46 U.S.C. § 12151 — Penalties

(a) In general. (1) Except as (2) provides, anyone who violates this chapter or a regulation prescribed under it owes the US government a civil penalty of up to $15,000. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate violation. (2) Anyone who violates section 12111(d), on mobile offshore drilling units, or its regulations, owes a civil penalty of $25,000, or twice the vessel's charter rate as the Secretary determines, whichever is greater. Each day of a continuing violation is also a separate violation here.

(b) Seizure and forfeiture of vessels. A vessel^* and its equipment can be seized and forfeited to the government if (1) the owner, or the owner's representative or agent, knowingly falsifies or hides a material fact, or knowingly makes a false statement, about the vessel's documentation or a documentation application; (2) a certificate of documentation is knowingly and fraudulently used for the vessel; (3) the vessel operates after its endorsement was denied or revoked under section 12152; (4) the vessel works in a trade without the appropriate endorsement; (5) the vessel has only a recreational endorsement but is operated other than for pleasure; (6) the vessel is documented and is commanded by someone who is not a US citizen, except as section 12131(b) allows; or (7) the vessel is rebuilt outside the United States and a report of the rebuilding is not submitted as section 12139(b) requires.

(c) Engaging in fishing after falsifying eligibility. Beyond other penalties under this section, the owner of a documented vessel^* with a fishery endorsement is liable to the government for a civil penalty of up to $100,000 for each day the vessel fishes within the exclusive economic zone^*, if the owner, or the owner's representative or agent, knowingly falsified or hid a material fact, or knowingly made a false statement, about the vessel's eligibility under section 12113(c) or (d) when applying for or renewing the fishery endorsement.