bycatch. 

Sec. 210. Repeal of Eastern Pacific Tuna Licensing Act of 1984. 

TITLE III—AGREEMENT ON PORT STATE MEASURES TO PREVENT, DETER AND ELIMINATE ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED AND 

UNREGULATED FISHING 

Sec. 301. Short title. 

Sec. 302. Purpose. 

Sec. 303. Definitions. 

Sec. 304. Duties and authorities of the Secretary. 

Sec. 305. Authorization or denial of port entry. 
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Sec. 306. Inspections. 

Sec. 307. Prohibited acts. 

Sec. 308. Enforcement. 

Sec. 309. International cooperation and assistance. 

Sec. 310. Relationship to other laws. 

1 TITLE I—STRENGTHENING FISH2 ERIES ENFORCEMENT MECH3 ANISMS 

4 SEC. 101. AMENDMENTS TO THE HIGH SEAS DRIFTNET 

5 FISHING MORATORIUM PROTECTION ACT. 

6 (a) ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 606 of the High 

8 Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act 

9 (16 U.S.C. 1826g) is amended by inserting before 

10 the first sentence the following: 

11 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary and the Secretary 

12 of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating 

13 shall enforce this Act, and the Acts to which this section 

14 applies, in accordance with this section. Each such Sec15 retary may, by agreement, on a reimbursable basis or oth16 erwise, utilize the personnel services, equipment (including 

17 aircraft and vessels), and facilities of any other Federal 

18 agency, and of any State agency, in the performance of 

19 such duties. 

20 ‘‘(b) ACTS TO WHICH SECTION APPLIES.—This sec21 tion applies to— 

22 ‘‘(1) the Pacific Salmon Treaty Act of 1985 (16 

23 U.S.C. 3631 et seq.); 
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1 ‘‘(2) the Dolphin Protection Consumer Informa2 tion Act (16 U.S.C. 1385); 

3 ‘‘(3) the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950 (16 

4 U.S.C. 951 et seq.); 

5 ‘‘(4) the North Pacific Anadromous Stocks Act 

6 of 1992 (16 U.S.C. 5001 et seq.); 

7 ‘‘(5) the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 

8 1975 (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.); 

9 ‘‘(6) the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Conven10 tion Act of 1995 (16 U.S.C. 5601 et seq.); 

11 ‘‘(7) the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries 

12 Convention Implementation Act (16 U.S.C. 6901 et 

13 seq.); and 

14 ‘‘(8) the Antigua Convention Implementing Act 

15 of 2015. 

16 ‘‘(c) ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT.— 

17 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall prevent 

18 any person from violating this Act, or any Act to 

19 which this section applies, in the same manner, by 

20 the same means, and with the same jurisdiction, 

21 powers, and duties as though sections 308 through 

22 311 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 

23 and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1858 through 

24 1861) were incorporated into and made a part of 

25 and applicable to this Act and each such Act. 
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1 ‘‘(2) INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION.—The Sec2 retary may, subject to appropriations and in the 

3 course of carrying out the Secretary’s responsibilities 

4 under the Acts to which this section applies, engage 

5 in international cooperation to help other nations 

6 combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing 

7 and achieve sustainable fisheries. 

8 ‘‘(d) SPECIAL RULES.— 

9 ‘‘(1) ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT AUTHOR10 ITY.—In addition to the powers of officers author11 ized pursuant to subsection (c), any officer who is 

12 authorized by the Secretary, or the head of any Fed13 eral or State agency that has entered into an agree14 ment with the Secretary under subsection (a), may 

15 enforce the provisions of any Act to which this sec16 tion applies, with the same jurisdiction, powers, and 

17 duties as though section 311 of the Magnuson-Ste18 vens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 

19 U.S.C. 1861) were incorporated into and made a 

20 part of each such Act. 

21 ‘‘(2) DISCLOSURE OF ENFORCEMENT INFORMA22 TION.— 

23 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, subject 

24 to the data confidentiality provisions in section 

25 402 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Con-
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1 servation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 

2 1881a), may disclose, as necessary and appro3 priate, information, including information col4 lected under joint authority of the Magnuson5 Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 

6 Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and the Atlantic 

7 Tunas Convention Act of 1975 (16 U.S.C. 71 

8 et seq.) or the Western and Central Pacific 

9 Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (16 

10 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.) or other statutes imple11 menting international fishery agreements, to 

12 any other Federal or State government agency, 

13 the Food and Agriculture Organization of the 

14 United Nations, the secretariat or equivalent of 

15 an international fishery management organiza16 tion or arrangement made pursuant to an inter17 national fishery agreement, or a foreign govern18 ment, if— 

19 ‘‘(i) such government, organization, or 

20 arrangement has policies and procedures to 

21 protect such information from unintended 

22 or unauthorized disclosure; and 

23 ‘‘(ii) such disclosure is necessary— 
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1 ‘‘(I) to ensure compliance with 

2 any law or regulation enforced or ad3 ministered by the Secretary; 

4 ‘‘(II) to administer or enforce 

5 any international fishery agreement to 

6 which the United States is a party; 

7 ‘‘(III) to administer or enforce a 

8 binding conservation measure adopted 

9 by any international organization or 

10 arrangement to which the United 

11 States is a party; 

12 ‘‘(IV) to assist in any investiga13 tive, judicial, or administrative en14 forcement proceeding in the United 

15 States; or 

16 ‘‘(V) to assist in any law enforce17 ment action undertaken by a law en18 forcement agency of a foreign govern19 ment, or in relation to a legal pro20 ceeding undertaken by a foreign gov21 ernment to the extent the enforcement 

22 action is consistent with rules and 

23 regulations of a regional fisheries 

24 management organization (as that 

25 term is defined by the United Na-
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1 tion’s Food and Agriculture Organiza2 tion Agreement on Port State Meas3 ures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate 

4 Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated 

5 Fishing) of which the United States is 

6 a member, or the Secretary has deter7 mined that the enforcement action is 

8 consistent with the requirements 

9 under Federal law for enforcement ac10 tions with respect to illegal, unre11 ported, and unregulated fishing. 

12 ‘‘(B) DATA CONFIDENTIALITY PROVISIONS

13 NOT APPLICABLE.—The data confidentiality 

14 provisions of section 402 of the Magnuson-Ste15 vens Fishery Conservation and Management 

16 Act (16 U.S.C. 1881a) shall not apply with re17 spect to this Act with respect to— 

18 ‘‘(i) any obligation of the United 

19 States to share information under a re20 gional fisheries management organization 

21 (as that term is defined by the United Na22 tion’s Food and Agriculture Organization 

23 Agreement on Port State Measures to Pre24 vent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unre-
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1 ported and Unregulated Fishing) of which 

2 the United States is a member; or 

3 ‘‘(ii) any information collected by the 

4 Secretary regarding foreign vessels. 

5 ‘‘(e) PROHIBITED ACTS.—It is unlawful for any per6 son— 

7 ‘‘(1) to violate any provision of this Act or any 

8 regulation or permit issued pursuant to this Act; 

9 ‘‘(2) to refuse to permit any officer authorized 

10 to enforce the provisions of this Act to board, 

11 search, or inspect a vessel, subject to such person’s 

12 control for the purposes of conducting any search, 

13 investigation, or inspection in connection with the 

14 enforcement of this Act, any regulation promulgated 

15 under this Act, or any Act to which this section ap16 plies; 

17 ‘‘(3) to forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, 

18 intimidate, or interfere with any such authorized of19 ficer in the conduct of any search, investigation, or 

20 inspection described in paragraph (2); 

21 ‘‘(4) to resist a lawful arrest for any act prohib22 ited by this section or any Act to which this section 

23 applies; 

24 ‘‘(5) to interfere with, delay, or prevent, by any 

25 means, the apprehension, arrest, or detection of an-
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1 other person, knowing that such person has com2 mitted any act prohibited by this section or any Act 

3 to which this section applies; or 

4 ‘‘(6) to forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, 

5 intimidate, sexually harass, bribe, or interfere with— 

6 ‘‘(A) any observer on a vessel under this 

7 Act or any Act to which this section applies; or 

8 ‘‘(B) any data collector employed by the 

9 National Marine Fisheries Service or under 

10 contract to any person to carry out responsibil11 ities under this Act or any Act to which this 

12 section applies. 

