---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 6906"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "6906"
heading: "Prohibited acts"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/6906"
units:
  - "Chapter 88 — Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention"
---

# §6906. Prohibited acts

- (a) **In general—** It is unlawful for any [person](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b)—
  - (1) to violate any provision of this chapter or any regulation or permit issued pursuant to this chapter;
  - (2) to use any [fishing vessel](/usc/16/6901.md?p=7) to engage in [fishing](/usc/16/6901.md?p=6) after the revocation, or during the period of suspension, of an applicable permit issued pursuant to this chapter;
  - (3) to refuse to permit any officer authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter to board a [fishing vessel](/usc/16/6901.md?p=7) subject to such [person](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b)’s control for the purposes of conducting any search, investigation, or inspection in connection with the enforcement of this chapter or any regulation, permit, or the Convention;
  - (4) to forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, or interfere with any such authorized officer in the conduct of any search, investigations, or inspection in connection with the enforcement of this chapter or any regulation, permit, or the Convention;
  - (5) to resist a lawful arrest for any act prohibited by this chapter;
  - (6) to ship, transport, offer for sale, sell, purchase, import, export, or have custody, control, or possession of, any fish taken or retained in [violation](/usc/16/620e.md?p=11) of this chapter or any regulation, permit, or [agreement](/usc/16/6901.md?p=2) referred to in paragraph [(1)](#a-1) or [(2)](#a-2);
  - (7) to interfere with, delay, or prevent, by any means, the apprehension or arrest of another [person](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b), knowing that such other [person](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) has committed any chapter[^1] prohibited by this section;
  - (8) to knowingly and willfully submit to the [Secretary](/usc/16/6901.md?p=9) false information (including false information regarding the capacity and extent to which a United States fish processor, on an annual basis, will process a portion of the optimum yield of a fishery that will be harvested by fishery vessels of the United States), regarding any matter that the [Secretary](/usc/16/6901.md?p=9) is considering in the course of carrying out this chapter;
  - (9) to forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, sexually harass, bribe, or interfere with any observer on a vessel under this chapter, or any data collector employed by the National Marine Fisheries Service or under contract to any [person](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) to carry out responsibilities under this chapter;
  - (10) to engage in [fishing](/usc/16/6901.md?p=6) in [violation](/usc/16/620e.md?p=11) of any regulation adopted pursuant to [section 6905(a) of this title](/usc/16/6905.md?p=a);
  - (11) to ship, transport, purchase, sell, offer for sale, import, export, or have in custody, possession, or control any fish taken or retained in [violation](/usc/16/620e.md?p=11) of such regulations;
  - (12) to fail to make, keep, or furnish any catch returns, statistical records, or other reports as are required by regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter to be made, kept, or furnished;
  - (13) to fail to stop a vessel upon being hailed and instructed to stop by a duly authorized official of the United States;
  - (14) to import, in [violation](/usc/16/620e.md?p=11) of any regulation adopted pursuant to [section 6905(a) of this title](/usc/16/6905.md?p=a), any fish in any form of those species subject to regulation pursuant to a recommendation, resolution, or decision of the [Commission](/usc/16/6901.md?p=3), or any tuna in any form not under regulation but under investigation by the [Commission](/usc/16/6901.md?p=3), during the period such fish have been denied entry in accordance with the provisions of [section 6905(a) of this title](/usc/16/6905.md?p=a).
- (b) **Entry certification—** In the case of any fish described in [subsection (a)](#a) offered for entry into the United States, the [Secretary](/usc/16/6901.md?p=9) of Commerce shall require proof satisfactory to the [Secretary](/usc/16/6901.md?p=9) that such fish is not ineligible for such entry under the terms of [section 6905(a) of this title](/usc/16/6905.md?p=a).

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 109–479, title V, § 507, Jan. 12, 2007, 120 Stat. 3641; Pub. L. 114–81, title I, § 105(2), Nov. 5, 2015, 129 Stat. 657.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2015—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 114–81 substituted “suspension, of” for “suspension, on”.