IUU Vessel List Act

Full Title:
FISH Act of 2026

Summary#

This bill, the FISH Act of 2026, aims to reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and related forced labor by creating a U.S. government list of foreign vessels, fleets, and beneficial owners involved in IUU fishing. It adds new enforcement tools, including U.S. visa bans for listed beneficial owners, requirements for more Coast Guard activity, and steps to improve data, international cooperation, and capacity building. The bill also funds studies and extends certain grant program authorizations.

Key changes:

  • Creates a public IUU vessel list of foreign vessels, fleets, and beneficial owners based on a "clear and convincing" evidence standard, and requires NOAA (through the Secretary of Commerce) to publish procedures and identifiers for each listed vessel.
  • Authorizes $10 million per year (fiscal 2026–2031) for the Department of Commerce to carry out the IUU list work and requires regulations within 12 months.
  • Makes foreign persons who are owners or beneficial owners of vessels on the IUU list inadmissible to the U.S., revokes existing visas for those persons, and allows a presidential national-interest waiver and several exceptions.
  • Directs the Coast Guard to increase observation and, where practicable, boarding of suspected IUU vessels and to report to Congress on enforcement actions and bilateral agreements.
  • Orders interagency work on data-sharing, recommends capacity-building and technical assistance abroad, requires strategies to detect seafood from vessels using forced labor, and funds studies on technology, geopolitics, and the economic impacts of IUU fishing (including a $2 million authorization for a National Academies study).
  • Clarifies the Act does not create authority to impose import sanctions on goods.

What it means for you#

  • Foreign vessel owners and operators

    • If a vessel, fleet, or beneficial owner is placed on the new IUU vessel list, that owner may be banned from U.S. entry and have existing U.S. visas revoked.
    • Listed entities remain on the list unless they apply for removal and meet public standards set by NOAA, or an international organization removes the vessel from its own IUU list.

  • U.S. federal agencies (NOAA, State, Coast Guard, DHS, Customs, Labor)

    • NOAA must set rules, run the public IUU vessel list, and publish identifying information.
    • The Coast Guard is asked to increase high-seas observations and boardings where practicable and must report to Congress within three years.
    • Agencies must coordinate on data sharing, enforcement strategies, and a public strategy to identify seafood harvested using forced labor.

  • International partners and RFMOs (regional fisheries management organizations)

    • The U.S. will push for stronger RFMO boarding and inspection programs and may seek more bilateral and multilateral cooperation and capacity building in partner countries.

  • Seafood industry and supply chains

    • The bill requires better data and risk-targeting recommendations. It does not, however, authorize import sanctions on goods under this law (the bill explicitly excludes creating authority to impose import bans or similar sanctions).

  • Researchers and grant programs

    • The bill extends the authorization years for the National Sea Grant College Program funding (change of funding years in the statute).
    • It funds a National Academies study and directs additional studies on technology and specific country analyses.

Expenses#

Estimated public cost: The bill explicitly authorizes funds for some items but provides no full budget estimate.

  • Department of Commerce: $10,000,000 authorized per year for fiscal years 2026–2031 to carry out the IUU vessel list provisions.
  • National Academies study: $2,000,000 authorized to support the study on the impacts of IUU fishing and forced labor.
  • National Sea Grant College Program: the bill amends the years for existing authorizations but does not state dollar amounts in this text.
  • Other costs (agency staffing, Coast Guard operations, data systems, enforcement activities, foreign capacity-building) are implied but not estimated in the bill text.
  • No comprehensive fiscal note or total cost estimate is included in the provided material.

If you need precise budget impacts beyond the authorized amounts above: No publicly available information in this bill text gives full cost estimates.

Proponents' View#

The bill appears intended to strengthen U.S. tools to stop IUU fishing and related forced labor by targeting vessels and owners at their sources. Possible arguments drawn from the bill text include:

  • It could deter IUU fishing by publicly naming vessels, fleets, and beneficial owners and by using visa restrictions as a penalty.
  • It could improve enforcement by encouraging more Coast Guard observation and boardings and by pushing RFMOs to adopt stronger boarding and inspection programs.
  • It aims to improve data sharing and risk-targeting so governments and industry can better identify and exclude seafood linked to IUU fishing or forced labor.
  • It supports foreign capacity building and technical assistance to reduce IUU fishing at source, rather than only restricting imports.
  • It adds research and analysis to better measure the scope and economic impact of IUU fishing and forced labor.

Opponents' View#

The bill’s design could raise several practical concerns or gaps based on its text:

  • One concern is how accurately the IUU vessel list will identify beneficial owners, given that ownership and control can be opaque and the bill allows listing even with partial information.
  • The list is generally permanent unless the owner applies and meets removal standards. The bill does not specify detailed timelines or clear criteria for removal beyond a public standard to be set later.
  • Visa sanctions are broad (revoking existing visas), which could cause diplomatic friction or affect individuals who may have limited control over vessel operations. A presidential waiver and exceptions exist but may not cover all cases.
  • The bill requires more Coast Guard boardings and enforcement, but it does not include a full funding plan for increased patrols, which may create resource or operational challenges.
  • Data-sharing and interagency cooperation goals are broad, but the bill provides limited detail on how legal, privacy, and jurisdictional barriers will be resolved.
  • Although the bill targets IUU fishing and forced labor, it explicitly says it does not authorize import sanctions on goods, which may limit the immediate market consequences for IUU-linked seafood.
  • The provided authorizations cover some activities, but the bill lacks a full fiscal estimate for implementation, making it unclear how much additional agency staffing or technology investment will be needed.