13 ‘‘(f) CIVIL PENALTY.—Any person who commits any 

14 act that is unlawful under subsection (e) shall be liable 

15 to the United States for a civil penalty, and may be subject 

16 to a permit sanction, under section 308 of the Magnuson17 Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 

18 U.S.C. 1858). 

19 ‘‘(g) CRIMINAL PENALTY.—Any person who commits 

20 an act that is unlawful under subsection (e)(2), (e)(3), 

21 (e)(4), (e)(5), or (e)(6) is deemed to be guilty of an offense 

22 punishable under section 309(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

23 Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 

24 1859(b)). 
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1 ‘‘(h) UTILIZATION OF FEDERAL AGENCY ASSETS.— 

2 ’’. 

3 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

4 308(a) of the Antarctic Marine Living Resources 

5 Convention Act of 1984 (16 U.S.C. 2437(a)) is 

6 amended to read as follows: 

7 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Any person who commits an act 

8 that is unlawful under section 306 shall be liable to the 

9 United States for a civil penalty, and may be subject to 

10 a permit sanction, under section 308 of the Magnuson11 Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 

12 U.S.C. 1858).’’. 

13 (b) ACTIONS TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF

14 INTERNATIONAL FISHERY MANAGEMENT ORGANIZA15 TIONS.—Section 608 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1826i) is 

16 amended by— 

17 (1) inserting before the first sentence the fol18 lowing: ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—’’; 

19 (2) in subsection (a) (as designated by para20 graph (1) of this subsection) in the first sentence, 

21 inserting ‘‘, or arrangements made pursuant to an 

22 international fishery agreement,’’ after ‘‘organiza23 tions’’; and 

24 (3) adding at the end the following new sub25 sections: 
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1 ‘‘(b) DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION.— 

2 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, subject to 

3 the data confidentiality provisions in section 402 of 

4 the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 

5 Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1881a) except as pro6 vided in paragraph (2), may disclose, as necessary 

7 and appropriate, information, including information 

8 collected under joint authority of the Magnuson-Ste9 vens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 

10 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and the Atlantic Tunas Con11 vention Act of 1975 (16 U.S.C. 71 et seq.), the 

12 Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention 

13 Implementation Act (16 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.), any 

14 other statute implementing an international fishery 

15 agreement, to any other Federal or State govern16 ment agency, the Food and Agriculture Organization 

17 of the United Nations, or the secretariat or equiva18 lent of an international fishery management organi19 zation or arrangement made pursuant to an inter20 national fishery agreement, if such government, or21 ganization, or arrangement, respectively, has policies 

22 and procedures to protect such information from un23 intended or unauthorized disclosure. 

24 ‘‘(2) EXCEPTIONS.—The data confidentiality 

25 provisions in section 402 of the Magnuson-Stevens 
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1 Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 

2 U.S.C. 1881a) shall not apply with respect to this 

3 Act— 

4 ‘‘(A) for obligations of the United States 

5 to share information under a regional fisheries 

6 management organization (as that term is de7 fined by the United Nation’s Food and Agri8 culture Organization Agreement on Port State 

9 Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Ille10 gal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing) of 

11 which the United States is a member; or 

12 ‘‘(B) to any information collected by the 

13 Secretary regarding foreign vessels. 

14 ‘‘(c) IUU VESSEL LISTS.—The Secretary may— 

15 ‘‘(1) develop, maintain, and make public a list 

16 of vessels and vessel owners engaged in illegal, unre17 ported, or unregulated fishing or fishing-related ac18 tivities in support of illegal, unreported, or unregu19 lated fishing, including vessels or vessel owners iden20 tified by an international fishery management orga21 nization or arrangement made pursuant to an inter22 national fishery agreement, that— 

23 ‘‘(A) the United States is party to; or 

24 ‘‘(B) the United States is not party to, but 

25 whose procedures and criteria in developing and 
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1 maintaining a list of such vessels and vessel 

2 owners are substantially similar to such proce3 dures and criteria adopted pursuant to an inter4 national fishery agreement to which the United 

5 States is a party; and 

6 ‘‘(2) take appropriate action against listed ves7 sels and vessel owners, including action against fish, 

8 fish parts, or fish products from such vessels, in ac9 cordance with applicable United States law and con10 sistent with applicable international law, including 

11 principles, rights, and obligations established in ap12 plicable international fishery management agree13 ments and trade agreements. 

14 ‘‘(d) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary may promulgate 

15 regulations to implement this section.’’. 

16 (c) NOTIFICATION REGARDING IDENTIFICATION OF

17 NATIONS.—Section 609(b) of such Act (166 U.S.C. 

18 1826j(b)) is amended to read as follows: 

19 ‘‘(b) NOTIFICATION.—The Secretary shall notify the 

20 President and that nation of such an identification.’’. 

21 (d) NATIONS IDENTIFIED UNDER SECTION 610.— 

22 Section 610(b)(1) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1826k(b)(1)) 

23 is amended to read as follows: 

24 ‘‘(1) notify, as soon as possible, the President 

25 and nations that have been identified under sub-
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1 section (a), and also notify other nations whose ves2 sels engage in fishing activities or practices de3 scribed in subsection (a), about the provisions of this 

4 section and this Act;’’. 

5 (e) EFFECT OF CERTIFICATION UNDER SECTION

6 609.—Section 609(d)(3)(A)(i) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 

7 1826j(d)(3)(A)(i)) is amended by striking ‘‘that has not 

8 been certified by the Secretary under this subsection, or’’. 

9 (f) EFFECT OF CERTIFICATION UNDER SECTION

10 610.—Section 610(c)(5) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 

11 1826k(c)(5)) is amended by striking ‘‘that has not been 

12 certified by the Secretary under this subsection, or’’. 

13 (g) IDENTIFICATION OF NATIONS.— 

14 (1) SCOPE OF IDENTIFICATION FOR ACTIONS

15 OF FISHING VESSELS.—Section 609(a) of such Act 

16 (16 U.S.C. 1826j(a)) is amended— 

17 (A) in the matter preceding paragraph 

18 (1)— 

19 (i) by inserting ‘‘, based on a cumu20 lative compilation and analysis of data col21 lected and provided by international fishery 

22 management organizations and other na23 tions and organizations,’’ after ‘‘shall’’; 

24 and 
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1 (ii) by striking ‘‘2 years’’ and insert2 ing ‘‘3 years’’; 

3 (B) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘that 

4 undermines the effectiveness of measures re5 quired by an international fishery management 

6 organization, taking into account whether’’ 

7 after ‘‘(1)’’; and 

8 (C) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘vessels 

9 of’’. 

