NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement is dedicated to enforcing laws that conserve and protect our nation's living marine resources and their natural habitat. Our goal is to assure that the many people who enjoy these resources for recreation or rely on them for business follow the rules that will maintain the species for future generations.
NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement protects fish stocks from depletion and marine mammals from extinction. We also protect the livelihoods of commercial fishers, the hobbies of recreational fishers, and the health of seafood consumers.
While scientists provide the research and councils provide the regulatory framework to manage our nation's fisheries, NOAA's mandate to end overfishing would be impossible without its Office of Law Enforcement to follow through on the rest of NOAA's hard work.
Extensive Area of Jurisdiction
NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement is responsible for carrying out more than 35 federal statutes. The agency's jurisdiction spans more than 3 million square miles of open ocean, more than 85,000 miles of U.S. coastline, the country's 13 National Marine Sanctuaries and its Marine National Monuments. It's also responsible for enforcing U.S. treaties and international law governing the high seas and international trade.
A Collaboration in Law Enforcement
With such a large coverage area, it's no wonder that NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement operates joint enforcement agreements with 27 coastal states and partners with other agencies such as the U.S. Coast Guard to help get the job done. In Fiscal Year 2008 alone, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement investigated more than 4,800 incidents.
The teamwork doesn't end there. Cases that document violations identified by NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement are referred to NOAA's Office of General Counsel, Department of Justice, or the United States Attorney's Office for their review and, if they so choose, prosecution.
Most commercial and recreational fishers comply with conservation measures, and NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement is there to ensure that those who obey the rules reap the benefits of fair competition and an even playing field. When the laws are followed, everybody wins: the fish, the fishers and future generations.
Who We Are
Formed in 1970, NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement has special agents and enforcement officers working out of six divisional offices and 53 field offices throughout the United States and U.S. territories. Headquarters are in Silver Spring, Md.
The primary geographic jurisdiction of NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement is the waters within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, which covers ocean waters between 3 and 200 miles off shore and adjacent to all U.S. states and territories. Jurisdiction extends to protected marine species and national marine sanctuaries, however, regardless of their location within the United States.
What We Do
While NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement has responsibility for enforcing more than 35 federal statues, most cases fall under five key legislative acts:
- The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act , which establishes domestic commercial and recreational fishing regulations. About 50 percent of the agency's enforcement actions are conducted to ensure compliance with this Act.
- The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 , which protect all marine mammals and endangered species, including salmon, sea turtles and whales.
- The Lacey Act Amendments of 1981, which focus on the harvest, processing and trafficking of marine resources both domestically and internationally. This statute prohibits U.S. citizens and foreign nationals from violating the laws of other countries and introducing the products of such actions into the U.S.
- The National Marine Sanctuaries Act, which provides authority for the conservation and management of National Marine Sanctuaries.
How We Do It
The NOAA Office of Law Enforcement uses four primary methods:
- Traditional enforcement approaches, including investigations and patrols.
- Partnerships with state and federal agencies.
- Technological tools, such as Vessel Monitoring Systems.
- Outreach and education strategies designed to enhance voluntary compliance.
