---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 916c"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "916c"
heading: "Unlawful acts"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/916c"
units:
  - "Chapter 14 — Regulation of Whaling"
  - "Subchapter II — Whaling Convention Act"
---

# §916c. Unlawful acts

- (a) **Whaling, transporting, or selling violations; records; reports—** It shall be unlawful for any [person](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) subject to the jurisdiction of the United States (1) to engage in whaling in [violation](/usc/16/620e.md?p=11) of the convention or of any regulation of the [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c), or of this subchapter, or of any regulation of the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Commerce; (2) to ship, transport, purchase, sell, offer for sale, import, export, or have in possession any whale or whale products taken or processed in [violation](/usc/16/620e.md?p=11) of the convention, or of any regulation of the [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c), or of this subchapter, or of any regulation of the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Commerce; (3) to fail to make, keep, submit, or furnish any record or report required of him by the convention, or by any regulation of the [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c), or by any regulation of the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Commerce, or to refuse to permit any officer authorized to enforce the convention, the regulations of the [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c), this subchapter, and the regulations of the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Commerce, to inspect such record or report at any reasonable time.
- (b) **Acts of commission or omission—** It shall be unlawful for any [person](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) or vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to do any act prohibited or to fail to do any act required by the convention, or by this subchapter, or by any regulation adopted by the [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c), or by any regulation of the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Commerce.

## Source credit

(Aug. 9, 1950, ch. 653, § 5, 64 Stat. 422; 1970 Reorg. Plan No. 4, eff. Oct. 3, 1970, 35 F.R. 15627, 84 Stat. 2090.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Emergency Assistance for Subsistence Whale Hunters

Pub. L. 107–372, title IV, § 403, Dec. 19, 2002, 116 Stat. 3102, provided that: “Notwithstanding any provision of law, the use of a vessel to tow a whale taken in a traditional subsistence whale hunt permitted by Federal law and conducted in waters off the coast of Alaska is authorized, if such towing is performed upon a request for emergency assistance made by a subsistence whale hunting organization formally recognized by an agency of the United States Government, or made by a member of such an organization, to prevent the loss of a whale.”

### Executive Documents

### Transfer of Functions

Transfer of functions to Secretary of Commerce from Secretary of the Interior by Reorg. Plan No. 4 of 1970, see note set out under section 916 of this title.