10 (2) ADDITIONAL GROUNDS FOR IDENTIFICA11 TION.—Section 609(a) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 

12 1826j(a)) is further amended— 

13 (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and 

14 (2) in order as subparagraphs (A) and (B) (and 

15 by moving the margins of such subparagraphs 

16 2 ems to the right); 

17 (B) by inserting before the first sentence 

18 the following: 

19 ‘‘(1) IDENTIFICATION FOR ACTIONS OF FISHING

20 VESSELS.—’’; and 

21 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

22 ‘‘(2) IDENTIFICATION FOR ACTIONS OF NA23 TION.—Taking into account the factors described 

24 under section 609(a)(1), the Secretary shall also 

25 identify, and list in such report, a nation— 
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1 ‘‘(A) if it is violating, or has violated at 

2 any point during the preceding 3 years, con3 servation and management measures required 

4 under an international fishery management 

5 agreement to which the United States is a 

6 party and the violations undermine the effec7 tiveness of such measures; or 

8 ‘‘(B) if it is failing, or has failed in the 

9 preceding 3-year period, to effectively address 

10 or regulate illegal, unreported, or unregulated 

11 fishing in areas described under paragraph 

12 (1)(B). 

13 ‘‘(3) APPLICATION TO OTHER ENTITIES.— 

14 Where the provisions of this Act are applicable to 

15 nations, they shall also be applicable, as appropriate, 

16 to other entities that have competency to enter into 

17 international fishery management agreements.’’. 

18 (3) PERIOD OF FISHING PRACTICES SUP19 PORTING IDENTIFICATION.—Section 610(a)(1) of 

20 such Act (16 U.S.C. 1826k(a)(1)) is amended by 

21 striking ‘‘calendar year’’ and inserting ‘‘3 years’’. 

22 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

23 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Com24 merce $450,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 
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1 2020 to implement the amendments made by subsections 

2 (b) and (g). 

3 (i) TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.— 

4 (1) Section 607(2) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 

5 1826h(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘whose vessels’’ 

6 and inserting ‘‘that’’. 

7 (2) Section 609(d)(1) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 

8 1826j(d)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘of its fishing 

9 vessels’’. 

10 (3) Section 609(d)(1)(A) of such Act (16 

11 U.S.C. 1826j(d)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘of 

12 its fishing vessels’’. 

13 (4) Section 609(d)(2) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 

14 1826j(d)(2)) is amended— 

15 (A) by striking ‘‘for certification’’ and in16 serting ‘‘to authorize’’; 

17 (B) by inserting ‘‘the importation’’ after 

18 ‘‘or other basis’’; 

19 (C) by striking ‘‘harvesting’’; and 

20 (D) by striking ‘‘not certified under para21 graph (1)’’ and inserting ‘‘issued a negative cer22 tification under paragraph (1)’’. 

23 (5) Section 610 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1826k) 

24 is amended as follows: 
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1 (A) In subsection (a)(1), by striking ‘‘prac2 tices;’’ and inserting ‘‘practices—’’. 

3 (B) In subsection (c)(4), by striking all 

4 preceding subparagraph (B) and inserting the 

5 following: 

6 ‘‘(4) ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURE.—The Sec7 retary may establish a procedure to authorize, on a 

8 shipment-by-shipment, shipper-by-shipper, or other 

9 basis the importation of fish or fish products from 

10 a vessel of a nation issued a negative certification 

11 under paragraph (1) if the Secretary determines 

12 that such imports were harvested by practices that 

13 do not result in bycatch of a protected marine spe14 cies, or were harvested by practices that— 

15 ‘‘(A) are comparable to those of the United 

16 States, taking into account different conditions; 

17 and’’. 

18 SEC. 102. AMENDMENTS TO THE HIGH SEAS DRIFTNET 

19 FISHERIES ENFORCEMENT ACT. 

20 (a) NEGATIVE CERTIFICATION EFFECTS.—Section 

21 101 of the High Seas Driftnet Fisheries Enforcement Act 

22 (16 U.S.C. 1826a) is amended— 

23 (1) in subsection (a)(2), by striking ‘‘recognized 

24 principles of’’ after ‘‘in accordance with’’; 
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1 (2) in subsection (a)(2)(A), by inserting ‘‘or, as 

2 appropriate, for fishing vessels of a nation that re3 ceives a negative certification under section 609(d) 

4 or section 610(c) of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing 

5 Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826)’’ after 

6 ‘‘(1)’’; 

7 (3) in subsection (a)(2)(B), by inserting before 

8 the period the following: ‘‘, except for the purposes 

9 of inspecting such vessel, conducting an investiga10 tion, or taking other appropriate enforcement ac11 tion’’; 

12 (4) in subsection (b)(1)(A)(i), by striking ‘‘or il13 legal, unreported, or unregulated fishing’’ after 

14 ‘‘driftnet fishing’’; 

15 (5) in subsection (b)(1)(B) and subsection 

16 (b)(2), by striking ‘‘or illegal, unreported, or unregu17 lated fishing’’ after ‘‘driftnet fishing’’ each place it 

18 appears; 

19 (6) in subsection (b)(3)(A)(i), by inserting ‘‘or 

20 a negative certification under section 609(d) or sec21 tion 610(c) of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Mora22 torium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826j(d), 

23 1826k(c))’’ after ‘‘(1)(A)’’; 

24 (7) in subsection (b)(4)(A), by inserting ‘‘or 

25 issues a negative certification under section 609(d) 
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1 or section 610(c) of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing 

2 Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826j(d), 

3 1826k(c))’’ after ‘‘paragraph (1)’’; 

4 (8) in subsection (b)(4)(A)(i), by striking ‘‘or il5 legal, unreported, or unregulated fishing’’ after 

6 ‘‘driftnet fishing’’; and 

7 (9) in subsection (b)(4)(A)(i), by inserting ‘‘, or 

8 to address the offending activities for which a nation 

9 received a negative certification under section 609(d) 

10 or 610(c) of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Morato11 rium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826j(d), 

12 1826k(c))’’ after ‘‘beyond the exclusive economic 

13 zone of any nation’’. 

14 (b) DURATION OF NEGATIVE CERTIFICATION EF15 FECTS.—Section 102 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1826b) is 

16 amended by— 

17 (1) striking ‘‘or illegal, unreported, or unregu18 lated fishing’’; and 

19 (2) inserting ‘‘or effectively addressed the of20 fending activities for which the nation received a 

21 negative certification under 609(d) or 610(c) of the 

22 High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection 

23 Act (16 U.S.C. 1826j(d), 1826k(c))’’ before the pe24 riod at the end. 
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1 SEC. 103. AMENDMENTS TO NORTH PACIFIC ANADROMOUS 

2 STOCKS ACT OF 1992. 

3 (a) UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES.—Section 810 of the 

4 North Pacific Anadromous Stocks Act of 1992 (16 U.S.C. 

5 5009) is amended— 

6 (1) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘, investiga7 tion,’’ after ‘‘search’’; and 

8 (2) in paragraph (6), by inserting ‘‘, investiga9 tion,’’ after ‘‘search’’. 

10 (b) ADDITIONAL PROHIBITIONS AND ENFORCE11 MENT.—Section 811 of the Northern Pacific Anadromous 

12 Stocks Act of 1992 (16 U.S.C. 5010) is amended to read 

13 as follows: 

14 ‘‘SEC. 811. ADDITIONAL PROHIBITIONS AND ENFORCE15 MENT. 

16 ‘‘For additional prohibitions relating to this Act and 

17 enforcement of this Act, see section 606 of the High Seas 

18 Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 

19 1826g).’’. 

