HR3756-119

What This Bill Does

The FISH Act defines IUU fishing, forced labor, seafood, beneficial owners, NOAA, and regional fisheries management organizations. It requires NOAA, coordinating with State, CBP, and Labor, to develop and publish an IUU vessel list covering foreign vessels, fleets, and beneficial owners with clear and convincing evidence of IUU fishing or related support. Treasury may block property and transactions for foreign persons, vessels, officials, entities, or material supporters tied to IUU fishing, endangered-species fish trade, or IUU vessel-list conduct. The Coast Guard must increase observation and potential boarding of suspected IUU vessels on the high seas and report to Congress on bilateral agreements, observed incidents, vessel status, and enforcement follow-up. The bill adds strategies for regional fisheries management organizations, data sharing, forced-labor seafood import detection, capacity building in foreign fisheries sectors, and technology studies, plus a State Department study on Russian and Chinese fishing industry collaboration and seafood reprocessing in China.

Who Benefits and How

U.S. commercial fishing company officers benefit from stronger enforcement against IUU competitors and forced-labor seafood. NOAA enforcement Office staff benefit from clearer IUU vessel-list authority and data-sharing recommendations. Coast Guard boarding officers benefit from reporting and bilateral-agreement planning for high-seas inspections. CBP Forced Labor Division staff benefit from a required strategy using Federal data to identify seafood harvested with forced labor. Seafood consumers benefit if import controls reduce illegally harvested or forced-labor seafood in U.S. commerce. Fisheries monitoring technology companies benefit from studies on drones, remote observing, risk tools, data-sharing software, containerization, and satellite Wi-Fi.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Foreign IUU vessel company officers face blacklisting, sanctions, boarding, and import scrutiny. Beneficial owners of IUU vessels face property-blocking and transaction prohibitions. U.S. seafood importer compliance officers must handle more data checks, CBP targeting, and forced-labor review. NOAA, Coast Guard, CBP, State, Treasury, Labor, USAID, and Interagency Working Group staff must coordinate reports, sanctions, strategies, and studies. Foreign fishing company owners tied to Russia, China, or forced labor face greater U.S. market scrutiny.

Key Provisions

• Defines IUU fishing, forced labor, seafood, beneficial owners, NOAA, and regional fisheries management organizations.
• Requires a public IUU vessel list covering foreign vessels, fleets, and beneficial owners.
• Authorizes Treasury sanctions against foreign persons, vessels, entities, officials, and material supporters tied to IUU fishing.
• Directs Coast Guard high-seas observation, boarding emphasis, and reports on bilateral agreements and enforcement follow-up.
• Requires strategies for data sharing, RFMO enforcement, forced-labor seafood import detection, and foreign fisheries capacity building.
• Requires technology and supply-chain studies, including Russian-Chinese seafood market analysis.