# § 773. Definitions
As used in this subchapter the term:
**(a)** “Convention” means the Convention between the United States of America and Canada for the Preservation of the Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, signed at Ottawa, Canada on March 2, 1953, as amended by the Protocol Amending the Convention, signed at Washington March 29, 1979, and includes the regulations promulgated thereunder.
**(b)** “Commission” means the International Pacific Halibut Commission provided for by article III of the Convention.
**1** “Fishery conservation zone” means the fishery conservation zone of the United States established by section 1811 [^1] of this title.
See References in Text note below.
**(d)** “Convention waters” means the maritime areas off the west coast of the United States and Canada described in article I of the Convention.
**(e)** “Halibut” means fish of the species Hippoglossus stenolepis inhabiting Convention waters.
**(f)** “Fishing vessel” means—
**(1)** any vessel engaged in catching fish in Convention waters or in processing or transporting fish loaded in Convention waters;
**(2)** any vessel outfitted to engage in any activity described in paragraph (1); or
**(3)** any vessel in normal support of any vessel described in paragraph (1) or (2).
**(g)** “Secretary” means the Secretary of Commerce.
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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 97–176, § 2, May 17, 1982, 96 Stat. 78; Pub. L. 102–251, title III, § 302(a), Mar. 9, 1992, 106 Stat. 64; Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title II, § 211(b)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–41.)
### Amendment of Section
, §§ 302(a), 308, , , 66, provided that, effective on the date on which the Agreement between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Maritime Boundary, signed , enters into force for the United States, with authority to prescribe implementing regulations effective , but with no such regulation to be effective until the date on which the Agreement enters into force for the United States, section is amended by amending subsection (c) generally and adding subsection (h) to read as follows:
## Editorial Notes
### References in Text
, referred to in subsec. (c), which established the fishery conservation zone, was amended generally by , , , and now relates to United States sovereign rights to fish and fishery management authority within the exclusive economic zone.
Proclamation Numbered 5030, referred to in subsec. (c), is Proc. No. 5030, , 48 F.R. 10605, which is set out as a note under .
### Amendments
1996—Subsec. (c). made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to .
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date of 1996 Amendment
, , , 3009–41, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective 15 days after .
### Effective Date of 1992 Amendment
> **“(a)** **In General.—** The amendment made by section 301(e)(3) [amending section 1822 of this title] takes effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Mar. 9, 1992], and the amendments made by the other provisions of this title [amending this section and sections 773e, 1151, 1362, 1801, 1802, 1811, 1821, 1822, 1824, 1853, 1857, 1861, 3631, and 3636 of this title and sections 1122 and 1124a of Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters], except as provided in subsection (b), shall be effective on the date on which the Agreement between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Maritime Boundary, signed June 1, 1990, enters into force for the United States.
>
> **“(b)** **Authority To Prescribe Regulations.—** The authority to prescribe regulations to implement the amendments made by this title shall be effective on the date of enactment of this Act [Mar. 9, 1992], but no such regulation may be effective until the date on which the Agreement described in subsection (a) enters into force for the United States.”
, , , provided that:
### Short Title
> “That this Act [enacting this subchapter and repealing subchapter III of this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982’.”
, , , provided: