This bill, the "Stop Illegal Fishing Act," would require the President to impose sanctions on foreign people and foreign vessels that knowingly engage in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Sanctions include blocking assets and making affected aliens inadmissible to the United States and ineligible for visas; the bill also calls for an IUU fishing sanctions program. The President must report to Congress 180 days after enactment and then annually for five years listing sanctioned people and vessels. The bill lists several exceptions for compliance with certain international obligations, humanitarian assistance, authorized U.S. intelligence or law enforcement activities, and safety of vessels and crew. The bill allows the President to waive sanctions for national security reasons and applies penalties and enforcement authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The bill's "Sense of Congress" section describes IUU fishing as harmful, links it to overfishing and harms to marine ecosystems and coastal communities, says it can be associated with poor labor conditions including forced labor, and states that the People's Republic of China is the primary perpetrator of IUU fishing and the largest exploiter of global fisheries.
If enacted, the law would give the President authority to block property and bar visas for foreign individuals and vessels found to be involved in IUU fishing. U.S. persons could be restricted from dealing with sanctioned people or vessels. The law would require an annual list of sanctioned persons and vessels for five years. There are specific exceptions for humanitarian aid, certain international obligations, U.S. intelligence or law enforcement activities, and safety needs for vessels and crew. The President may waive sanctions if needed for U.S. national security.
No publicly available information.
Supporters in the bill say IUU fishing is a growing global threat that drives overfishing, harms marine ecosystems, and hurts coastal communities, especially in poorer countries. The bill's text says IUU fishing can involve abusive conditions for crews, including forced labor or human trafficking. The bill asserts the United States should use sanctions to deter and prevent IUU fishing and identifies the People's Republic of China as the primary perpetrator and largest exploiter of global fisheries.
No publicly available information.