tion and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1858) shall apply 
to a person who is found by the Secretary, after notice 
and an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with sec-
tion 554 of title 5, United States Code, to have violated 
the prohibitions in section 7. 
(b) CRIMINAL OFFENSES.—
(1) PROHIBITED ACTS.—It is unlawful for any 
person—
(A) to refuse to permit any officer author-
ized to enforce the provisions of this Act (as 
provided for in subsection (d)) to board a fish-
ing vessel subject to such person’s control for 
purposes of conducting any search or inspection 
in connection with the enforcement of this Act 
or any regulation issued pursuant to this Act; 
(B) to forcibly assault, resist, oppose, im-
pede, intimidate, or interfere with any such au-
thorized officer in the conduct of any search or 
inspection described in subparagraph (A); 
(C) to resist a lawful arrest for any act 
prohibited by this Act; 
(D) to interfere with, delay, or prevent, by 
any means, the apprehension or arrest of an-
other person, knowing that such other person 
has committed any act prohibited by this Act;
(E) to knowingly and willfully submit to a 
Council, the Secretary, or the Advisory Panel 
false information regarding any matter that the 
Council, Secretary, or Advisory Panel is consid-
ering in the course of carrying out this Act; or 
(F) to forcibly assault, resist, oppose, im-
pede, intimidate, sexually harass, bribe, or 
interfere with any observer on a vessel under 
this Act, or any data collector employed by the 
National Marine Fisheries Service or under 
contract to any person to carry out responsibil-
ities under this Act. 
(2) PUNISHMENT.—A person is guilty of an of-
fense if such person commits any act prohibited by 
paragraph (1). Such offense is punishable by the 
punishments set forth in section 309(b) of the Mag-
nuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Manage-
ment Act (16 U.S.C. 1859(b)). 
(c) CIVIL FORFEITURES.—Any fishing vessel (includ-
ing its fishing gear, furniture, appurtenances, stores, and 
cargo) used, and fish (or the fair market value thereof) 
taken or retained, in any manner, in connection with or 
as a result of the commission of a violation of the prohibi-
tions in section 7 (other than such a violation for which 
the issuance of a citation is sufficient sanction) shall be
subject to the civil forfeiture provisions set out in section 
310 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1860). 
(d) ENFORCEMENT.—The provisions of this Act shall 
be enforced by the officers responsible for the enforcement 
of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Man-
agement Act as provided for in subsection (a) of section 
311 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1861). Such officers shall 
have the powers and authorities to enforce this Act as are 
provided in such section. 
SEC. 11. INTERNATIONAL PROTECTIONS FOR DEEP SEA 
CORALS AND SPONGES. 
The President is encouraged to work with appro-
priate foreign entities to develop the data necessary to 
identify areas located within international waters that 
would benefit from additional protection for deep sea cor-
als and sponges. 
SEC. 12. REPORTS. 
(a) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—
(1) REPORT REQUIREMENT.—On the date that 
is 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
and every 3 years thereafter, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Congress a report on the activities un-
dertaken to carry out this Act.
(2) CONTENT.—Each report required by this 
subsection shall include a description of—
(A) the activities carried out to protect and 
monitor deep sea corals and deep sea sponges; 
(B) any area designated as either a Coral 
Study Area pursuant to section 8 or a Coral 
Management Area pursuant to section 9; 
(C) any area the designation of which as a 
Coral Study Area is terminated and that is 
opened to mobile bottom-tending fishing pursu-
ant to subsection 8(d); 
(D) a summary of any bycatch or other 
data that indicates the actual or potential pres-
ence of a deep sea coral and sponge ecosystem; 
and 
(E) a summary of the research strategy 
created pursuant to section 5. 
(b) PUBLISHED REPORT.—
(1) REPORT REQUIREMENT.—At least every 2 
years the Secretary shall prepare and publish a re-
port that—
(A) provides a description of any area that 
the Secretary—
(i) has designated as a Coral Study 
Area under section 8;