This advanced, practice-focused seminar examines the legal and operational frameworks through which the United States combats illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and marine trafficking activities, including forced labor, narcotics smuggling, and wildlife trafficking at sea. Anchored in domestic statutes and international law—particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea—the course explores how enforcement agencies coordinate across jurisdictions to address complex maritime crimes.
The course focuses on how lawyers advise U.S. government agencies, multinational corporations, shipping companies, and NGOs on compliance, enforcement risk, and cross-border investigations. Students will analyze real-world enforcement scenarios involving vessel interdictions, port state controls, sanctions, and supply chain regulation.
The seminar treats maritime crime as a hybrid legal battlefield, where environmental law, criminal law, trade regulation, and national security converge. Students will develop practical skills in compliance design, enforcement strategy, and risk mitigation.
This course assumes prior study of international law, criminal law, or environmental law.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
1. Understand legal frameworks governing illegal fishing and marine trafficking.
2. Analyze U.S. jurisdiction and enforcement authority at sea.
3. Evaluate enforcement strategies used by U.S. agencies.
4. Understand international cooperation mechanisms.
5. Assess risks for corporations and supply chains.
6. Analyze sanctions and trade enforcement tools.
7. Navigate cross-border legal challenges.
8. Advise clients on compliance with maritime regulations.
9. Evaluate emerging threats and enforcement trends.
10. Apply legal principles to real-world maritime crime scenarios.
