Billfish Conservation Act of 2012
PL 112-183 (H.R.2706), enacted 10/05/2012

126 STAT. 1422 
PUBLIC LAW 112–183—OCT. 5, 2012 
Public Law 112–183 
112th Congress 
An Act 
To prohibit the sale of billfish. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Billfish Conservation Act of 
2012’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The United States carefully regulates its domestic fish-
eries for billfish and participates in international fishery 
management bodies in the Atlantic and Pacific. 
(2) Global billfish populations have declined significantly, 
however, because of overfishing primarily through retention 
of bycatch by non-United States commercial fishing fleets. 
(3) Ending the importation of foreign-caught billfish for 
sale in the United States aligns with U.S. management meas-
ures of billfish and protects the significant economic benefits 
to the U.S. economy of recreational fishing and marine com-
merce and the traditional cultural fisheries. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY. 
The Congress enacts this Act pursuant to clause 3 of section 
8 of article I of the Constitution. 
SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON SALE OF BILLFISH. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—No person shall offer for sale, sell, or have 
custody, control, or possession of for purposes of offering for sale 
or selling billfish or products containing billfish. 
(b) PENALTY.—For purposes of section 308(a) of the Magnuson- 
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
1858(a)), a violation of this section shall be treated as an act 
prohibited by section 307 of that Act (16 U.S.C. 1857). 
(c) EXEMPTIONS FOR TRADITIONAL FISHERIES AND MARKETS.— 
(1) Subsection (a) does not apply to billfish caught by 
US fishing vessels and landed in the State of Hawaii or Pacific 
Insular Areas as defined in section 3(35) of the Magnuson- 
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
1802(35)). 
(2) Subsection (a) does not apply to billfish landed by 
foreign fishing vessels in the Pacific Insular Areas when the 
foreign caught billfish is exported to non-US markets or 
Hawaii. 
16 USC 1827a. 
16 USC 1827a 
note. 
Billfish 
Conservation 
Act of 2012. 
16 USC 1801 
note. 
Oct. 5, 2012 
[H.R. 2706] 
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126 STAT. 1423 
PUBLIC LAW 112–183—OCT. 5, 2012 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 2706: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 112–656 (Comm. on Natural Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 158 (2012): 
Sept. 10, considered and passed House. 
Sept. 21, considered and passed Senate. 
retained within Hawaii and the Pacific Insular Areas for local 
consumption. 
(d) BILLFISH DEFINED.—In this section the term ‘‘billfish’’— 
(1) means any fish of the species— 
(A) Makaira nigricans (blue marlin); 
(B) Kajikia audax (striped marlin); 
(C) Istiompax indica (black marlin); 
(D) Istiophorus platypterus (sailfish); 
(E) Tetrapturus angustirostris (shortbill spearfish); 
(F) Kajikia albida (white marlin); 
(G) Tetrapturus georgii (roundscale spearfish); 
(H) Tetrapturus belone (Mediterranean spearfish); and 
(I) Tetrapturus pfluegeri (longbill spearfish); and 
(2) does not include the species Xiphias gladius (swordfish). 
Approved October 5, 2012. 
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