20 SEC. 104. AMENDMENTS TO THE PACIFIC SALMON TREATY 

21 ACT OF 1985. 

22 Section 8 of the Pacific Salmon Treaty Act of 1985 

23 (16 U.S.C. 3637) is amended— 

24 (1) in subsection (a)(2)— 

25 (A) by inserting ‘‘, investigation,’’ after 

26 ‘‘search’’; and 
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1 (B) by striking ‘‘this title;’’ and inserting 

2 ‘‘this Act;’’; 

3 (2) in subsection (a)(3)— 

4 (A) by inserting ‘‘, investigation,’’ after 

5 ‘‘search’’; and 

6 (B) by striking ‘‘subparagraph (2);’’ and 

7 inserting ‘‘paragraph (2);’’; 

8 (3) in subsection (a)(5), by striking ‘‘this title; 

9 or’’ and inserting ‘‘this Act;’’; and 

10 (4) by striking subsections (b) through (f) and 

11 inserting the following: 

12 ‘‘(b) ADDITIONAL PROHIBITIONS AND ENFORCE13 MENT.—For additional prohibitions relating to this Act 

14 and enforcement of this Act, see section 606 of the High 

15 Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 

16 U.S.C. 1826g).’’. 

17 SEC. 105. AMENDMENTS TO THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL 

18 PACIFIC FISHERIES CONVENTION IMPLE19 MENTATION ACT. 

20 The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Conven21 tion Implementation Act (title V of Public Law 109–479) 

22 is amended— 

23 (1) by amending section 506(c) (16 U.S.C. 

24 6905(c)) to read as follows: 
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1 ‘‘(c) ADDITIONAL PROHIBITIONS AND ENFORCE2 MENT.—For additional prohibitions relating to this Act 

3 and enforcement of this Act, see section 606 of the High 

4 Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 

5 U.S.C. 1826g).’’; and 

6 (2) in section 507(a)(2) (16 U.S.C. 6906(a)(2)) 

7 by striking ‘‘suspension, on’’ and inserting ‘‘suspen8 sion, of’’. 

9 SEC. 106. AMENDMENTS TO THE ANTARCTIC MARINE LIV10 ING RESOURCES CONVENTION ACT. 

11 The Antarctic Marine Living Resources Convention 

12 Act of 1984 is amended— 

13 (1) in section 306 (16 U.S.C. 2435)— 

14 (A) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘which 

15 he knows, or reasonably should have known, 

16 was’’; 

17 (B) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘, inves18 tigation,’’ after ‘‘search’’; and 

19 (C) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘, inves20 tigation,’’ after ‘‘search’’; and 

21 (2) in section 307 (16 U.S.C. 2436)— 

22 (A) by inserting ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—’’ be23 fore the first sentence; and 

24 (B) by adding at the end the following: 
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1 ‘‘(b) REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT CONSERVATION

2 MEASURES.— 

3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding sub4 sections (b), (c), and (d) of section 553 of title 5, 

5 United States Code, the Secretary of Commerce may 

6 publish in the Federal Register a final regulation to 

7 implement any conservation measure for which the 

8 Secretary of State notifies the Commission under 

9 section 305(a)(1)— 

10 ‘‘(A) that has been in effect for 12 months 

11 or less; 

12 ‘‘(B) that is adopted by the Commission; 

13 and 

14 ‘‘(C) with respect to which the Secretary of 

15 State, does not notify Commission in accord16 ance with section 305(a)(1) within the time pe17 riod allotted for objections under Article IX of 

18 the Convention. 

19 ‘‘(2) ENTERING INTO FORCE.—Upon publica20 tion of such regulation in the Federal Register, such 

21 conservation measure shall enter into force with re22 spect to the United States.’’. 
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1 SEC. 107. AMENDMENTS TO THE ATLANTIC TUNAS CONVEN2 TION ACT. 

3 The Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975 is 

4 amended— 

5 (1) in section 6(c)(2) (16 U.S.C. 

6 971d(c)(2)(2))— 

7 (A) by striking ‘‘(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘(i)’’; 

8 (B) by striking ‘‘(B)’’ and inserting ‘‘(ii)’’; 

9 (C) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ after ‘‘(2)’’; and 

10 (D) by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(B) Notwithstanding the requirements of subpara12 graph (A) and subsections (b) and (c) of section 553 of 

13 title 5, United States Code, the Secretary may issue final 

14 regulations to implement Commission recommendations 

15 referred to in paragraph (1) concerning trade restrictive 

16 measures against nations or fishing entities.’’; 

17 (2) in section 7 (16 U.S.C. 971e) by striking 

18 subsections (e) and (f) and redesignating subsection 

19 (g) as subsection (e); 

20 (3) in section 8 (16 U.S.C. 971f)— 

21 (A) by striking subsections (a) and (c); 

22 and 

23 (B) by inserting before subsection (b) the 

24 following: 

25 ‘‘(a) For additional prohibitions relating to this Act 

26 and enforcement of this Act, see section 606 of the High 
27 

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1 Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 

2 U.S.C. 1826g).’’; 

3 (4) in section 8(b) by striking ‘‘the enforcement 

4 activities specified in section 8(a) of this Act’’ each 

5 place it appears and inserting ‘‘enforcement activi6 ties with respect to this Act that are otherwise au7 thorized by law’’; and 

8 (5) by striking section 11 (16 U.S.C. 971j) and 

9 redesignating sections 12 and 13 as sections 11 and 

10 12, respectively. 

11 SEC. 108. AMENDMENTS TO THE HIGH SEAS FISHING COM12 PLIANCE ACT OF 1965. 

13 Section 104(f) of the High Seas Fishing Compliance 

14 Act of 1995 (16 U.S.C. 5503(f)) is amended to read as 

15 follows: 

16 ‘‘(f) VALIDITY.—A permit issued under this section 

17 for a vessel is void if— 

18 ‘‘(1) any other permit or authorization required 

19 for the vessel to fish is expired, revoked, or sus20 pended; or 

21 ‘‘(2) the vessel is no longer documented under 

22 the laws of the United States or eligible for such 

23 documentation.’’. 
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1 SEC. 109. AMENDMENTS TO THE DOLPHIN PROTECTION 

2 CONSUMER INFORMATION ACT. 

3 The Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act 

4 (16 U.S.C. 1385) is amended by amending subsection (e) 

5 to read as follows: 

6 ‘‘(e) ADDITIONAL PROHIBITIONS AND ENFORCE7 MENT.—For additional prohibitions relating to this Act 

8 and enforcement of this Act, see section 606 of the High 

9 Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 

10 U.S.C. 1826g).’’. 

11 SEC. 110. AMENDMENTS TO THE NORTHERN PACIFIC HAL12 IBUT ACT OF 1982. 

13 Section 7 of the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 

14 1982 (16 U.S.C. 773e) is amended— 

15 (1) in subsection (a) by redesignating para16 graphs (1) through (6) as subparagraphs (A) 

17 through (F); 

18 (2) by redesignating subsections (a) and (b) as 

19 paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively; 

20 (3) in paragraph (1)(B), as so redesignated, by 

21 inserting ‘‘, investigation,’’ before ‘‘or inspection’’; 

22 (4) in paragraph (1)(C), as so redesignated, by 

23 inserting ‘‘, investigation,’’ before ‘‘or inspection’’; 

24 (5) in paragraph (1)(E), as so redesignated, by 

25 striking ‘‘or’’ after the semicolon; and 
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1 (6) in paragraph (1)(F), as so redesignated, by 

2 striking ‘‘section.’’ and inserting ‘‘section; or’’. 

