Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-102

§8016 Technology Programs

Title 16 › CHAPTER 99 — MARITIME SECURITY AND FISHERIES ENFORCEMENT › SUBCHAPTER I — PROGRAMS TO COMBAT IUU FISHING AND INCREASE MARITIME SECURITY › § 8016

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Certain federal agency heads—including State, USAID, Defense, Commerce, and the department that oversees the Coast Guard—must set up programs to use more technology against IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing. They must promote tech, check tracking and data-sharing needs in priority regions and flag states, encourage vessel tracking (VMS, AIS, or similar) at sea, and work with private and research partners to use data and new technologies.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §8016

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary of State, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating when it is not operating as a service in the Department of the Navy, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, and the heads of other Federal agencies, if merited, shall pursue programs, as appropriate, to expand the role of technology for combating IUU fishing, including by—

(1)promoting the use of technology to combat IUU fishing;

(2)assessing the technology needs, including vessel tracking technologies and data sharing, in priority regions and priority flag states;

(3)engaging with priority flag states to encourage the mandated use of vessel tracking technologies, including vessel monitoring systems, AIS, or other vessel movement monitoring technologies on fishing vessels and transshipment vessels at all times, as appropriate, while at sea as a means to identify IUU fishing activities and the shipment of illegally caught fish products; and

(4)building partnerships with the private sector, including universities, nonprofit research organizations, the seafood industry, and the technology, transportation and logistics sectors, to leverage new and existing technologies and data analytics to address IUU fishing.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 8016

Title 16, Conservation

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102