To combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing at its sources globally.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill creates a comprehensive framework to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing worldwide. It establishes a US blacklist of vessels engaged in IUU fishing, imposes sanctions on vessel owners, blocks seafood imports produced with forced labor, and increases Coast Guard enforcement on the high seas.
Who Benefits and How
US commercial fishing industry benefits from reduced unfair competition from illegal fishing operations. US seafood processors and importers benefit from clearer supply chain verification requirements. Sustainable fisheries and marine ecosystems benefit from reduced illegal harvesting. Workers in the fishing industry benefit from provisions targeting forced labor.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Foreign vessel owners engaged in IUU fishing face blacklisting, denial of port access, and financial sanctions including asset freezes. Seafood importers face new compliance requirements to verify products are not from forced labor. Nations with poor fisheries enforcement face potential identification under US trade laws.
Key Provisions
- Creates US blacklist denying port privileges to IUU fishing vessels and same-owner vessels
- Imposes IEEPA sanctions and visa bans on beneficial owners of blacklisted vessels
- Requires CBP regulations to verify no forced labor in seafood imports
- Authorizes $20 million annually for international fisheries technical assistance
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
To combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing globally by establishing a US blacklist of IUU vessels, imposing sanctions on vessel owners, blocking seafood from forced labor, and enhancing international enforcement cooperation
Key Policy Areas
Fisheries, Trade, National Security, Labor, International Relations
Primary Purpose
To combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing globally by establishing a US blacklist of IUU vessels, imposing sanctions on vessel owners, blocking seafood from forced labor, and enhancing international enforcement cooperation
Policy Domains
Fight IUU Fishing Act
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- US commercial fishing industry
- US seafood processors
- Sustainable fisheries
- Fishing workers
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Foreign IUU fishing operators
- Beneficial owners of IUU vessels
- Seafood importers
- Nations with poor fisheries enforcement
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Sullivan (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Wicker, …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Beneficial owners of blacklisted IUU vessels, Fishing workers on foreign vessels, Fishing workers subjected to forced labor
Positive-direction: Fishing workers on foreign vessels, Fishing workers subjected to forced labor, Global sustainable fisheries, US commercial fishing operations, US legal fishing industry
Negative-direction: Beneficial owners of blacklisted IUU vessels, Foreign fishing vessels engaged in IUU fishing, Foreign fishing vessels using forced labor, Foreign nationals involved in IUU fishing, Foreign vessels engaged in IUU fishing on high seas, Vessel owners with IUU vessels
CBP and NOAA enforcement divisions, Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security
Positive-direction: Department of State and USAID, Developing nations fisheries sectors
Negative-direction: CBP and NOAA enforcement divisions, Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, IUU Working Group agencies, Interagency Working Group on IUU fishing, NOAA, Nations identified for IUU fishing violations, US Customs and Border Protection
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Commerce (except where specified)
- "the_commandant"
- → Commandant of the Coast Guard
- "the_administrator"
- → Administrator of NOAA
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Illegal fishing, unreported fishing, and unregulated fishing as defined in the FAO International Plan of Action adopted in 2001
As defined in section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology