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Title 22, Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-102

§1979 Fishermen’s Protective Fund

Title 22 › CHAPTER 25 — PROTECTION OF VESSELS ON THE HIGH SEAS AND IN TERRITORIAL WATERS OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES › § 1979

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Creates a Fishermen’s Protective Fund that the Secretary of State must use to pay back boat owners for amounts he finds and certifies under section 1973. Money the Secretary collects from a foreign country under section 1975(a) must go into the fund and be available to pay those boat owners. If a transfer was made for the same claim under section 1975(b)(1), then an amount equal to what was collected must instead be sent to the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. The law authorizes $3,000,000 to start the fund and allows more money to be added later as needed.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §1979

Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

There is created a Fishermen’s Protective Fund which shall be used by the Secretary of State to reimburse owners of vessels for amounts determined and certified by him under section 1973 of this title. The amount of any claim or portion thereof collected by the Secretary of State from any foreign country pursuant to section 1975(a) of this title shall be deposited in the fund and shall be available for the purpose of reimbursing vessel owners under section 1973 of this title; except that if a transfer to the fund was made pursuant to section 1975(b)(1) of this title with respect to any such claim, an amount from the fund equal to the amount so collected shall be covered into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. There is authorized to be appropriated to the fund (1) the sum of $3,000,000 to provide initial capital, and (2) such additional sums as may be necessary from time to time to supplement the fund in order to meet the requirements of the fund.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1984—Pub. L. 98–364 substituted “Secretary of State” for “Secretary of the Treasury” and “determined and certified by him” for “certified to him by the Secretary of State”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section applicable with respect to seizure of vessels of the United States occurring on or after Oct. 26, 1972, except that reimbursements under section 1973 of this title may be made from the fund established by this section with respect to seizure of vessels occurring after Dec. 31, 1970 and before Oct. 26, 1972, if no reimbursement was made before Oct. 26, 1972, see section 6 of Pub. L. 92–569, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1972 Amendment note under section 1972 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 1979

Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102