---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 1980b"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "1980b"
heading: "Sanctions for imposition of conditions on U.S. fishing vessel found inconsistent with international law"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/1980b"
units:
  - "Chapter 25 — Protection of Vessels on the High Seas and in Territorial Waters of Foreign Countries"
---

# §1980b. Sanctions for imposition of conditions on U.S. fishing vessel found inconsistent with international law

- (a) **Certification—** If the Secretary of State finds that the government of any nation imposes conditions on the operation or transit of [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) [fishing vessels](#c) which the [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) regards as being inconsistent with international law or an international [agreement](/usc/22/2431a.md?p=7), the Secretary of State shall certify that fact to the President.
- (b) **Sanctions—** Upon receipt of a certification under [subsection (a)](#a), the President shall direct the heads of Federal agencies to impose similar conditions on the operation or transit of [fishing vessels](#c) registered under the laws of the nation which has imposed conditions on [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) [fishing vessels](#c).
- (c) **“Fishing vessel” defined—** For the purposes of this section, the term “fishing vessel” has the meaning given that term in [section 2101(12) of title 46](/usc/46/2101.md?p=12).
- (d) **Sanctions commensurate with conditions certified—** It is the sense of the Congress that any action taken by any Federal agency under [subsection (b)](#b) should be commensurate with any conditions certified by the Secretary of State under [subsection (a)](#a).

## Source credit

(Aug. 27, 1954, ch. 1018, § 12, as added Pub. L. 104–43, title IV, § 402(b), Nov. 3, 1995, 109 Stat. 390; amended Pub. L. 115–232, div. C, title XXXV, § 3541(b)(4), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2323.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted “section 2101(12)” for “section 2101(11a)”.