The FISH Act of 2025 directs U.S. agencies to fight illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and fishing that involves forced labor. It creates a public IUU vessel list (a blacklist) of foreign vessels, foreign fleets, and beneficial owners when there is clear and convincing evidence. The list can include vessels named by international fishery organizations, vessels that break regional fishing rules, vessels tied to forced labor or U.S. Customs findings, vessels that service listed vessels, vessels fishing in the U.S. exclusive economic zone without a permit, and vessels sharing the same beneficial owner as a listed vessel.
Vessels on the IUU vessel list are generally prohibited from accessing U.S. ports and using port services, from traveling through U.S. territorial seas except for innocent passage, and from delivering or receiving supplies, services, or transshipment in U.S. waters (subject to customary international law). U.S. vessels may not service listed foreign vessels except in emergencies involving life and safety or to facilitate enforcement. Seafood caught, processed, or transported by listed vessels is barred from import into the United States, with an exception if an importer paid for the seafood and did not know and had no reason to know it was the product of IUU fishing.
The Secretary of Commerce (through NOAA) must publish procedures for adding and removing vessels, maintain the list online and in the Federal Register, and issue regulations within 12 months. The Secretary may remove vessels under specified conditions, including revoked Customs withhold-release orders or successful owner applications showing corrective actions.
The Secretary of the Treasury may impose sanctions on foreign persons, vessels, or entities involved in IUU fishing or trade in endangered species. Sanctions may include blocking property and making persons ineligible for U.S. visas or admission. The President may waive sanctions. The Act also encourages international cooperation, capacity-building and technical assistance for fisheries, increased Coast Guard boarding and reporting on suspected IUU fishing, improved data sharing and import risk-targeting, and several required studies. The Department of Commerce is authorized $20 million per year for fiscal years 2025–2030 to carry out the IUU vessel list. The bill also authorizes $4,000,000 for a National Academies study on the impacts of IUU fishing.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.