3 SEC. 111. AMENDMENTS TO THE NORTHWEST ATLANTIC 

4 FISHERIES CONVENTION ACT OF 1995. 

5 Section 207 of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Con6 vention Act of 1995 (16 U.S.C. 5606) is amended— 

7 (1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘AND

8 PENALTIES’’ and inserting ‘‘AND ENFORCE9 MENT’’; 

10 (2) in subsection (a)(2), by inserting ‘‘, inves11 tigation,’’ before ‘‘or inspection’’; 

12 (3) in subsection (a)(3), by inserting ‘‘, inves13 tigation,’’ before ‘‘or inspection’’; and 

14 (4) by striking subsections (b) through (f) and 

15 inserting the following: 

16 ‘‘(b) ADDITIONAL PROHIBITIONS AND ENFORCE17 MENT.—For additional prohibitions relating to this Act 

18 and enforcement of this Act, see section 606 of the High 

19 Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 

20 U.S.C. 1826g).’’. 

21 SEC. 112. AMENDMENT TO THE MAGNUSON-STEVENS FISH22 ERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT. 

23 Section 307(1)(Q) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

24 Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 

25 1857(1)(Q)) is amended by inserting before the semicolon 
30 

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1 the following: ‘‘or any treaty or in contravention of any 

2 binding conservation measure adopted by an international 

3 agreement or organization to which the United States is 

4 a party’’. 

5 TITLE II—IMPLEMENTATION OF 

6 THE ANTIGUA CONVENTION 

7 SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE. 

8 This title may be cited as the ‘‘Antigua Convention 

9 Implementing Act of 2015’’. 

10 SEC. 202. AMENDMENT OF THE TUNA CONVENTIONS ACT 

11 OF 1950. 

12 Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in 

13 this title an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms 

14 of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provi15 sion, the reference shall be considered to be made to a 

16 section or other provision of the Tuna Conventions Act 

17 of 1950 (16 U.S.C. 951 et seq.). 

18 SEC. 203. DEFINITIONS. 

19 Section 2 (16 U.S.C. 951) is amended to read as fol20 lows: 

21 ‘‘SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

22 ‘‘In this Act: 

23 ‘‘(1) ANTIGUA CONVENTION.—The term ‘Anti24 gua Convention’ means the Convention for the 

25 Strengthening of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna 
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1 Commission Established by the 1949 Convention 

2 Between the United States of America and the Re3 public of Costa Rica, signed at Washington, Novem4 ber 14, 2003. 

5 ‘‘(2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘Commission’ 

6 means the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commis7 sion provided for by the Convention. 

8 ‘‘(3) CONVENTION.—The term ‘Convention’ 

9 means— 

10 ‘‘(A) the Convention for the Establishment 

11 of an Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commis12 sion, signed at Washington, May 31, 1949, by 

13 the United States of America and the Republic 

14 of Costa Rica; 

15 ‘‘(B) the Antigua Convention, upon its 

16 entry into force for the United States, and any 

17 amendments thereto that are in force for the 

18 United States; or 

19 ‘‘(C) both such Conventions, as the context 

20 requires. 

21 ‘‘(4) PERSON.—The term ‘person’ means an in22 dividual, partnership, corporation, or association 

23 subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. 
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1 ‘‘(5) UNITED STATES.—The term ‘United 

2 States’ includes all areas under the sovereignty of 

3 the United States. 

4 ‘‘(6) UNITED STATES COMMISSIONERS.—The 

5 term ‘United States commissioners’ means the indi6 viduals appointed in accordance with section 3(a).’’. 

7 SEC. 204. COMMISSIONERS; NUMBER, APPOINTMENT, AND 

8 QUALIFICATIONS. 

9 Section 3 (16 U.S.C. 952) is amended to read as fol10 lows: 

11 ‘‘SEC. 3. COMMISSIONERS. 

12 ‘‘(a) COMMISSIONERS.—The United States shall be 

13 represented on the Commission by four United States 

14 Commissioners. The President shall appoint individuals to 

15 serve on the Commission. The United States Commis16 sioners shall be subject to supervision and removal by the 

17 Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary. In 

18 making the appointments, the President shall select 

19 United States Commissioners from among individuals who 

20 are knowledgeable or experienced concerning highly migra21 tory fish stocks in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, one 

22 of whom shall be an officer or employee of the Department 

23 of Commerce. Not more than two United States Commis24 sioners may be appointed who reside in a State other than 
33 

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1 a State whose vessels maintain a substantial fishery in the 

2 area of the Convention. 

3 ‘‘(b) ALTERNATE COMMISSIONERS.—The Secretary 

4 of State, in consultation with the Secretary, may designate 

5 from time to time and for periods of time deemed appro6 priate Alternate United States Commissioners to the Com7 mission. Any Alternate United States Commissioner may 

8 exercise, at any meeting of the Commission or of the Gen9 eral Advisory Committee or Scientific Advisory Sub10 committee established pursuant to section 4(b), all powers 

11 and duties of a United States Commissioner in the ab12 sence of any United States Commissioner appointed pur13 suant to subsection (a) of this section for whatever reason. 

14 The number of such Alternate United States Commis15 sioners that may be designated for any such meeting shall 

16 be limited to the number of United States Commissioners 

17 appointed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section who 

18 will not be present at such meeting. 

19 ‘‘(c) ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.— 

20 ‘‘(1) EMPLOYMENT STATUS.—Individuals serv21 ing as United States Commissioners, other than offi22 cers or employees of the United States Government, 

23 shall not be considered Federal employees except for 

24 the purposes of injury compensation or tort claims 

25 liability as provided in chapter 81 of title 5, United 
34 

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1 States Code, and chapter 171 of title 28, United 

2 States Code. 

3 ‘‘(2) COMPENSATION.—The United States Com4 missioners or Alternate Commissioners, although of5 ficers of the United States while so serving, shall re6 ceive no compensation for their services as United 

7 States Commissioners or Alternate Commissioners. 

8 ‘‘(3) TRAVEL EXPENSES.— 

9 ‘‘(A) The Secretary of State shall pay the 

10 necessary travel expenses of United States 

11 Commissioners and Alternate United States 

12 Commissioners to meetings of the Inter-Amer13 ican Tropical Tuna Commission and other 

14 meetings the Secretary of State deems nec15 essary to fulfill their duties, in accordance with 

16 the Federal Travel Regulations and sections 

17 5701, 5702, 5704 through 5708, and 5731 of 

18 title 5, United States Code. 

19 ‘‘(B) The Secretary may reimburse the 

20 Secretary of State for amounts expended by the 

21 Secretary of State under this subsection.’’. 

22 SEC. 205. GENERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND SCI23 ENTIFIC ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE. 

24 Section 4 (16 U.S.C. 953) is amended— 
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1 (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the 

2 following: 

3 ‘‘(a) GENERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 

4 ‘‘(1) APPOINTMENTS; PUBLIC PARTICIPATION; 

5 COMPENSATION.— 

6 ‘‘(A) The Secretary, in consultation with 

7 the Secretary of State, shall appoint a General 

8 Advisory Committee which shall consist of not 

9 more than 25 individuals who shall be rep10 resentative of the various groups concerned 

11 with the fisheries covered by the Convention, in12 cluding nongovernmental conservation organiza13 tions, providing to the maximum extent prac14 ticable an equitable balance among such groups. 

15 Members of the General Advisory Committee 

16 will be eligible to participate as members of the 

17 United States delegation to the Commission 

18 and its working groups to the extent the Com19 mission rules and space for delegations allow. 

20 ‘‘(B) The chair of the Pacific Fishery 

21 Management Council’s Advisory Subpanel for 

22 Highly Migratory Fisheries and the chair of the 

23 Western Pacific Fishery Management Council’s 

24 Advisory Committee shall be ex-officio members 
36 

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1 of the General Advisory Committee by virtue of 

2 their positions in those Councils. 

