---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 1826i"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "1826i"
heading: "Action to strengthen international fishery management organizations"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/1826i"
units:
  - "Chapter 38 — Fishery Conservation and Management"
  - "Subchapter III — Foreign Fishing and International Fishery Agreements"
---

# §1826i. Action to strengthen international fishery management organizations

- (a) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/1802.md?p=39), in consultation with the Secretary of State, and in cooperation with relevant [fishery](/usc/16/1802.md?p=13) management [councils](/usc/16/1802.md?p=8) and any relevant [advisory committees](/usc/16/698u–1.md?p=1), shall [take](/usc/16/3102.md?p=18) actions to improve the effectiveness of international [fishery](/usc/16/1802.md?p=13) management organizations, or arrangements made pursuant to an [international fishery agreement](/usc/16/1802.md?p=24), in conserving and managing [fish](/usc/16/1802.md?p=12) stocks under their jurisdiction. These actions shall include—
  - (1) urging international [fishery](/usc/16/1802.md?p=13) management organizations to which the [United States](/usc/16/1802.md?p=45) is a member—
    - (A) to incorporate multilateral market-related measures against member or nonmember governments whose vessels engage in illegal, unreported, or unregulated [fishing](/usc/16/1802.md?p=16);
    - (B) to seek adoption of lists that identify [fishing vessels](/usc/16/1802.md?p=18) and vessel [owners](/usc/16/429b–3.md?p=4) engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated [fishing](/usc/16/1802.md?p=16) that can be shared among all members and other international [fishery](/usc/16/1802.md?p=13) management organizations;
    - (C) to seek international adoption of a centralized vessel monitoring system in order to monitor and document capacity in fleets of all nations involved in [fishing](/usc/16/1802.md?p=16) in [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) under an international [fishery](/usc/16/1802.md?p=13) management organization’s jurisdiction;
    - (D) to increase use of [observers](/usc/16/1802.md?p=31) and technologies needed to monitor compliance with [conservation and management](/usc/16/1802.md?p=5) measures established by the organization, including vessel monitoring systems and automatic identification systems;
    - (E) to seek adoption of stronger port [state](/usc/16/1802.md?p=40) controls in all nations, particularly those nations in whose ports vessels engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated [fishing](/usc/16/1802.md?p=16) land or transship [fish](/usc/16/1802.md?p=12); and
    - (F) to adopt shark conservation measures, including measures to prohibit removal of any of the fins of a shark (including the tail) and discarding the carcass of the shark at sea;
  - (2) urging international [fishery](/usc/16/1802.md?p=13) management organizations to which the [United States](/usc/16/1802.md?p=45) is a member, as well as all members of those organizations, to adopt and expand the use of market-related measures to combat illegal, unreported, or unregulated [fishing](/usc/16/1802.md?p=16), including—
    - (A) [import](/usc/16/1802.md?p=22) prohibitions, landing restrictions, or other market-based measures needed to enforce compliance with international [fishery](/usc/16/1802.md?p=13) management organization measures, such as quotas and catch limits;
    - (B) [import](/usc/16/1802.md?p=22) restrictions or other market-based measures to prevent the trade or importation of [fish](/usc/16/1802.md?p=12) caught by vessels identified multilaterally as engaging in illegal, unreported, or unregulated [fishing](/usc/16/1802.md?p=16); and
    - (C) catch documentation and certification schemes to improve tracking and identification of catch of vessels engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated [fishing](/usc/16/1802.md?p=16), including advance transmission of catch documents to ports of entry;
  - (3) seeking to enter into international agreements that require measures for the conservation of sharks, including measures to prohibit removal of any of the fins of a shark (including the tail) and discarding the carcass of the shark at sea, that are comparable to those of the [United States](/usc/16/1802.md?p=45), [taking](/usc/16/3102.md?p=18) into account different conditions; and
  - (4) urging other nations at bilateral, regional, and international levels, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora and the World Trade Organization to [take](/usc/16/3102.md?p=18) all steps necessary, consistent with international law, to adopt measures and policies that will prevent [fish](/usc/16/1802.md?p=12) or other living marine resources harvested by vessels engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated [fishing](/usc/16/1802.md?p=16) from being traded or imported into their nation or territories.
- (b) **Disclosure of information—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/1802.md?p=39), subject to the data confidentiality provisions in [section 402](/usc/16/402.md) of the Magnuson-Stevens [Fishery](/usc/16/1802.md?p=13) Conservation and Management Act ([16 U.S.C. 1881a](/usc/16/1881a.md)) except as provided in [paragraph (2)](#b-2), may disclose, as necessary and appropriate, information, including information collected under joint authority of the Magnuson-Stevens [Fishery](/usc/16/1802.md?p=13) Conservation and Management Act ([16 U.S.C. 1801](/usc/16/1801.md) et seq.) and the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975 ([16 U.S.C. 71](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(/us/usc/t16/s71)) et seq.), the Western and Central Pacific [Fisheries](/usc/16/1802.md?p=13) Convention Implementation Act ([16 U.S.C. 6901](/usc/16/6901.md) et seq.), any other statute implementing an [international fishery agreement](/usc/16/1802.md?p=24), to any other Federal or [State](/usc/16/1802.md?p=40) government agency, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, or the secretariat or equivalent of an international [fishery](/usc/16/1802.md?p=13) management organization or arrangement made pursuant to an [international fishery agreement](/usc/16/1802.md?p=24), if such government, organization, or arrangement, respectively, has policies and procedures to protect such information from unintended or unauthorized disclosure.
  - (2) **Exceptions—** The data confidentiality provisions in [section 402](/usc/16/402.md) of the Magnuson-Stevens [Fishery](/usc/16/1802.md?p=13) Conservation and Management Act ([16 U.S.C. 1881a](/usc/16/1881a.md)) shall not apply with respect to this Act—
    - (A) for obligations of the [United States](/usc/16/1802.md?p=45) to share information under a regional [fisheries](/usc/16/1802.md?p=13) management organization (as that term is defined by the United Nation’s[^1] Food and Agriculture Organization Agreement on Port [State](/usc/16/1802.md?p=40) Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated [Fishing](/usc/16/1802.md?p=16)) of which the [United States](/usc/16/1802.md?p=45) is a member; or
    - (B) to any information collected by the [Secretary](/usc/16/1802.md?p=39) regarding foreign vessels.
- (c) **IUU vessel lists—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/1802.md?p=39) may—
  - (1) develop, maintain, and make public a list of vessels and vessel [owners](/usc/16/429b–3.md?p=4) engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated [fishing](/usc/16/1802.md?p=16) or [fishing](/usc/16/1802.md?p=16)-related activities in support of illegal, unreported, or unregulated [fishing](/usc/16/1802.md?p=16), including vessels or vessel [owners](/usc/16/429b–3.md?p=4) identified by an international [fishery](/usc/16/1802.md?p=13) management organization or arrangement made pursuant to an [international fishery agreement](/usc/16/1802.md?p=24), that—
    - (A) the [United States](/usc/16/1802.md?p=45) is party to; or
    - (B) the [United States](/usc/16/1802.md?p=45) is not party to, but whose procedures and criteria in developing and maintaining a list of such vessels and vessel [owners](/usc/16/429b–3.md?p=4) are substantially similar to such procedures and criteria adopted pursuant to an [international fishery agreement](/usc/16/1802.md?p=24) to which the [United States](/usc/16/1802.md?p=45) is a party; and
  - (2) [take](/usc/16/3102.md?p=18) appropriate action against listed vessels and vessel [owners](/usc/16/429b–3.md?p=4), including action against [fish](/usc/16/1802.md?p=12), [fish](/usc/16/1802.md?p=12) parts, or [fish](/usc/16/1802.md?p=12) products from such vessels, in accordance with applicable [United States](/usc/16/1802.md?p=45) law and consistent with applicable international law, including principles, rights, and obligations established in applicable international [fishery](/usc/16/1802.md?p=13) management agreements and trade agreements.
- (d) **Regulations—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/1802.md?p=39) may promulgate regulations to implement this section.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 104–43, title VI, § 608, as added Pub. L. 109–479, title IV, § 403(a), Jan. 12, 2007, 120 Stat. 3627; amended Pub. L. 111–348, title I, § 102(a), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3668; Pub. L. 114–81, title I, § 101(b), Nov. 5, 2015, 129 Stat. 653.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), is Pub. L. 94–265, Apr. 13, 1976, 90 Stat. 331, which is classified principally to chapter 38 (§ 1801 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1801 of this title and Tables.

The Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), is Pub. L. 94–70, Aug. 5, 1975, 89 Stat. 385, which is classified generally to chapter 16A (§ 971 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 971 of this title and Tables.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), is Pub. L. 109–479, title V, Jan. 12, 2007, 120 Stat. 3635, which is classified generally to chapter 88 (§ 6901 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 6901 of this title and Tables.

This Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), probably means title VI of Pub. L. 104–43, Nov. 3, 1995, 109 Stat. 391, known as the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act, which is classified generally to sections 1826d to 1826k of this title. For complete classification of title VI to the Code, see Short Title of 1995 Amendment note set out under section 1801 of this title and Tables.

### Codification

Section was enacted as part of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act, and also as part of the Fisheries Act of 1995, and not as part of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act which comprises this chapter.

### Amendments

2015—Pub. L. 114–81 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading and “, or arrangements made pursuant to an international fishery agreement,” after “organizations” in introductory provisions, and added subsecs. (b) to (d).

2011—Par. (1)(F). Pub. L. 111–348, § 102(a)(1), added subpar. (F).

Par. (2)(C). Pub. L. 111–348, § 102(a)(2), struck out “and” at end.

Par. (3). Pub. L. 111–348, § 102(a)(4), added par. (3). Former par. (3) redesignated (4).

Par. (4). Pub. L. 111–348, § 102(a)(3), redesignated par. (3) as (4).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Construction

Pub. L. 111–348, title I, § 104, as added by Pub. L. 115–228, § 2(1), Aug. 2, 2018, 132 Stat. 1628, provided that: “Nothing in this title [see Short Title of 2011 Amendment note set out under section 1801 of this title] or the amendments made by this title shall be construed as affecting, altering, or diminishing in any way the authority of the Secretary of Commerce to establish such conservation and management measures as the Secretary considers necessary and appropriate under sections 302(a)(3) and 304(g) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1852(a)(3), 1854(g)).”

[Another section 104 of Pub. L. 111–348 amended section 4107 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 115–228, § 2(1), Aug. 2, 2018, 132 Stat. 1628.]