---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 6906"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "6906"
heading: "Prohibited acts"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/6906"
units:
  - "Chapter 88 — Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention"
---

# §6906. Prohibited acts

- (a) **In general—** It is unlawful for any [person](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b)—
  - (1) to violate any provision of this chapter or any regulation or permit issued pursuant to this chapter;
  - (2) to use any [fishing vessel](/usc/16/6901.md?p=7) to engage in [fishing](/usc/16/6901.md?p=6) after the revocation, or during the period of suspension, of an applicable permit issued pursuant to this chapter;
  - (3) to refuse to permit any officer authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter to [board](/usc/16/1447a.md?p=1) a [fishing vessel](/usc/16/6901.md?p=7) subject to such [person](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b)’s control for the purposes of conducting any search, investigation, or inspection in connection with the enforcement of this chapter or any regulation, permit, or the Convention;
  - (4) to forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, or interfere with any such [authorized officer](/usc/16/973.md?p=2) in the conduct of any search, investigations, or inspection in connection with the enforcement of this chapter or any regulation, permit, or the Convention;
  - (5) to resist a lawful arrest for any act prohibited by this chapter;
  - (6) 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 [agreement](/usc/16/6901.md?p=2) referred to in paragraph [(1)](#a-1) or [(2)](#a-2);
  - (7) to interfere with, delay, or prevent, by any means, the apprehension or arrest of another [person](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b), knowing that such other [person](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) has committed any chapter[^1] prohibited by this section;
  - (8) to knowingly and willfully submit to the [Secretary](/usc/16/6901.md?p=9) false information (including false information regarding the capacity and extent to which a United States fish processor, on an annual basis, will process a portion of the optimum yield of a [fishery](/usc/16/1383a.md?p=o-1) that will be harvested by [fishery](/usc/16/1383a.md?p=o-1) vessels of the United States), regarding any matter that the [Secretary](/usc/16/6901.md?p=9) is considering in the course of carrying out this chapter;
  - (9) to forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, sexually harass, bribe, or interfere with any observer on a vessel under this chapter, or any data collector employed by the National Marine [Fisheries](/usc/16/1383a.md?p=o-1) Service or under contract to any [person](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) to carry out responsibilities under this chapter;
  - (10) to engage in [fishing](/usc/16/6901.md?p=6) in [violation](/usc/16/620e.md?p=11) of any regulation adopted pursuant to [section 6905(a) of this title](/usc/16/6905.md?p=a);
  - (11) to ship, transport, purchase, sell, offer for sale, import, export, or have in custody, possession, or control any fish taken or retained in [violation](/usc/16/620e.md?p=11) of such regulations;
  - (12) to fail to make, keep, or furnish any catch returns, statistical records, or other reports as are required by regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter to be made, kept, or furnished;
  - (13) to fail to stop a vessel upon being hailed and instructed to stop by a duly authorized official of the United States;
  - (14) to import, in [violation](/usc/16/620e.md?p=11) of any regulation adopted pursuant to [section 6905(a) of this title](/usc/16/6905.md?p=a), any fish in any form of those species subject to regulation pursuant to a recommendation, resolution, or decision of the [Commission](/usc/16/6901.md?p=3), or any tuna in any form not under regulation but under investigation by the [Commission](/usc/16/6901.md?p=3), during the period such fish have been denied entry in accordance with the provisions of [section 6905(a) of this title](/usc/16/6905.md?p=a).
- (b) **Entry certification—** In the case of any fish described in [subsection (a)](#a) offered for entry into the United States, the [Secretary](/usc/16/6901.md?p=9) of Commerce shall require proof satisfactory to the [Secretary](/usc/16/6901.md?p=9) that such fish is not ineligible for such entry under the terms of [section 6905(a) of this title](/usc/16/6905.md?p=a).

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 109–479, title V, § 507, Jan. 12, 2007, 120 Stat. 3641; Pub. L. 114–81, title I, § 105(2), Nov. 5, 2015, 129 Stat. 657.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2015—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 114–81 substituted “suspension, of” for “suspension, on”.