H. R. 6452—20 
and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to the 
extent allowed under United States law. 
SEC. 209. EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE NOTIFICATION. 
Masters of commercial fishing vessels of countries fishing under 
the management authority of the South Pacific Fisheries Conven-
tion that do not carry vessel monitoring systems capable of commu-
nicating with United States enforcement authorities shall, before 
or as soon as reasonably possible after, entering and transiting 
the exclusive economic zone bounded by the Convention Area, 
ensure that all fishing gear on board the vessel is stowed below 
deck or otherwise removed from the place it is normally used 
for fishing activities and placed where it is not readily available 
for fishing activities. 
SEC. 210. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appropriated out 
of funds made available to the Secretary and the Secretary of 
State $300,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021 to carry 
out this title and to pay the United States contribution to the 
Commission under Article 15 of the South Pacific Fisheries Conven-
tion. 
(b) INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND ASSISTANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the limits of available appro-
priations and consistent with applicable law, the Secretary 
or the Secretary of State may provide appropriate assistance, 
including grants, to developing nations and international 
organizations of which such nations are members to assist 
those nations in meeting their obligations under the South 
Pacific Fisheries Convention. 
(2) TRANSFER OF FUNDS.—Subject to the limits of available 
appropriations and consistent with other applicable law, the 
Secretary and the Secretary of State are authorized to transfer 
funds to any foreign government and any international, non- 
governmental, or international organization, including the 
Commission, for purposes of carrying out the international 
responsibilities under paragraph (1). 
TITLE III—WESTERN AND CENTRAL 
PACIFIC FISHERIES COMMISSION 
SEC. 301. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AGENDA OF ANNUAL MEETINGS 
OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL PACIFIC FISHERIES COMMIS-
SION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries 
Convention Implementation Act is amended— 
(1) in section 503 (16 U.S.C. 6902)— 
(A) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘and commercial 
fishing’’ after ‘‘fish stocks’’; and 
(B) in subsection (d)(1), by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(E) AGENDA
RECOMMENDATIONS.—No later than 30 
days before each annual meeting of the Commission, the 
Advisory Committee shall transmit to the United States 
Commissioners recommendations relating to the agenda 
of the annual meeting. The recommendations must be
H. R. 6452—21 
agreed to by a majority of the Advisory Committee mem-
bers. The United States Commissioners shall consider such 
recommendations, along with additional views transmitted 
by Advisory Committee members, in the formulation of 
the United States position for the Commission meeting 
and during the negotiations at that meeting.’’; and 
(2) by redesignating section 511 (16 U.S.C. 6910) as section 
512, and inserting after section 510 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 511. UNITED STATES CONSERVATION, MANAGEMENT, AND 
ENFORCEMENT OBJECTIVES. 
‘‘The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of State, 
in the course of negotiations, shall seek— 
‘‘(1) to minimize any disadvantage to United States fisher-
men in relation to other members of the Commission; 
‘‘(2) to maximize the opportunities for fishing vessels of 
the United States to harvest fish stocks on the high seas 
in the Convention area, recognizing that such harvests may 
be restricted if the Commission, based on the best available 
scientific information provided by the Scientific Committee, 
determines it is necessary to achieve the conservation objective 
set forth in Article 2 of the Convention; 
‘‘(3) to prevent any requirement for the transfer to other 
nations or foreign entities of the fishing capacity, fishing 
capacity rights, or fishing vessels of the United States or its 
territories, unless any such requirement is voluntary and 
market-based; and 
‘‘(4) to ensure that conservation and management measures 
take into consideration traditional fishing patterns of fishing 
vessels of the United States and the operating requirements 
of the fisheries covered by the Western and Central Pacific 
Convention.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 1(b) of the Magnuson- 
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization 
Act of 2006 is amended in the table of contents by striking the 
item relating to section 511 (121 Stat. 3576) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘Sec. 511. United States conservation, management, and enforcement objectives. 
‘‘Sec. 512. Authorization of appropriations.’’. 
TITLE IV—ILLEGAL, UNREGULATED, 
AND UNREPORTED FISHING 
SEC. 401. AMENDMENTS TO THE HIGH SEAS DRIFTNET FISHING MORA-
TORIUM PROTECTION ACT. 
(a) APPLICATION
OF ACT.—Section 606(b) of the High Seas 
Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826g(b)) 
is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(2) in paragraph (8), by striking the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(9) the Ensuring Access to Pacific Fisheries Act.’’. 
(b) BIENNIAL REPORTS.—Section 607 of the High Seas Driftnet 
Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826h) is amended
H. R. 6452—22 
by inserting ‘‘on June 1 of that year’’ after ‘‘every 2 years there-
after,’’. 
(c) IDENTIFICATION OF VESSELS.—Section 609(a) of the High 
Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 
1826j(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘fishing vessels of that nation 
are engaged, or have’’ and inserting ‘‘any fishing vessel of that 
nation is engaged, or has’’. 
(d) IDENTIFICATION OF NATIONS.—Section 610(a)(2)(A) of the 
High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 
1826k) is amended by striking ‘‘calendar year’’ and inserting ‘‘3 
years’’. 
