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Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73

§1151 Definitions

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 24— - CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION OF NORTH PACIFIC FUR SEALS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - FUR SEAL MANAGEMENT › § 1151

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines key words used for managing North Pacific fur seals and the international treaty about them. It names groups, places, actions, and the treaty dates so the rules are clear. “Commission” means the North Pacific Fur Seal Commission set up under Article V of the Convention. “Convention” means the Interim Convention on the Conservation of North Pacific Fur Seals signed at Washington on February 9, 1957, and amended on October 8, 1963; by an exchange of notes effective September 3, 1969; on May 7, 1976; and on October 14, 1980. “Cure” or “curing” means the usual post‑harvest steps done on the Pribilof Islands, like cooling, washing, removing blubber, salting or brining, and packing skins for shipment. “Fur Seal” means the North Pacific Fur Seal, Callorhinus ursinus. “Import” means bringing or trying to bring something into U.S. jurisdiction. “Natives of the Pribilof Islands” means Aleuts who live there permanently or groups that represent them. “North Pacific Ocean” means waters north of the thirtieth parallel of north latitude, including the Bering, Okhotsk, and Japan Seas. “Party” or “parties” means the United States of America, Canada, Japan, and Russia; in subsection (b) it refers to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. “Person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, trust, association, other private entity, or any officer, employee, agent, department, or instrumentality of the U.S. federal government, of any State or local government, or of any foreign government. “Pribilof Islands” means Saint Paul and Saint George, Walrus and Otter Islands, and Sea Lion Rock. “Sealing” means taking fur seals. “Secretary” means the Secretary of Commerce. “Take” or “taking” means harassing, hunting, capturing, or killing, or trying to do any of those things.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §1151

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)“Commission” means the North Pacific Fur Seal Commission established pursuant to article V of the Convention.
(b)“Convention” means the Interim Convention on the Conservation of North Pacific Fur Seals signed at Washington on February 9, 1957, as amended by the protocol signed in Washington on October 8, 1963; by the exchange of notes among the party governments which became effective on September 3, 1969; by the protocol signed in Washington on May 7, 1976; and by the protocol signed in Washington on October 14, 1980, by the parties.
(c)“Cure” or “curing” means the performance of those post-harvest activities traditionally performed on the Pribilof Islands, including cooling, washing, removal of blubber, soaking in brine, draining, treating with salt or boric acid, and packing in containers for shipment of fur seal skins.
(d)“Fur Seal” means the North Pacific Fur Seal, Callorhinus Ursinus.
(e)“Import” means to land on, bring into, or introduce into, or attempt to land on, bring into, or introduce into, any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, whether or not such landing, bringing, or introduction constitutes an importation within the meaning of the customs laws of the United States.
(f)“Natives of the Pribilof Islands” means any Aleuts who are permanent residents of the Pribilof Islands, or any organization or entity representing such natives.
(g)“North Pacific Ocean” means the waters of the Pacific Ocean north of the thirtieth parallel of north latitude, including the Bering, Okhotsk, and Japan Seas.
(h)“Party” or “parties” means the United States of America, Canada, Japan, and Russia (except that as used in subsection (b) of this section, “party” and “parties” refer to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics).
(i)“Person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, trust, association or any other private entity, or any officer, employee, agent, department, or instrumentality of the Federal Government, of any State or political subdivision thereof, or of any foreign government.
(j)“Pribilof Islands” means the islands of Saint Paul and Saint George, Walrus and Otter Islands, and Sea Lion Rock.
(k)“Sealing” means the taking of fur seals.
(l)“Secretary” means the Secretary of Commerce.
(m)“Take” or “taking” means to harass, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Amendment of Section Pub. L. 102–251, title III, §§ 303, 308, Mar. 9, 1992, 106 Stat. 65, 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 June 1, 1990, enters into force for the United States, with authority to prescribe implementing

Regulations

effective Mar. 9, 1992, but with no such regulation to be effective until the date on which the Agreement enters into force for the United States, this section is amended by redesignating subsections (f) to (m) as (g) to (n), respectively, and by inserting after subsection (e) the following new subsection: (f) “Jurisdiction of the United States” includes jurisdiction over the areas referred to as eastern special areas in Article 3(1) of the Agreement between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Maritime Boundary, signed June 1, 1990; in particular, those areas east of the maritime boundary, as defined in that Agreement, that lie within 200 nautical miles of the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea of Russia is measured but beyond 200 nautical miles of the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea of the United States is measured.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1993—Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 103–199 substituted “Russia (except that as used in subsection (b) of this section, ‘party’ and ‘parties’ refer to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)” for “the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics”. 1983—Pub. L. 98–129 amended section generally, substituting provisions defining terms, previously defined in former section 1159 and 1186 of this title, for provisions enumerating the activities prohibited under this chapter. See section 1152 of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1992 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 102–251 effective on date on which Agreement between United States and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Maritime Boundary, signed June 1, 1990, enters into force for United States, with authority to prescribe implementing

Regulations

effective Mar. 9, 1992, but with no such regulation to be effective until date on which Agreement enters into force for United States, see section 308 of Pub. L. 102–251, set out as a note under section 773 of this title.

Short Title

of 2016 Amendment Pub. L. 114–328, div. C, title XXXV, § 3531, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2794, provided that: “This subtitle [subtitle B (§§ 3531–3533) of title XXXV of div. C of Pub. L. 114–328, amending provisions set out as a note under section 1161 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Pribilof Islands Transition Completion

Amendments

Act of 2016’.” Pub. L. 114–120, title V, § 521, Feb. 8, 2016, 130 Stat. 70, as amended by Pub. L. 114–328, div. C, title XXXV, § 3503(c), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2775, provided that: “This subtitle [subtitle B (§§ 521–524) of title V of Pub. L. 114–120, amending section 1165 of this title and provisions set out as a note under section 1161 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Pribilof Island [sic] Transition Completion Act of 2016’.”

Short Title

of 2000

Amendments

Pub. L. 106–562, title I, § 101, Dec. 23, 2000, 114 Stat. 2794, provided that: “This title [enacting section 1169b of this title, amending section 1161, 1165, and 1166 of this title, repealing section 1165 of this title, enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and section 1161 of this title, amending provisions set out as a note under section 1165 of this title, and repealing provisions set out as a note under section 1165 of this title] may be referred to as the ‘Pribilof Islands Transition Act’.” Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(4) [div. B, title I, § 144(e)(1)], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2763, 2763A–244, provided that: “This subsection [enacting section 1169b of this title, amending section 1161, 1165, and 1166 of this title, repealing section 1165 of this title, enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and section 1161 of this title, amending provisions set out as a note under section 1165 of this title, and repealing provisions set out as a note under section 1165 of this title] may be referred to as the ‘Pribilof Islands Transition Act’.”

Short Title

of 1983 Amendment Pub. L. 98–129, § 1, Oct. 14, 1983, 97 Stat. 835, provided: “That this Act [amending this chapter generally, section 8332 and 8334 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, and section 5323 of Title 25, Indians] may be cited as the ‘Fur Seal Act

Amendments

of 1983’.”

Short Title

Pub. L. 89–702, § 1, as added by Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(4) [div. B, title I, § 144(e)(6)(C)], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2763, 2763A–248, and Pub. L. 106–562, title I, § 106(c), Dec. 23, 2000, 114 Stat. 2799, provided that: “This Act [generally enacting this chapter, for complete classification, see Tables] may be cited as the ‘Fur Seal Act of 1966’.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 1151

Title 16 — Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73