---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 916c"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "916c"
heading: "Unlawful acts"
release: "119-102"
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/16/410cc–1.md?p=3), 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/16/410cc–1.md?p=3), 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/16/410cc–1.md?p=3), 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/16/410cc–1.md?p=3), 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](/usc/16/2402.md?p=23) 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/16/410cc–1.md?p=3), 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.