16 U.S.C. § 8002 — Purposes

Page 2722 TITLE 16—CONSERVATION § 8002 1 So in original. Probably should be ‘‘States—’’. div. C of Pub. L. 116–92, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1997, known as the Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforce- ment Act and also as the Maritime SAFE Act, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out below and Tables. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries SHORT TITLE Pub. L. 116–92, div. C, title XXXV, § 3531, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1997, provided that: ‘‘This subtitle [subtitle C (§§ 3531–3572) of title XXXV of div. C of Pub. L. 116–92, enacting this chapter and amending section 7103 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse] may be cited as the ‘Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforce- ment Act’ or the ‘Maritime SAFE Act’.’’ § 8002. Purposes The purposes of this chapter are— (1) to support a whole-of-government ap- proach across the Federal Government to counter IUU fishing and related threats to maritime security; (2) to improve data sharing that enhances surveillance, enforcement, and prosecution against IUU fishing and related activities at a global level; (3) to support coordination and collaboration to counter IUU fishing within priority regions; (4) to increase and improve global trans- parency and traceability across the seafood supply chain as— (A) a deterrent to IUU fishing; and (B) a tool for strengthening fisheries man- agement and food security; (5) to improve global enforcement operations against IUU fishing through a whole-of-gov- ernment approach by the United States; and (6) to prevent the use of IUU fishing as a fi- nancing source for transnational organized groups that undermine United States and global security interests. (Pub. L. 116–92, div. C, title XXXV, § 3533, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1999.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original ‘‘this subtitle’’, meaning subtitle C of title XXXV of div. C of Pub. L. 116–92, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1997, known as the Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforce- ment Act and also as the Maritime SAFE Act, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 8001 of this title and Tables. § 8003. Statement of policy It is the policy of the United Statesl1 (1) to take action to curtail the global trade in seafood and seafood products derived from IUU fishing, including its links to forced labor and transnational organized illegal activity; (2) to develop holistic diplomatic, military, law enforcement, economic, and capacity- building tools to counter IUU fishing; (3) to provide technical assistance to coun- tries in priority regions and priority flag states to combat IUU fishing, including assist- ance— (A) to increase local, national, and re- gional level capacities to counter IUU fish- ing through the engagement of law enforce- ment and security forces; (B) to enhance port capacity and security, including by supporting other countries in working toward the adoption and implemen- tation of the Port State Measures Agree- ment; (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 or- ganizations through the development and use of agreed standards for information sharing; and (E) to support effective, science-based fish- eries management regimes that promote legal and safe fisheries and act as a deter- rent to IUU fishing; (4) to promote global maritime security through improved capacity and technological assistance to support improved maritime do- main awareness; (5) to engage with priority flag states to en- courage 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 Re- gional Fisheries Management Organizations and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, to combat and deter IUU fishing; (7) to advance information sharing across governments and multilateral organizations in areas 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; (9) to employ appropriate assets and re- sources of the United States Government in a coordinated manner to disrupt the illicit net- works involved in IUU fishing; (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; (11) to recognize the ties of IUU fishing to transnational organized illegal activity, in- cluding human trafficking and illegal trade in narcotics and arms, and as applicable, to focus on illicit activity in a coordinated, cross-cut- ting manner; (12) to recognize and respond to poor work- ing conditions, labor abuses, and other violent crimes in the fishing industry; (13) to increase and improve global trans- parency and traceability along the seafood supply chain as— (A) a deterrent to IUU fishing; and (B) an approach for strengthening fisheries management and food security; and (14) to promote technological investment and innovation to combat IUU fishing. (Pub. L. 116–92, div. C, title XXXV, § 3534, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 2000.)