3 ‘‘(C) Each member of the General Advi4 sory Committee appointed under subparagraph 

5 (A) shall serve for a term of 3 years and is eli6 gible for reappointment. 

7 ‘‘(D) The General Advisory Committee 

8 shall be invited to attend all non-executive 

9 meetings of the United States delegation and at 

10 such meetings shall be given opportunity to ex11 amine and to be heard on all proposed pro12 grams of investigation, reports, recommenda13 tions, and regulations of the Commission. 

14 ‘‘(E) The General Advisory Committee 

15 shall determine its organization, and prescribe 

16 its practices and procedures for carrying out its 

17 functions under this title, the Magnuson-Ste18 vens Fishery Conservation and Management 

19 Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), and the Conven20 tion. The General Advisory Committee shall 

21 publish and make available to the public a 

22 statement of its organization, practices, and 

23 procedures. Meetings of the General Advisory 

24 Committee, except when in executive session, 

25 shall be open to the public, and prior notice of 
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1 meetings shall be made public in timely fashion. 

2 The General Advisory Committee shall not be 

3 subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act 

4 (5 U.S.C. App.). 

5 ‘‘(2) INFORMATION SHARING.—The Secretary 

6 and the Secretary of State shall furnish the General 

7 Advisory Committee with relevant information con8 cerning fisheries and international fishery agree9 ments. 

10 ‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.— 

11 ‘‘(A) The Secretary shall provide to the 

12 General Advisory Committee in a timely man13 ner such administrative and technical support 

14 services as are necessary for its effective func15 tioning. 

16 ‘‘(B) Individuals appointed to serve as a 

17 member of the General Advisory Committee— 

18 ‘‘(i) shall serve without pay, but while 

19 away from their homes or regular places of 

20 business to attend meetings of the General 

21 Advisory Committee shall be allowed travel 

22 expenses, including per diem in lieu of sub23 sistence, in the same manner as persons 

24 employed intermittently in the Government 
38 

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1 service are allowed expenses under section 

2 5703 of title 5, United States Code; and 

3 ‘‘(ii) shall not be considered Federal 

4 employees except for the purposes of injury 

5 compensation or tort claims liability as 

6 provided in chapter 81 of title 5, United 

7 States Code, and chapter 171 of title 28, 

8 United States Code.’’; 

9 (2) by striking so much of subsection (b) as 

10 precedes paragraph (2) and inserting the following: 

11 ‘‘(b) SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE.—(1) 

12 The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of State, 

13 shall appoint a Scientific Advisory Subcommittee of not 

14 less than 5 nor more than 15 qualified scientists with bal15 anced representation from the public and private sectors, 

16 including nongovernmental conservation organizations.’’; 

17 and 

18 (3) in subsection (b)(3), by striking ‘‘General 

19 Advisory Subcommittee’’ and inserting ‘‘General Ad20 visory Committee’’. 

21 SEC. 206. RULEMAKING. 

22 Section 6 (16 U.S.C. 955) is amended to read as fol23 lows: 
39 

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1 ‘‘SEC. 6. RULEMAKING. 

2 ‘‘(a) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary, in consultation 

3 with the Secretary of State and, with respect to enforce4 ment measures, the Secretary of the Department in which 

5 the Coast Guard is operating, may promulgate such regu6 lations as may be necessary to carry out the United States 

7 international obligations under the Convention and this 

8 Act, including recommendations and decisions adopted by 

9 the Commission. In cases where the Secretary has discre10 tion in the implementation of one or more measures adopt11 ed by the Commission that would govern fisheries under 

12 the authority of a Regional Fishery Management Council, 

13 the Secretary may, to the extent practicable within the im14 plementation schedule of the Convention and any rec15 ommendations and decisions adopted by the Commission, 

16 promulgate such regulations as may be necessary to carry 

17 out the United States international obligations under the 

18 Convention and this Act, in accordance with the proce19 dures established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Con20 servation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). 

21 ‘‘(b) JURISDICTION.—The Secretary may promulgate 

22 regulations as may be necessary to carry out the United 

23 States international obligations under the Convention and 

24 this Act, applicable to all vessels and persons subject to 

25 the jurisdiction of the United States, including vessels doc26 umented under chapter 121 of title 46, United States 
40 

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1 Code, wherever they may be operating, on such date as 

2 the Secretary shall prescribe.’’. 

3 SEC. 207. PROHIBITED ACTS. 

4 Section 8 (16 U.S.C. 957) is amended— 

5 (1) by striking ‘‘section 6(c) of this Act’’ each 

6 place it appears and inserting ‘‘section 6’’; and 

7 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(i) ADDITIONAL PROHIBITIONS AND ENFORCE9 MENT.—For prohibitions relating to this Act and enforce10 ment of this Act, see section 606 of the High Seas 

11 Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 

12 1826g).’’. 

13 SEC. 208. ENFORCEMENT. 

14 Section 10 (16 U.S.C. 959) is amended to read as 

15 follows: 

16 ‘‘SEC. 10. ENFORCEMENT. 

17 ‘‘For enforcement of this Act, see section 606 of the 

18 High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act 

19 (16 U.S.C. 1826g).’’. 

20 SEC. 209. REDUCTION OF BYCATCH. 

21 Section 15 (16 U.S.C. 962) is amended by striking 

22 ‘‘vessel’’ and inserting ‘‘vessels’’. 
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1 SEC. 210. REPEAL OF EASTERN PACIFIC TUNA LICENSING 

2 ACT OF 1984. 

3 The Eastern Pacific Tuna Licensing Act of 1984 (16 

4 U.S.C. 972 et seq.) is repealed. 

5 TITLE III—AGREEMENT ON 

6 PORT STATE MEASURES TO 

7 PREVENT, DETER AND ELIMI8 NATE ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED 

9 AND UNREGULATED FISHING 

10 SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE. 

11 This title may be cited as the ‘‘Port State Measures 

12 Agreement Act of 2015’’. 

13 SEC. 302. PURPOSE. 

14 The purpose of this title is to implement the Agree15 ment on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and 

16 Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. 

17 SEC. 303. DEFINITIONS. 

18 As used in this title: 

19 (1) The term ‘‘Agreement’’ means the Agree20 ment on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and 

21 Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fish22 ing, done at the Food and Agriculture Organization 

23 of the United Nations, in Rome, Italy, November 22, 

24 2009, and signed by the United States November 

25 22, 2009. 
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1 (2) The term ‘‘IUU fishing’’ means any activity 

2 set out in paragraph 3 of the 2001 FAO Inter3 national Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Elimi4 nate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. 

5 (3) The term ‘‘listed IUU vessel’’ means a ves6 sel that is included in a list of vessels having en7 gaged in IUU fishing or fishing-related activities in 

8 support of IUU fishing that has been adopted by a 

9 regional fisheries management organization of which 

10 the United States is a member, or a list adopted by 

11 a regional fisheries management organization of 

12 which the United States is not a member if the Sec13 retary determines the criteria used by that organiza14 tion to create the IUU list is comparable to criteria 

15 adopted by RFMOs of which the United States is a 

16 member for identifying IUU vessels and activities. 

17 (4) The term ‘‘Magnuson-Stevens Act’’ means 

18 the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 

19 Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). 

20 (5) The term ‘‘person’’ has the same meaning 

21 as that term has in section 3 of the Magnuson-Ste22 vens Act (16 U.S.C. 1802). 

