16 U.S.C. § 5609 — Definitions

In this chapter:
(1) “1982 Convention” means the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea dated December 10, 1982.
(2) “Authorized enforcement officer” means a person authorized to enforce this chapter, a regulation under it, or a measure legally binding on the United States under the Convention.
(3) “Commission” means the body described in Articles V, VI, XIII, XIV, and XV of the Convention.
(4) “Commissioner” means a United States Commissioner to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization appointed under section 5601.
(5) “Convention” means the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, made at Ottawa on October 24, 1978, and amended September 28, 2007.
(6) “Convention Area” means the specified waters of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean north of 35°00′ N and west of the line running north from 35°00′ N, 42°00′ W to 59°00′ N, then west to 44°00′ W, then north to Greenland’s coast, plus the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Davis Strait, and Baffin Bay south of 78°10′ N.
(7) “Council” means the New England Fishery Management Council or the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.
(8)(A) “Fishery resources” means all fish, mollusks, and crustaceans, including their products, in the Convention Area. (B) It does not include (i) sedentary species over which coastal States may exercise sovereign rights consistent with Article 77 of the 1982 Convention; or (ii) to the extent other international treaties manage them, anadromous or catadromous stocks and highly migratory species listed in Annex I of the 1982 Convention.
(9)(A) “Fishing activities” means harvesting or processing fishery resources, transshipping fishery resources or their products, and any activity preparing for, supporting, or related to harvesting them. (B) It includes (i) actually or attempting to search for, catch, or take resources; (ii) any activity reasonably expected to locate, catch, take, or harvest resources for any purpose; and (iii) any at-sea operation supporting or preparing for those activities. (C) It does not include an operation related to an emergency involving crew health or safety or vessel safety.
(10)(A) “Fishing vessel” means a vessel that is or was engaged in fishing activities. (B) It includes a fish-processing vessel, a vessel engaged in transshipment or another activity preparing for or related to fishing, and a vessel engaged in experimental or exploratory fishing.
(11) “Organization” means the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization described in Article V.
(12) “Person” means any individual, whether or not a United States citizen or national, and any corporation, partnership, association, or other entity, whether or not organized or existing under a State’s laws.
(13) “Representative” means a United States Representative to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Scientific Council appointed under section 5601.
(14) “Scientific Council” means the Scientific Council described in Articles V, VI, and VII.
(15) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Commerce.
(16) “State” means each United States State, the District of Columbia, and any other United States commonwealth, territory, or possession.
(17) “Transshipment” means unloading all or some fishery resources on a fishing vessel onto another fishing vessel, at sea or in port.