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

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t22/s1980b"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "22 USC § 1980b - Sanctions for imposition of conditions on U.S. fishing vessel found inconsistent with international law"
title_number: 22
title_name: "FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE"
section_number: "1980b"
section_name: "Sanctions for imposition of conditions on U.S. fishing vessel found inconsistent with international law"
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, § 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.)"
---


# § 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 fishing vessels which the United States regards as being inconsistent with international law or an international agreement, the Secretary of State shall certify that fact to the President.

**(b)** **Sanctions** Upon receipt of a certification under subsection (a), the President shall direct the heads of Federal agencies to impose similar conditions on the operation or transit of fishing vessels registered under the laws of the nation which has imposed conditions on United States fishing vessels.

**(c)** **“Fishing vessel” defined** section 2101(12) of title 46

For the purposes of this section, the term “fishing vessel” has the meaning given that term in .

**(d)** **Sanctions commensurate with conditions certified** It is the sense of the Congress that any action taken by any Federal agency under subsection (b) should be commensurate with any conditions certified by the Secretary of State under subsection (a).

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**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.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (c).  substituted “section 2101(12)” for “section 2101(11a)”.