23 (6) The terms ‘‘RFMO’’ and ‘‘regional fisheries 

24 management organization’’ mean a regional fisheries 

25 management organization (as that term is defined 
43 

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1 by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Orga2 nization Agreement on Port State Measures to Pre3 vent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and 

4 Unregulated Fishing) that is recognized by the 

5 United States. 

6 (7) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

7 of Commerce or his or her designee. 

8 (8) The term ‘‘vessel’’ means any vessel, ship of 

9 another type, or boat used for, equipped to be used 

10 for, or intended to be used for, fishing or fishing-re11 lated activities, including container vessels that are 

12 carrying fish that have not been previously landed. 

13 (9) The term ‘‘fish’’ means finfish, mollusks, 

14 crustaceans, and all other forms of marine animal 

15 and plant life other than marine mammals and 

16 birds. 

17 (10) The term ‘‘fishing’’— 

18 (A) except as provided in subparagraph 

19 (B), means— 

20 (i) the catching, taking, or harvesting 

21 of fish; 

22 (ii) the attempted catching, taking, or 

23 harvesting of fish; 
44 

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1 (iii) any other activity which can rea2 sonably be expected to result in the catch3 ing, taking, or harvesting of fish; or 

4 (iv) any operations at sea in support 

5 of, or in preparation for, any activity de6 scribed in clauses (i) through (iii); and 

7 (B) does not include any scientific research 

8 activity that is conducted by a scientific re9 search vessel. 

10 SEC. 304. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF THE SECRETARY. 

11 (a) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary may, as needed, 

12 promulgate such regulations— 

13 (1) in accordance with section 553 of title 5, 

14 United States Code; 

15 (2) consistent with provisions of the title; and 

16 (3) with respect to enforcement measures, in 

17 consultation with the Secretary of the department in 

18 which the Coast Guard is operating; 

19 as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this title, 

20 to the extent that such regulations are not already promul21 gated. 

22 (b) PORTS OF ENTRY.—The Secretary, in consulta23 tion with the Secretary of the department in which the 

24 Coast Guard is operating, may designate and publicize the 

25 ports to which vessels may seek entry. No port may be 
45 

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1 designated under this section that has not also been des2 ignated as a port of entry for customs reporting purposes 

3 pursuant to section 1433 of title 19, United States Code, 

4 or that is not specified under an existing international 

5 fisheries agreement. 

6 (c) NOTIFICATION.—The Secretary shall provide no7 tification of the denial of port entry or the use of port 

8 services for a vessel under section 305, the withdrawal of 

9 the denial of port services for a foreign vessel, the taking 

10 of enforcement action pursuant to section 306 with respect 

11 to a foreign vessel, or the results of any inspection of a 

12 foreign vessel conducted pursuant to this title to the flag 

13 nation of the vessel and, as appropriate, to the nation of 

14 which the vessel’s master is a national, relevant coastal 

15 nations, RFMOs, the Food and Agriculture Organization 

16 of the United Nations, and other relevant international or17 ganizations. 

18 (d) CONFIRMATION THAT FISH WERE TAKEN IN AC19 CORDANCE WITH CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

20 MEASURES.—The Secretary may request confirmation 

21 from the flag state of a foreign vessel that the fish on 

22 board a foreign vessel in a port subject to the jurisdiction 

23 of the United States were taken in accordance with appli24 cable RFMO conservation and management measures. 
46 

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1 SEC. 305. AUTHORIZATION OR DENIAL OF PORT ENTRY. 

2 (a) SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION REQUIRED

3 UNDER AGREEMENT.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—A vessel described in para5 graph (2) seeking entry to a port that is subject to 

6 the jurisdiction of the United States must submit to 

7 the Secretary of the department in which the Coast 

8 Guard is operating information as required under 

9 the Agreement in advance of its arrival in port. The 

10 Secretary of the department in which the Coast 

11 Guard is operating shall provide that information to 

12 the Secretary. 

13 (2) COVERED VESSELS.—A vessel referred to in 

14 paragraph (1) is any vessel that— 

15 (A) is not documented under chapter 121 

16 of title 46, United States Code; and 

17 (B) is not numbered under chapter 123 of 

18 that title. 

19 (b) DECISION TO AUTHORIZE OR DENY PORT

20 ENTRY.— 

21 (1) DECISION.—The Secretary shall decide, 

22 based on the information submitted under subsection 

23 (a), whether to authorize or deny port entry by the 

24 vessel, and shall communicate such decision to— 

25 (A) the Secretary of the department in 

26 which the Coast Guard is operating; and 
47 

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1 (B) the vessel or its representative. 

2 (2) AUTHORIZATION OR DENIAL OF ENTRY.— 

3 The Secretary of the department in which the Coast 

4 Guard is operating shall authorize or deny entry to 

5 vessels to which such a decision applies. 

6 (3) VESSELS TO WHICH ENTRY MAY BE DE7 NIED.—The Secretary of the department in which 

8 the Coast Guard is operating may deny entry to any 

9 vessel to which such a decision applies— 

10 (A) that is described in subsection (a)(2); 

11 and 

12 (B) that— 

13 (i) is a listed IUU vessel; or 

14 (ii) the Secretary of Commerce has 

15 reasonable grounds to believe— 

16 (I) has engaged in IUU fishing 

17 or fishing-related activities in support 

18 of such fishing; or 

19 (II) has violated this title. 

20 (c) DENIAL OF USE OF PORT.—If a vessel described 

21 in subsection (a)(2) is in a port that is subject to the juris22 diction of the United States, the Secretary of the depart23 ment in which the Coast Guard is operating, at the re24 quest of the Secretary, shall deny such vessel the use of 

25 the port for landing, transshipment, packaging and proc-
48 

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1 essing of fish, refueling, resupplying, maintenance, and 

2 drydocking, if— 

3 (1) the vessel entered without authorization 

4 under subsection (b); 

5 (2) the vessel is a listed IUU vessel; 

6 (3) the vessel is not documented under the laws 

7 of another nation; 

8 (4) the flag nation of the vessel has failed to 

9 provide confirmation requested by the Secretary that 

10 the fish on board were taken in accordance with ap11 plicable RFMO conservation and management meas12 ures; or 

13 (5) the Secretary has reasonable grounds to be14 lieve— 

15 (A) the vessel lacks valid authorizations to 

16 engage in fishing or fishing-related activities as 

17 required by its flag nation or the relevant coast18 al nation; 

19 (B) the fish on board were taken in viola20 tion of foreign law or in contravention of any 

21 RFMO conservation and management measure; 

22 or 

23 (C) the vessel has engaged in IUU fishing 

24 or fishing-related activities in support of such 
49 

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1 fishing, including in support of a listed IUU 

2 vessel, unless it can establish that— 

3 (i) it was acting in a manner con4 sistent with applicable RFMO conservation 

5 and management measures; or 

6 (ii) in the case of the provision of per7 sonnel, fuel, gear, and other supplies at 

8 sea, the vessel provisioned was not, at the 

9 time of provisioning, a listed IUU vessel. 

10 (d) EXCEPTIONS.—Notwithstanding subsections (b) 

11 and (c), the Secretary of the department in which the 

12 Coast Guard is operating may allow port entry or the use 

13 of port services— 

14 (1) if they are essential to the safety or health 

15 of the crew or safety of the vessel; 

16 (2) to allow, where appropriate, for the scrap17 ping of the vessel; or 

18 (3) pursuant to an inspection or other enforce19 ment action. 

