---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 973c"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "973c"
heading: "Prohibited acts"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/973c"
units:
  - "Chapter 16C — South Pacific Tuna Fishing"
---

# §973c. Prohibited acts

- (a) It is unlawful for any [person](/usc/16/973.md?p=12) subject to the jurisdiction of the United States—
  - (1) to violate any provision of this chapter or any regulation or order issued pursuant to this chapter;
  - (2) to use a [vessel](/usc/16/973.md?p=7) for [fishing](/usc/16/973.md?p=6) in [violation](/usc/16/620e.md?p=11) of an [applicable national law](/usc/16/973.md?p=4);
  - (3) to use a [vessel](/usc/16/973.md?p=7) for [fishing](/usc/16/973.md?p=6) in any [Closed Area](/usc/16/973.md?p=5), except in accordance with an agreement pursuant to the [Treaty](/usc/16/973.md?p=16);
  - (4) to falsify any information required to be reported, notified, communicated, or recorded pursuant to a requirement of this chapter, or to fail to submit any required information, or to fail to report to the [Secretary](/usc/16/973.md?p=14) immediately any change in circumstances which has the effect of rendering any such information false, incomplete, or misleading;
  - (5) to intentionally destroy evidence which could be used to determine if a [violation](/usc/16/620e.md?p=11) of this chapter or the [Treaty](/usc/16/973.md?p=16) has occurred;
  - (6) to refuse to permit any [Authorized Officer](/usc/16/973.md?p=2) or [Authorized Party Officer](/usc/16/973.md?p=3) to board a [fishing vessel](/usc/16/973.md?p=7) for purposes of conducting a search or inspection in connection with the enforcement of this chapter or the [Treaty](/usc/16/973.md?p=16);
  - (7) to refuse to comply with the instructions of an [Authorized Officer](/usc/16/973.md?p=2) or [Authorized Party Officer](/usc/16/973.md?p=3) relating to [fishing](/usc/16/973.md?p=6) activities under the [Treaty](/usc/16/973.md?p=16);
  - (8) to forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, or interfere with—
    - (A) any [Authorized Officer](/usc/16/973.md?p=2) or [Authorized Party Officer](/usc/16/973.md?p=3) in the conduct of a search or inspection in connection with the enforcement of this chapter or the [Treaty](/usc/16/973.md?p=16); or
    - (B) an observer in the conduct of observer duties under the [Treaty](/usc/16/973.md?p=16);
  - (9) to resist a lawful arrest for any act prohibited by this section;
  - (10) to interfere with, delay, or prevent, by any means, the apprehension or arrest of another [person](/usc/16/973.md?p=12), knowing that such other [person](/usc/16/973.md?p=12) has committed any act prohibited by this section;
  - (11) 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 the [Treaty](/usc/16/973.md?p=16), with the knowledge that the fish were so taken or retained;
  - (12) to violate any of the [regional terms and conditions](/usc/16/973.md?p=13); or
  - (13) to violate any limit on an authorized [fishing](/usc/16/973.md?p=6) effort or catch.
- (b) It is unlawful for any [person](/usc/16/973.md?p=12) subject to the jurisdiction of the United States when in the [Licensing Area](/usc/16/973.md?p=8)—
  - (1) to use a [vessel](/usc/16/973.md?p=7) to fish unless validly licensed as required by the [Administrator](/usc/16/973.md?p=1);
  - (2) to use a [vessel](/usc/16/973.md?p=7) for directed [fishing](/usc/16/973.md?p=6) for southern bluefin tuna or for [fishing](/usc/16/973.md?p=6) for any kinds of fish other than tunas, except that fish may be caught as an incidental by-catch;
  - (3) to use a [vessel](/usc/16/973.md?p=7) for [fishing](/usc/16/973.md?p=6) by any method other than the purse-seine method;
  - (4) to use any [vessel](/usc/16/973.md?p=7) to engage in [fishing](/usc/16/973.md?p=6) after the revocation of its license, or during the period of suspension of an applicable license;
  - (5) to use a [vessel](/usc/16/973.md?p=7) to fish in a manner inconsistent with an order issued by the [Secretary](/usc/16/973.md?p=14) under [section 973i of this title](/usc/16/973i.md); or
  - (6) except for circumstances involving force majeure and other emergencies involving the health or safety of crew members or the safety of the [vessel](/usc/16/973.md?p=7), to use an aircraft in association with the [fishing](/usc/16/973.md?p=6) activities of a [vessel](/usc/16/973.md?p=7) unless it is identified in the license application for the [vessel](/usc/16/973.md?p=7), or any amendment thereto.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 100–330, § 5, June 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 592; Pub. L. 119–60, div. H, title LXXXIV, § 8413, Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1915.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2025—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 119–60, § 8413(a)(1), substituted “It is unlawful” for “Except as provided in section 973d of this title, it is unlawful” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 119–60, § 8413(a)(2)–(4), redesignated par. (5) as (3), inserted “, except in accordance with an agreement pursuant to the Treaty” after “Closed Area”, and struck out former par. (3) which read as follows: “who has entered into a fishing arrangement under paragraph 3 of Article 3 of the Treaty, to violate the terms and conditions of such fishing arrangement if the Secretary of State has decided under section 973p of this title that Article 4 and paragraph 6 of Article 5 of the Treaty shall apply to the arrangement;”.

Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 119–60, § 8413(a)(2), (3), redesignated par. (6) as (4) and struck out former par. (4) which read as follows: “to use a vessel for fishing in any Limited Area in violation of any requirement in Schedule 3 of Annex I of the Treaty;”.

Subsec. (a)(5) to (11). Pub. L. 119–60, § 8413(a)(3), redesignated pars. (7) to (13) as (5) to (11), respectively. Former pars. (5) and (6) redesignated (3) and (4), respectively.

Subsec. (a)(12), (13). Pub. L. 119–60, § 8413(a)(5)–(7), added pars. (12) and (13). Former pars. (12) and (13) redesignated (10) and (11), respectively.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 119–60, § 8413(b)(1), substituted “It is unlawful” for “Except as provided in section 973d of this title, it is unlawful”.

Subsec. (b)(5) to (7). Pub. L. 119–60, § 8413(b)(2), (3), redesignated pars. (6) and (7) as (5) and (6), respectively, and struck out former par. (5) which read as follows: “to operate a vessel in such a way as to disrupt or in any other way adversely affect the activities of traditional and locally based fishermen and fishing vessels;”.