U.S. Code > Title 16 Conservation > CHAPTER 31—MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION (§§ 1361—1423h) > SUBCHAPTER II—CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION OF MARINE MAMMALS (§§ 1371—1389) > § 1372. Prohibitions

§ 1372. Prohibitions

(a) Taking
Except as provided in sections 1371, 1373, 1374, 1379, 1381, 1383, 1383a, and 1387 of this title and subchapter V of this chapter, it is unlawful—
(1) for any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States or any vessel or other conveyance subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to take any marine mammal on the high seas;
(2) except as expressly provided for by an international treaty, convention, or agreement to which the United States is a party and which was entered into before the effective date of this subchapter or by any statute implementing any such treaty, convention, or agreement—
(A) for any person or vessel or other conveyance to take any marine mammal in waters or on lands under the jurisdiction of the United States; or
(B) for any person to use any port, harbor, or other place under the jurisdiction of the United States to take or import marine mammals or marine mammal products; and
(3) for any person, with respect to any marine mammal taken in violation of this subchapter, to possess that mammal or any product from that mammal;
(4) for any person to transport, purchase, sell, export, or offer to purchase, sell, or export any marine mammal or marine mammal product—
(A) that is taken in violation of this chapter; or
(B) for any purpose other than public display, scientific research, or enhancing the survival of a species or stock as provided for under subsection 1374(c) of this title; and
(5) for any person to use, in a commercial fishery, any means or methods of fishing in contravention of any regulations or limitations, issued by the Secretary for that fishery to achieve the purposes of this chapter.
(b) Importation of pregnant or nursing mammals; depleted species or stock; inhumane taking
Except pursuant to a permit for scientific research, or for enhancing the survival or recovery of a species or stock, issued under section 1374 (c) of this title, it is unlawful to import into the United States any marine mammal if such mammal was—
(1) pregnant at the time of taking;
(2) nursing at the time of taking, or less than eight months old, whichever occurs later;
(3) taken from a species or population stock which the Secretary has, by regulation published in the Federal Register, designated as a depleted species or stock; or
(4) taken in a manner deemed inhumane by the Secretary.
Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2), the Secretary may issue a permit for the importation of a marine mammal, if the Secretary determines that such importation is necessary for the protection or welfare of the animal.
(c) Importation of illegally taken mammals
It is unlawful to import into the United States any of the following:
(1) Any marine mammal which was—
(A) taken in violation of this subchapter; or
(B) taken in another country in violation of the law of that country.
(2) Any marine mammal product if—
(A) the importation into the United States of the marine mammal from which such product is made is unlawful under paragraph (1) of this subsection; or
(B) the sale in commerce of such product in the country of origin of the product is illegal;
(3) Any fish, whether fresh, frozen, or otherwise prepared, if such fish was caught in a manner which the Secretary has proscribed for persons subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, whether or not any marine mammals were in fact taken incident to the catching of the fish.
(d) Nonapplicability of prohibitions
Subsections (b) and (c) of this section shall not apply—
(1) in the case of marine mammals or marine mammal products, as the case may be, to which subsection (b)(3) of this section applies, to such items imported into the United States before the date on which the Secretary publishes notice in the Federal Register of his proposed rulemaking with respect to the designation of the species or stock concerned as depleted; or
(2) in the case of marine mammals or marine mammal products to which subsection (c)(1)(B) or (c)(2)(B) of this section applies, to articles imported into the United States before the effective date of the foreign law making the taking or sale, as the case may be, of such marine mammals or marine mammal products unlawful.
(e) Retroactive effect
This chapter shall not apply with respect to any marine mammal taken before the effective date of this chapter, or to any marine mammal product consisting of, or composed in whole or in part of, any marine mammal taken before such date.
(f) Commercial taking of whales
It is unlawful for any person or vessel or other conveyance to take any species of whale incident to commercial whaling in waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.