22 USC § 1979 - Fishermen’s Protective Fund

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t22/s1979"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "22 USC § 1979 - Fishermen’s Protective Fund"
title_number: 22
title_name: "FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE"
section_number: "1979"
section_name: "Fishermen’s Protective Fund"
chapter_number: 25
chapter_name: "PROTECTION OF VESSELS ON THE HIGH SEAS AND IN TERRITORIAL WATERS OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Aug. 27, 1954, ch. 1018, § 9, as added Pub. L. 92–569, § 5, Oct. 26, 1972, 86 Stat. 1183; amended Pub. L. 98–364, title III, § 302(c), July 17, 1984, 98 Stat. 444.)"
---


# § 1979. Fishermen’s Protective Fund

section 1973 of this titlesection 1975(a) of this titlesection 1973 of this titlesection 1975(b)(1) of this title

There is created a Fishermen’s Protective Fund which shall be used by the Secretary of State to reimburse owners of vessels for amounts determined and certified by him under . The amount of any claim or portion thereof collected by the Secretary of State from any foreign country pursuant to  shall be deposited in the fund and shall be available for the purpose of reimbursing vessel owners under ; except that if a transfer to the fund was made pursuant to  with respect to any such claim, an amount from the fund equal to the amount so collected shall be covered into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. There is authorized to be appropriated to the fund (1) the sum of $3,000,000 to provide initial capital, and (2) such additional sums as may be necessary from time to time to supplement the fund in order to meet the requirements of the fund.

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**Source Credit**: (Aug. 27, 1954, ch. 1018, § 9, as added Pub. L. 92–569, § 5, Oct. 26, 1972, 86 Stat. 1183; amended Pub. L. 98–364, title III, § 302(c), July 17, 1984, 98 Stat. 444.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1984— substituted “Secretary of State” for “Secretary of the Treasury” and “determined and certified by him” for “certified to him by the Secretary of State”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section applicable with respect to seizure of vessels of the United States occurring on or after , except that reimbursements under  may be made from the fund established by this section with respect to seizure of vessels occurring after  and before , if no reimbursement was made before , see , set out as an Effective Date of 1972 Amendment note under .