Enforcement

What this funds

NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) strengthens domestic commerce by ensuring the competitiveness of U.S. seafood by protecting the integrity of global seafood supply chains and preventing and deterring illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing from unfairly competing with lawful U.S. producers in global markets. OLE enforces NOAA's natural resource protection laws and promotes compliance with Federal regulations to conserve and protect our Nation's living marine resources and their natural OLE protects and monitors the world's largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), including 16 National Marine Sanctuaries and five Marine National Monuments, and is the only enforcement program (Federal or state) exclusively dedicated to Federal fisheries and marine resource enforcement. A critical focus of OLE's mission is combatting IUU fishing. OLE works with interagency partners, such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard, to enforce relevant fisheries regulations and prevent IUU fish and fish products from entering U.S. markets. This includes targeted operations of suspected IUU fishing, at-sea and aerial patrols, and physical inspections of seafood products at ports looking for falsely labeled seafood and other illegal products that adversely affect U.S. domestic fishers and consumers. OLE also provides enforcement support for conservation and management activities in the NMFS Offices of Sustainable Fisheries and Protected Resources, NMFS Regional Offices, and the NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. OLE refers enforcement cases that document violations to NOAA's Office of General Counsel or the U.S. Department of Justice for review and potential prosecution. OLE leverages 29 Joint Enforcement Agreements (JEAs) with 29 coastal states and territories, and partners with other Federal agencies, such as the U.S. Coast Guard, to enforce the Nation's marine resource laws. NOAA cannot meet the mandate to combat IUU fishing or end overfishing without OLE's efforts. These efforts ensure that the millions of people who enjoy and rely on these marine resources understand and comply with the regulations necessary to ensure their sustainability and allow fair competition now and for future generations. OLE supports two objectives: 1. Enforce laws and regulations that govern: b. international and interstate commerce in marine resources, and

Extracted from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, p. 187. Verbatim; nothing here is paraphrased.

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