Title 22 — Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73
§1971 “Vessel of the United States” defined
Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 25— - PROTECTION OF VESSELS ON THE HIGH SEAS AND IN TERRITORIAL WATERS OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES › § 1971
Summary
A private boat that has U.S. documentation or a U.S. certificate is treated as a United States vessel for the rules in this chapter. Even if, during any fishing trip beyond the fishery conservation zone, a non‑U.S. citizen commands the boat, its U.S. paperwork is not affected for those rules.
Full Legal Text
Title 22, §1971
Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
For the purposes of this chapter the term “vessel of the United States” shall mean any private vessel documented or certificated under the laws of the United States. Notwithstanding any other law, the documentation or certification of any such vessel shall not be considered to be affected, for the purposes of this chapter, in any manner or to any extent if at any time during any voyage for the purpose of fishing beyond the fishery conservation zone (as defined in section 1802(8) 11 See References in Text note below. of title 16), the vessel is commanded by other than a citizen of the United States.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
section 1802(8) of title 16, referred to in text, which defined “fishery conservation zone”, was repealed and section 1802(6) of Title 16, Conservation, defining the term “exclusive economic zone”, was added by Pub. L. 99–659, title I, § 101(a), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3706. section 1802 was subsequently amended and the term “exclusive economic zone” is defined elsewhere in that section.
Amendments
1996—Pub. L. 104–208 made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to section 1802(8) of title 16. 1980—Pub. L. 96–561 made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to section 1802(8) of title 16. 1978—Pub. L. 95–541 provided that the documentation or certification of a vessel of the United States not be affected if at any time during the voyage for the purpose of fishing beyond the fishery conservation zone, the vessel is commanded by other than a citizen of the United States.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1996 Amendment Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title II, § 211(b)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–41, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective 15 days after Oct. 11, 1996.
Effective Date
of 1980 Amendment Pub. L. 96–561, title II, § 238(b), Dec. 22, 1980, 94 Stat. 3300, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective 15 days after Dec. 22, 1980.
Effective Date
of 1978 Amendment Pub. L. 95–541, § 14(b), Oct. 28, 1978, 92 Stat. 2057, provided that the amendment made by section 14(a) of Pub. L. 95–541, amending this section, was to take effect Jan. 1, 1978, prior to the general amendment by Pub. L. 104–227, title I, § 107, Oct. 2, 1996, 110 Stat. 3042.
Short Title
of 2000 Amendment Pub. L. 106–450, title I, § 101, Nov. 7, 2000, 114 Stat. 1941, provided that: “This title [amending section 1977 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Fishermen’s Protective Act
Amendments
of 2000’.”
Short Title
Pub. L. 90–482, § 4, Aug. 12, 1968, 82 Stat. 730, provided that: “The Act of August 27, 1954 (68 Stat. 883; 22 U.S.C. 1971–1976), as amended by this Act [this chapter], may be cited as the ‘Fishermen’s Protective Act of 1967’.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
22 U.S.C. § 1971
Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73