Federal · Title 16 — Conservation

16 U.S.C. § 916c: Unlawful acts

Infraction

What this law says, in plain English

Federal law prohibits whaling, trading whale products, and failing to maintain required records in violation of international whaling conventions and Commerce Department regulations.

Read the full statutory text
It shall be unlawful for any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States (1) to engage in whaling in violation of the convention or of any regulation of the Commission, or of this subchapter, or of any regulation of the Secretary of Commerce; (2) to ship, transport, purchase, sell, offer for sale, import, export, or have in possession any whale or whale products taken or processed in violation of the convention, or of any regulation of the Commission, or of this subchapter, or of any regulation of the Secretary of Commerce; (3) to fail to make, keep, submit, or furnish any record or report required of him by the convention, or by any regulation of the Commission, or by any regulation of the Secretary of Commerce, or to refuse to permit any officer authorized to enforce the convention, the regulations of the Commission, this subchapter, and the regulations of the Secretary of Commerce, to inspect such record or report at any reasonable time. It shall be unlawful for any person or vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to do any act prohibited or to fail to do any act required by the convention, or by this subchapter, or by any regulation adopted by the Commission, or by any regulation of the Secretary of Commerce.

Verify at the official source: Federal legislative text

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.