Title 16ConservationRelease 119-73

§1859 Criminal offenses

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 38— - FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - NATIONAL FISHERY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM › § 1859

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Doing certain acts listed in section 1857 (parts D, E, F, H, I, or L) or in section 1857(2) is a federal crime. The usual punishment is a fine up to $100,000, prison up to 6 months, or both. If a dangerous weapon is used, or an observer named in 1857(1)(L) or an officer who enforces the chapter is injured or put in fear of immediate harm, the punishment is a fine up to $200,000, prison up to 10 years, or both.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §1859

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(a)A person is guilty of an offense if he commits any act prohibited by—
(1)section 1857(1)(D), (E), (F), (H), (I), or (L) of this title; or
(2)section 1857(2) of this title.
(b)Any offense described in subsection (a)(1) is punishable by a fine of not more than $100,000, or imprisonment for not more than 6 months, or both; except that if in the commission of any such offense the person uses a dangerous weapon, engages in conduct that causes bodily injury to any observer described in section 1857(1)(L) of this title or any officer authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter (as provided for in section 1861 of this title), or places any such observer or officer in fear of imminent bodily injury, the offense is punishable by a fine of not more than $200,000, or imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both. Any offense described in subsection (a)(2) is punishable by a fine of not more than $200,000.
(c)There is Federal jurisdiction over any offense described in this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 94–265, Apr. 13, 1976, 90 Stat. 331, known as the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1801 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

1990—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 101–627, § 115(a), amended par. (1) generally, substituting “(I), or (L)” for “or (I)”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 101–627, § 115(b), substituted “$100,000” for “$50,000”, substituted “$200,000” for “$100,000” in two places, and inserted “any observer described in section 1857(1)(L) of this title or” after “injury to” and “observer or” before “officer in fear”. 1987—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 100–66 substituted “(I)” for “(J)”. 1986—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 99–659 substituted “(H), or (J)” for “or (H)”. 1983—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 97–453 struck out “, or imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both” after “subsection (a)(2) is punishable by a fine of not more than $100,000”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1983 Amendment Pub. L. 97–453, § 11(b), Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2491, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] applies with respect to offenses committed under section 309 [this section] on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 12, 1983].”

Effective Date

Section effective Mar. 1, 1977, see section 312 of Pub. L. 94–265, formerly set out as a note under section 1857 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 1859

Title 16Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73