20 SEC. 306. INSPECTIONS. 

21 The Secretary, and the Secretary of the department 

22 in which the Coast Guard is operating, shall conduct for23 eign vessel inspections in ports subject to the jurisdiction 

24 of the United States as necessary to achieve the purposes 

25 of the Agreement and this title. If, following an inspection, 
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1 the Secretary has reasonable grounds to believe that a for2 eign vessel has engaged in IUU fishing or fishing-related 

3 activities in support of such fishing, the Secretary may 

4 take enforcement action under this title or other applicable 

5 law, and shall deny the vessel the use of port services, in 

6 accordance with section 305. 

7 SEC. 307. PROHIBITED ACTS. 

8 It is unlawful for any person subject to the jurisdic9 tion of the United States— 

10 (1) to violate any provision of this title or the 

11 regulations issued under this title; 

12 (2) to refuse to permit any authorized officer to 

13 board, search, or inspect a vessel that is subject to 

14 the person’s control in connection with the enforce15 ment of this title or the regulations issued under 

16 this title; 

17 (3) to submit false information pursuant to any 

18 requirement under this title or the regulations issued 

19 under this title; or 

20 (4) to commit any offense enumerated in para21 graph (4), (5), (7), or (9) of section 707(a) of the 

22 Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention 

23 Implementation Act (16 U.S.C. 6906(a)). 
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1 SEC. 308. ENFORCEMENT. 

2 (a) EXISTING AUTHORITIES AND RESPONSIBIL3 ITIES.— 

4 (1) AUTHORITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.— 

5 The authorities and responsibilities under sub6 sections (a), (b), and (c) of section 311 and sub7 section (f) of section 308 of the Magnuson-Stevens 

8 Act (16 U.S.C. 1861, 1858) and paragraphs (2), 

9 (3), and (7) of section 310(b) of the Antarctic Ma10 rine Living Resources Convention Act of 1984 (16 

11 U.S.C. 2439(b)) shall apply with respect to enforce12 ment of this title. 

13 (2) INCLUDED VESSELS.—For purposes of en14 forcing this title, any reference in such paragraphs 

15 and subsections to a ‘‘vessel’’ or ‘‘fishing vessel’’ in16 cludes all vessels as defined in section 303(8) of this 

17 title. 

18 (3) APPLICATION OF OTHER PROVISIONS.— 

19 Such paragraphs and subsections apply to violations 

20 of this title and any regulations promulgated under 

21 this title. 

22 (b) CIVIL ENFORCEMENT.— 

23 (1) CIVIL ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES.— 

24 (A) IN GENERAL.—Any person who is 

25 found by the Secretary (after notice and oppor26 tunity for a hearing in accordance with section 
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1 554 of title 5, United States Code) to have 

2 committed an act prohibited under section 307 

3 shall be liable to the United States for a civil 

4 penalty. The amount of the civil penalty shall 

5 be consistent with the amount under section 

6 308(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 

7 1858(a)). 

8 (B) COMPROMISE OR OTHER ACTION BY

9 SECRETARY.—The Secretary shall have the 

10 same authority as provided in section 308(e) of 

11 the Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1858(e)) 

12 with respect to a violation of this Act. 

13 (2) IN REM JURISDICTION.—For purposes of 

14 this title, the conditions for in rem liability shall be 

15 consistent with section 308(d) of the Magnuson-Ste16 vens Act (16 U.S.C. 1858(d)). 

17 (3) ACTION UPON FAILURE TO PAY ASSESS18 MENT.—If any person fails to pay an assessment of 

19 a civil penalty under this title after it has become a 

20 final and unappealable order, or after the appro21 priate court has entered final judgment in favor of 

22 the Secretary, the Secretary shall refer the matter to 

23 the Attorney General, who shall recover the amount 

24 assessed in any appropriate district court of the 

25 United States. In such action, the validity and ap-
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1 propriateness of the final order imposing the civil 

2 penalty shall not be subject to review. 

3 (c) FORFEITURE.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Any foreign vessel (including 

5 its fishing gear, furniture, appurtenances, stores, 

6 and cargo) used, and any fish (or the fair market 

7 value thereof) imported or possessed in connection 

8 with or as result of the commission of any act pro9 hibited by section 307 of this title shall be subject 

10 to forfeiture under section 310 of the Magnuson-Ste11 vens Act (16 U.S.C. 1860). 

12 (2) APPLICATION OF THE CUSTOMS LAWS.—All 

13 provisions of law relating to seizure, summary judg14 ment, and judicial forfeiture and condemnation for 

15 violation of the customs laws, the disposition of the 

16 property forfeited or condemned or the proceeds 

17 from the sale thereof, the remission or mitigation of 

18 such forfeitures, and the compromise of claims shall 

19 apply to seizures and forfeitures incurred, or alleged 

20 to have been incurred, under the provisions of this 

21 title, insofar as applicable and not inconsistent with 

22 the provisions hereof. For seizures and forfeitures of 

23 property under this section by the Secretary, such 

24 duties as are imposed upon the customs officer or 

25 any other person with respect to the seizure and for-
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1 feiture of property under the customs law may be 

2 performed by such officers as are designated by the 

3 Secretary or, upon request of the Secretary, by any 

4 other agency that has authority to manage and dis5 pose of seized property. 

6 (3) PRESUMPTION.—For the purposes of this 

7 section there is a rebuttable presumption that all 

8 fish, or components thereof, found on board a vessel 

9 that is used or seized in connection with a violation 

10 of this title (including any regulation promulgated 

11 under this Act) were taken, obtained, or retained as 

12 a result of IUU fishing or fishing-related activities 

13 in support of IUU fishing. 

14 (d) CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT.—Any person (other 

15 than a foreign government agency, or entity wholly owned 

16 by a foreign government) who knowingly commits an act 

17 prohibited by section 307 of this title shall be subject to 

18 subsections (b) and (c) of section 309 of the Magnuson19 Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1859). 

20 (e) PAYMENT OF STORAGE, CARE, AND OTHER

21 COSTS.—Any person assessed a civil penalty for, or con22 victed of, any violation of this title (including any regula23 tion promulgated under this title) and any claimant in a 

24 forfeiture action brought for such a violation, shall be lia25 ble for the reasonable costs incurred by the Secretary in 
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1 storage, care, and maintenance of any property seized in 

2 connection with the violation. 

3 SEC. 309. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND ASSIST4 ANCE. 

5 (a) ASSISTANCE TO DEVELOPING NATIONS AND

6 INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.—Consistent with exist7 ing authority and the availability of funds, the Secretary 

8 shall provide appropriate assistance to developing nations 

9 and international organizations of which such nations are 

10 members to assist those nations in meeting their obliga11 tions under the Agreement. 

12 (b) PERSONNEL, SERVICES, EQUIPMENT, AND FA13 CILITIES.—In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary 

14 may, by agreement, on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable 

15 basis, utilize the personnel, services, equipment, and facili16 ties of any Federal, State, local, or foreign government 

17 or any entity of any such government. 

18 SEC. 310. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this title shall be con20 strued to displace any requirements imposed by the cus21 toms laws of the United States or any other laws or regu22 lations enforced or administered by the Secretary of 

23 Homeland Security. Where more stringent requirements 

24 regarding port entry or access to port services exist under 

25 other Federal law, those more stringent requirements shall 
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1 apply. Nothing in this title shall affect a vessel’s entry into 

2 port, in accordance with international law, for reasons of 

3 force majeure or distress. 

4 (b) UNITED STATES OBLIGATIONS UNDER INTER5 NATIONAL LAW.—This title shall be interpreted and ap6 plied in accordance with United States obligations under 

7 international law. 

Passed the House of Representatives July 27, 2015. 

Attest: 

Clerk. 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 774 

AN ACT 

To strengthen enforcement mechanisms to stop illepurposes. plement the Antigua Convention, and for other amend the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950 to im- gal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, to