---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 8032"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "8032"
heading: "Strategic plan"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/8032"
units:
  - "Chapter 99 — Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforcement"
  - "Subchapter II — Establishment of Interagency Working Group on Iuu Fishing"
---

# §8032. Strategic plan

- (a) **Strategic plan—** Not later than 2 years after December 20, 2019, the Working Group, after consultation with the relevant stakeholders, shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a 5-year integrated strategic plan on combating [IUU fishing](/usc/16/8001.md?p=6) and enhancing maritime security, including specific strategies with monitoring benchmarks for addressing [IUU fishing](/usc/16/8001.md?p=6) in [priority regions](/usc/16/8001.md?p=9).
- (b) **Identification of priority regions and priority flag states—**
  - (1) **In general—** The strategic plan submitted under [subsection (a)](#a) shall identify [priority regions](/usc/16/8001.md?p=9) and [priority flag states](/usc/16/8001.md?p=8) to be the focus of assistance coordinated by the Working Group under [section 8031 of this title](/usc/16/8031.md).
  - (2) **Priority region selection criteria—** In selecting [priority regions](/usc/16/8001.md?p=9) under [paragraph (1)](#b-1), the Working Group shall select regions that—
    - (A) are at high risk for [IUU fishing](/usc/16/8001.md?p=6) activity or the entry of illegally caught [seafood](/usc/16/8001.md?p=11) into their markets; and
    - (B) lack the capacity to fully address the issues described in [subparagraph (A)](#b-2-A).
  - (3) **Priority flag states selection criteria—** In selecting [priority flag states](/usc/16/8001.md?p=8) under [paragraph (1)](#b-1), the Working Group shall select countries—
    - (A) the flagged vessels of which actively engage in, knowingly profit from, or are complicit in [IUU fishing](/usc/16/8001.md?p=6); and
    - (B) that lack the capacity to police their fleet.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 116–92, div. C, title XXXV, § 3552, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 2006.)