Fisheries Enforcement

Protecting the US Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and key areas of the high seas is an important mission of the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The USCG enforces fisheries laws at sea, as tasked by the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, to protect US domestic fisheries, a $24 billion dollar industry. The USCG also protects against foreign encroachment and enforces international fisheries agreements, primarily by sighting and boarding commercial fishing vessels. The USCG also enforces laws to protect marine mammals and endangered species.