Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Convention Amendments Act

To implement the Amendment to the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, as adopted at Lisbon, Portugal on September 28, 2007. 1. Short title; references to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Convention Act of 1995 (a) Short title This Act may be cited as the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Convention Amendments Act (b) References to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Convention Act of 1995 Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Convention Act of 1995 ( 16 U.S.C. 5601 et seq. 2. Representation of the United States under Convention Section 202 ( 16 U.S.C. 5601 (1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking General Council and the Fisheries (2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking at a meeting of the General Council or the Fisheries Commission (3) in subsection (b)(2), by striking , at any meeting of the General Council or the Fisheries Commission for which the Alternate Commissioner is designated (4) in subsection (d)(1), by striking at a meeting of the Scientific Council (5) in subsection (d)(2), by striking , at any meeting of the Scientific Council for which the Alternative Representative is designated (6) in subsection (f)(1)(A), by striking Magnuson Act Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 3. Requests for scientific advice Section 203 ( 16 U.S.C. 5602 (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking The Representatives may A Representative may (B) by striking described in subsection (b)(1) or (2) described in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (b) (C) by striking the Representatives have the Representative has (2) by striking VII(1) VII(10)(b) (3) in subsection (b)(2), by striking VIII(2) VII(11) 4. Authorities of Secretary of State with respect to Convention Section 204 ( 16 U.S.C. 5603 Fisheries Commission Commission consistent with the procedures detailed in Articles XIV and XV of the Convention 5. Interagency cooperation Section 205(a) ( 16 U.S.C. 5604(a) (a) Authorities of the Secretary In carrying out the provisions of the Convention and this title, the Secretary may arrange for cooperation with— (1) any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States; (2) a State; (3) a Council; or (4) a private institution or an organization. . 6. Prohibited acts and penalties Section 207 ( 16 U.S.C. 5606 (1) by striking Magnuson Act Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (2) by striking fish fishery resources 7. Consultative committee Section 208 ( 16 U.S.C. 5607 (1) in subsection (b)(2), by striking two 2 (2) in subsection (c), by striking General Council or the Fisheries 8. Definitions Section 210 ( 16 U.S.C. 5609 210. Definitions In this title: (1) 1982 Convention The term 1982 Convention (2) Authorized enforcement officer The term authorized enforcement officer (3) Commission The term Commission (4) Commissioner The term Commissioner (5) Convention The term Convention (6) Convention Area The term Convention Area (7) Council The term Council (8) Fishery resources (A) In general The term fishery resources (B) Exclusions The term fishery resources (i) sedentary species over which coastal States may exercise sovereign rights consistent with Article 77 of the 1982 Convention; or (ii) in so far as they are managed under other international treaties, anadromous and catadromous stocks and highly migratory species listed in Annex I of the 1982 Convention. (9) Fishing activities (A) In general The term fishing activities (B) Inclusions The term fishing activities (i) the actual or attempted searching for or catching or taking of fishery resources; (ii) any activity that can reasonably be expected to result in locating, catching, taking, or harvesting of fishery resources for any purpose; and (iii) any operation at sea in support of, or in preparation for, any activity described in this paragraph. (C) Exclusions The term fishing activities (10) Fishing vessel (A) In general The term fishing vessel (B) Inclusions The term fishing vessel (11) Organization The term Organization (12) Person The term person (13) Representative The term Representative (14) Scientific Council The term Scientific Council (15) Secretary The term Secretary (16) State The term State (17) Transshipment The term transshipment . 9. Authorization of appropriations Section 211 ( 16 U.S.C. 5610 (1) by striking XVI IX (2) by striking through fiscal year 2012 10. Quota allocation practice Section 213 ( 16 U.S.C. 5612 August 28, 2015 Reported without amendment

Summary: Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Convention Amendments Act (Sec. 2) This bill permanently reauthorizes and amends the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Convention Act of 1995, which provides for: (1) the implementation of the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, done in Ottawa on October 24, 1978 (1978 Convention); and (2) the management and conservation of fish in the convention area (specified waters in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean). The Convention on Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, which was adopted in Lisbon on September 28, 2007, is implemented as well. The 2007 Convention amends the 1978 Convention. (Sec. 8) The bill applies to all fish, mollusks, and crustaceans within the convention area, excluding: (1) sedentary species over which coastal states may exercise sovereign rights consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 (1982 Convention), and (2) anadromous and catadromous stocks and highly migratory species managed under other international treaties and listed in the 1982 Convention. The bill also applies to vessels engaged in fishing activities, including fish harvesting vessels, fish processing vessels, vessels engaged in transshipment of fishery resources, and vessels engaged in experimental or exploratory fishing activities. (Sec. 10) The bill repeals provisions requiring the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish and report on a new quota allocation practice.