Sec. 201. International fisheries enforcement

459 words·~2 min read·/bill/113/s/269/rs/section-201

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Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall establish, through the National Marine Fisheries Service's international enforcement program, an interagency International Fisheries Enforcement Task Force. The purposes of the task force shall be— to detect and investigate illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing activity and trafficking in the resulting fish or fish product; and to enforce the provisions of this Act or any Act to which section 101 applies.

The task force shall include permanent representation from— the National Marine Fisheries Service's international enforcement program; the U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; and such other Federal agencies as the Secretary considers appropriate and necessary to carry out the purposes under paragraph (2). The Secretary of Commerce and the head of each department and agency identified under subsection (a)(3) shall— by agreement, on a reimbursable basis or otherwise, provide permanent representation to the task force; by agreement, on a reimbursable basis or otherwise, share personnel, services, equipment (including aircraft and vessels), and facilities with the task force for the purposes under subsection (a)(2); and to the extent possible, and consistent with other applicable law, extend the authorities provided under their enabling legislation to the other departments and agencies participating in the task force.

The Secretary of Commerce and the head of each department and agency providing personnel for the task force, at their discretion, may develop interagency plans and budgets and engage in interagency financing for such purposes. Not later than 180 days after the date on which the task force is established under subsection (a), the Secretary of Commerce shall develop a 5-year strategic plan for guiding interagency and intergovernmental international fisheries enforcement efforts to carry out the provisions of this Act.

The Secretary shall update the plan periodically as necessary, but at least once every 5 years. The Secretary, in coordination with the head of each department and agency providing personnel for the task force— may conduct one or more joint operations for the purposes under subsection (a)(2); shall, to the maximum extent permissible under law, create and participate in committees or other working groups with other Federal, State, or local governments, and with the governments of other nations for the purposes under subsection (a)(2); may enter into agreements with other Federal, State, or local governments, and with the governments of other nations, on a reimbursable basis or otherwise, for the purposes under subsection (a)(2).

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, while operating under an agreement with the Secretary of Commerce entered into under section 101, or while conducting a joint operation under subsection (b)(4) of this section, each authorized officer shall have the powers and authority provided in section 101.