TITLE V—NORTHWEST ATLANTIC FISH-
ERIES 
CONVENTION 
AMENDMENTS 
ACT 
SEC. 501. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES TO THE NORTHWEST ATLANTIC 
FISHERIES CONVENTION ACT OF 1995. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This title 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 title 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.). 
SEC. 502. REPRESENTATION OF THE UNITED STATES UNDER CONVEN-
TION. 
Section 202 (16 U.S.C. 5601) is amended— 
(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 Alternate Representative 
is designated’’; and 
(6) in subsection (f)(1)(A), by striking ‘‘Magnuson Act’’ and 
inserting 
‘‘Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery 
Conservation 
and 
Management Act’’. 
SEC. 503. REQUESTS FOR SCIENTIFIC ADVICE. 
Section 203 (16 U.S.C. 5602) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘The Representatives may’’ and 
inserting ‘‘A Representative may’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘described in subsection (b)(1) or (2)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘described in paragraph (1) or (2) of sub-
section (b)’’; and
H. R. 6452—23 
(C) by striking ‘‘the Representatives have’’ and 
inserting ‘‘the Representative has’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘VII(1)’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘VII(10)(b)’’; and 
(3) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ‘‘VIII(2)’’ and inserting 
‘‘VII(11)’’. 
SEC. 504. AUTHORITIES OF SECRETARY OF STATE WITH RESPECT TO 
CONVENTION. 
Section 204 (16 U.S.C. 5603) is amended by striking ‘‘Fisheries 
Commission’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘Commission con-
sistent with the procedures detailed in Articles XIV and XV of 
the Convention’’. 
SEC. 505. INTERAGENCY COOPERATION. 
Section 205(a) (16 U.S.C. 5604(a)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(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.’’. 
SEC. 506. PROHIBITED ACTS AND PENALTIES. 
Section 207(a)(5) (16 U.S.C. 5606(a)(5)) is amended by striking 
‘‘fish’’ and inserting ‘‘fishery resources’’. 
SEC. 507. CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE. 
Section 208 (16 U.S.C. 5607) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ‘‘two’’ and inserting 
‘‘2’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘General Council or the 
Fisheries’’ each place it appears. 
SEC. 508. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 210 (16 U.S.C. 5609) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 210. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this title: 
‘‘(1) 1982 CONVENTION.—The term ‘1982 Convention’ means 
the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 
December 1982. 
‘‘(2) 
AUTHORIZED
ENFORCEMENT
OFFICER.—The 
term 
‘authorized enforcement officer’ means a person authorized to 
enforce this title, any regulation issued under this title, or 
any measure that is legally binding on the United States under 
the Convention. 
‘‘(3) COMMISSION.—The term ‘Commission’ means the body 
provided for by Articles V, VI, XIII, XIV, and XV of the Conven-
tion. 
‘‘(4) COMMISSIONER.—The term ‘Commissioner’ means a 
United States Commissioner to the Northwest Atlantic Fish-
eries Organization appointed under section 202. 
‘‘(5) CONVENTION.—The term ‘Convention’ means the 
Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the North-
west Atlantic Fisheries, done at Ottawa on October 24, 1978, 
and as amended on September 28, 2007.
H. R. 6452—24 
‘‘(6) CONVENTION AREA.—The term ‘Convention Area’ means 
the waters of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean north of 35°00′ 
N and west of a line extending due north from 35°00′ N and 
42°00′ W to 59°00′ N, thence due west to 44°00′ W, and thence 
due north to the coast of Greenland, and the waters of the 
Gulf of St. Lawrence, Davis Strait and Baffin Bay south of 
78°10′ N. 
‘‘(7) COUNCIL.—The term ‘Council’ means the New England 
Fishery Management Council or the Mid-Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council. 
‘‘(8) FISHERY RESOURCES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘fishery resources’ means 
all fish, mollusks, and crustaceans, including any products 
thereof, within the Convention Area. 
‘‘(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘fishery resources’ does 
not include— 
‘‘(i) sedentary species over which coastal States 
may exercise sovereign rights consistent with Article 
77 of the 1982 Convention; or 
‘‘(ii) insofar as they are managed under other inter-
national 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’ means 
harvesting or processing fishery resources, or transhipping 
of fishery resources or products derived from fishery 
resources, or any other activity in preparation for, in sup-
port of, or related to the harvesting of fishery resources. 
‘‘(B) 
INCLUSIONS.—The 
term 
‘fishing 
activities’ 
includes— 
‘‘(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 para-
graph. 
‘‘(C) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘fishing activities’ does 
not include any operation related to emergencies involving 
the health and safety of crew members or the safety of 
a vessel. 
‘‘(10) FISHING VESSEL.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘fishing vessel’ means a 
vessel that is or has been engaged in fishing activities. 
‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘fishing vessel’ includes 
a fish processing vessel or a vessel engaged in trans-
shipment or any other activity in preparation for or related 
to fishing activities, or in experimental or exploratory 
fishing activities. 
‘‘(11) ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘Organization’ means the 
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization provided for by 
Article V of the Convention. 
‘‘(12) PERSON.—The term ‘person’ means any individual 
(whether or not a citizen or national of the United States), 
and any corporation, partnership, association, or other entity