Title 16ConservationRelease 119-73not60

§2435 Unlawful Activities

Title 16 › Chapter 44A— ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONVENTION › § 2435

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

It is illegal to harvest Antarctic marine life or do related activities that break the Convention or U.S. conservation rules. It is also illegal to break any regulation made under this law. You may not ship, transport, sell, buy, import, export, or keep any Antarctic marine animal, part, or product taken in violation of those rules, no matter who took it or what vessel was used. You must allow an authorized U.S. official to board a U.S. vessel or a vessel under U.S. jurisdiction for searches or inspections. It is illegal to refuse boarding, to assault or block those officials, to resist a lawful arrest for these crimes, or to help someone avoid arrest when you know they committed them.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §2435

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

It is unlawful for any person—
(1)to engage in harvesting or other associated activities in violation of the provisions of the Convention or in violation of a conservation measure in force with respect to the United States pursuant to article IX of the Convention;
(2)to violate any regulation promulgated under this chapter;
(3)to ship, transport, offer for sale, sell, purchase, import, export, or have custody, control or possession of, any Antarctic marine living resource (or part or product thereof) harvested in violation of a conservation measure in force with respect to the United States pursuant to article IX of the Convention or in violation of any regulation promulgated under this chapter, without regard to the citizenship of the person that harvested, or vessel that was used in the harvesting of, the Antarctic marine living resource (or part or product thereof);
(4)to refuse to permit any authorized officer or employee of the United States to board a vessel of the United States or a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States for purposes of conducting any search, investigation, or inspection in connection with the enforcement of the Convention, this chapter, or any regulations promulgated under this chapter;
(5)to assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, or interfere with any authorized officer or employee of the United States in the conduct of any search, investigation, or inspection described in paragraph (4);
(6)to resist a lawful arrest or detention for any act prohibited by this section; or
(7)to interfere with, delay, or prevent, by any means, the apprehension, arrest, or detention of another person, knowing that such other person has committed any act prohibited by this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2015—Par. (3). Pub. L. 114–81, § 106(1)(A), struck out “which he knows, or reasonably should have known, was” before “harvested in violation”. Pars. (4), (5). Pub. L. 114–81, § 106(1)(B), (C), inserted “, investigation,” after “search”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 2435

Title 16Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60