---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 8003"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "8003"
heading: "Statement of policy"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/8003"
units:
  - "Chapter 99 — Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforcement"
---

# §8003. Statement of policy


It is the policy of the United States_[^1]

- (1) to [take](/usc/16/3102.md?p=18) action to curtail the global trade in [seafood](/usc/16/8001.md?p=11) and [seafood](/usc/16/8001.md?p=11) products derived from [IUU fishing](/usc/16/8001.md?p=6), including its links to forced labor and [transnational organized illegal activity](/usc/16/8001.md?p=12);
- (2) to develop holistic diplomatic, military, law enforcement, economic, and capacity-building tools to counter [IUU fishing](/usc/16/8001.md?p=6);
- (3) to provide technical assistance to countries in [priority regions](/usc/16/8001.md?p=9) and [priority flag states](/usc/16/8001.md?p=8) to combat [IUU fishing](/usc/16/8001.md?p=6), including assistance—
  - (A) to increase local, national, and regional level capacities to counter [IUU fishing](/usc/16/8001.md?p=6) through the engagement of law enforcement and security forces;
  - (B) to enhance port capacity and security, including by supporting other countries in working toward the adoption and implementation of the [Port State Measures Agreement](/usc/16/8001.md?p=7);
  - (C) to combat corruption and increase transparency and traceability in fisheries management and trade;
  - (D) to enhance information sharing within and across governments and multilateral organizations through the development and use of agreed standards for information sharing; and
  - (E) to support effective, science-based fisheries management regimes that promote legal and safe fisheries and act as a deterrent to [IUU fishing](/usc/16/8001.md?p=6);
- (4) to promote global maritime security through improved capacity and technological assistance to support improved maritime domain awareness;
- (5) to engage with [priority flag states](/usc/16/8001.md?p=8) to encourage the use of high quality vessel tracking technologies where existing enforcement tools are lacking;
- (6) to engage with multilateral organizations working on fisheries issues, including [Regional Fisheries Management Organizations](/usc/16/8001.md?p=10) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, to combat and deter [IUU fishing](/usc/16/8001.md?p=6);
- (7) to advance information sharing across governments and multilateral organizations in [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) that cross multiple jurisdictions, through the development and use of an agreed standard for information sharing;
- (8) to continue to use existing and future trade agreements to combat [IUU fishing](/usc/16/8001.md?p=6);
- (9) to employ appropriate assets and resources of the United States Government in a coordinated manner to disrupt the illicit networks involved in [IUU fishing](/usc/16/8001.md?p=6);
- (10) to continue to declassify and make available, as appropriate and practicable, technologies developed by the United States Government that can be used to help counter [IUU fishing](/usc/16/8001.md?p=6);
- (11) to recognize the ties of [IUU fishing](/usc/16/8001.md?p=6) to [transnational organized illegal activity](/usc/16/8001.md?p=12), including human trafficking and illegal trade in narcotics and arms, and as applicable, to focus on illicit activity in a coordinated, cross-cutting manner;
- (12) to recognize and respond to poor working conditions, labor abuses, and other violent crimes in the fishing industry;
- (13) to increase and improve global transparency and traceability along the [seafood](/usc/16/8001.md?p=11) supply chain as—
  - (A) a deterrent to [IUU fishing](/usc/16/8001.md?p=6); and
  - (B) an approach for strengthening fisheries management and [food security](/usc/16/8001.md?p=4); and
- (14) to promote technological investment and innovation to combat [IUU fishing](/usc/16/8001.md?p=6).

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. Probably should be “States—”.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 116–92, div. C, title XXXV, § 3534, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 2000.)