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Issued
March 22, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextMr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 313, S. 688.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 688) to combat illegal, unreported, and
unregulated fishing at its sources globally.
which had been reported from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation with an amendment, as follows:
(The part of the bill intended to be inserted is printed in italic.)
S. 688
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Fighting Foreign Illegal
Seafood Harvests Act of 2025” or the “FISH Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.—Unless otherwise provided, the term
“Administrator” means the Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the designee of the
Administrator.
(2) Beneficial owner.—The term “beneficial owner” means,
with respect to a vessel, a person that, directly or
indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding,
relationship, or otherwise—
(A) exercises substantial control over the vessel; or
(B) owns not less than 50 percent of the ownership
interests in the vessel.
(3) Fish.—The term “fish” means finfish, crustaceans,
and mollusks.
(4) Forced labor.—The term “forced labor” has the
meaning given that term in section 307 of the Tariff Act of
1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307).
(5) IUU fishing.—The term “IUU fishing” means activities
described as illegal fishing, unreported fishing, or
unregulated fishing in paragraph 3 of the International Plan
of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported
and Unregulated Fishing, adopted at the 24th Session of the
Committee on Fisheries in Rome on March 2, 2001.
(6) Regional fisheries management organization.—The terms
“regional fisheries management organization” and “RFMO”
have the meaning given the terms in section 303 of the Port
State Measures Agreement Act of 2015 (16 U.S.C. 7402).
(7) Seafood.—The term “seafood” means fish, shellfish,
processed fish, fish meal, shellfish products, and all other
forms of marine animal and plant life other than marine
mammals and birds.
(8) Secretary.—Unless otherwise provided, the term
“Secretary” means the Secretary of Commerce acting through
the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration or the designee of the Administrator.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States to partner, consult,
and coordinate with foreign governments (at the national and
subnational levels), civil society, international
organizations, international financial institutions,
subnational coastal communities, commercial and recreational
fishing industry leaders, communities that engage in
artisanal or subsistence fishing, fishers, and the private
sector, in a concerted effort—
(1) to continue the broad effort across the Federal
Government to counter IUU fishing, including any potential
links to forced labor, human trafficking, and other threats
to maritime security, as outlined in sections 3533 and 3534
of the Maritime SAFE Act (16 U.S.C. 8002 and 8003); and
(2) to, additionally—
(A) prioritize efforts to prevent IUU fishing at its
sources; and
(B) support continued implementation of the Central Arctic
Ocean Fisheries agreement, as well as joint research and
follow-on actions that ensure sustainability of fish stocks
in Arctic international waters.
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF A BLACK LIST (IUU VESSEL LIST).
Section 608 of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium
Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826i) is amended by striking
subsections (c) and (d) and inserting the following:
“(c) Black List (IUU Vessel List).—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary, in coordination with the
Secretary of State, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection, and the Secretary of Labor, shall develop,
maintain, and make public a list of foreign vessels, foreign
fleets, and beneficial
owners of foreign vessels or foreign fleets engaged in IUU
fishing or fishing-related activities in support of IUU
fishing (referred to in this section as the `IUU vessel
list').
“(2) Inclusion on list.—The IUU vessel list shall include
any foreign vessel, foreign fleet, or beneficial owner of a
foreign vessel or foreign fleet for which the Secretary
determines there is clear and convincing evidence to believe
that a foreign vessel is any of the following (even if the
Secretary has only partial information regarding the foreign
vessel):
“(A) A foreign vessel listed on an IUU vessel list of an
international fishery management organization.
“(B) A foreign vessel taking part in fishing that
undermines the effectiveness of an international fishery
management organization's conservation and management
measures, including a foreign vessel—
“(i) exceeding applicable international fishery management
organization catch limits; or
“(ii) that is operating inconsistent with relevant catch
allocation arrangements of the international fishery
management organization, even if operating under the
authority of a foreign country that is not a member of the
international fishery management organization.
“(C) A foreign vessel, either on the high seas or in the
exclusive economic zone of another country, identified and
reported by United States authorities to an international
fishery management organization to be conducting IUU fishing
when the United States has reason to believe the foreign
country to which the foreign vessel is registered or
documented is not addressing the allegation.
“(D) A foreign vessel, foreign fleet, or beneficial owner
of a foreign vessel or foreign fleet on the high seas
identified by United States authorities to be conducting IUU
fishing or fishing that involves the use of forced labor,
including individuals and entities subject to a withhold
release order or a finding issued by U.S. Customs and Border
Protection pursuant to section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930
(19 U.S.C. 1307) or any other U.S. Customs and Border
Protection enforcement action, sanctions imposed by the
Department of the Treasury under the Global Magnitsky Human
Rights Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.), or any
other United States Government forced labor prevention or
enforcement action that has not been subsequently revoked.
“(E) A foreign vessel that provides services (excluding
emergency or enforcement services) to a foreign vessel that
is on the IUU vessel list, including transshipment, resupply,
refueling, or pilotage.
“(F) A foreign vessel that is a fishing vessel engaged in
commercial fishing within the exclusive economic zone of the
United States without a permit issued under title II of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16
U.S.C. 1821 et seq.).
“(G) A foreign vessel that has the same beneficial owner
as a foreign vessel on the IUU vessel list at the time of the
infraction.
“(H) A foreign vessel or beneficial owner of a foreign
vessel subject to economic sanctions administered by the
Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control
for transnational criminal activity associated with IUU
fishing under Executive Order 13581 (76 Fed. Reg. 44757, 84
Fed. Reg. 10255; relating to blocking property of
transnational criminal organizations), or any other
applicable economic sanctions program, including sanctions
imposed by the Department of the Treasury under the Global
Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 10101 et
seq.).
“(3) Nominations to be put on the black (iuu vessel)
list.—The Secretary may receive nominations for putting a
foreign vessel on the IUU vessel list from—
“(A) the head of an executive branch agency that is a
member of the Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing
established under section 3551 of the Maritime SAFE Act (16
U.S.C. 8031);
“(B) a country that is a member of the Combined Maritime
Forces; or
“(C) civil organizations that have data-sharing agreements
with a member of the Interagency Working Group on IUU
Fishing.
“(4) Procedures for addition.—The Secretary may put a
foreign vessel on the IUU vessel list only after notification
to the foreign vessel's beneficial owner and a review of any
information that the owner provides within 90 days of the
notification.
“(5) Public information.—The Secretary shall publish its
procedures for adding foreign vessels on, and removing
foreign vessels from, the IUU vessel list. The Secretary
shall publish the IUU vessel list itself in the Federal
Register annually and on a website, which shall be updated
any time a foreign vessel is added to the IUU vessel list,
and include the following information (as much as is
available and confirmed) for each foreign vessel on the IUU
vessel list:
“(A) The name of the foreign vessel and previous names of
the foreign vessel.
“(B) The International Maritime Organization (IMO) number
of the foreign vessel, or other Unique Vessel Identifier
(such as the flag state permit number or authorized vessel
number issued by an international fishery management
organization).
“(C) The maritime mobile service identity number and call
sign of the foreign vessel.
“(D) The business or corporate address of each beneficial
owner of the foreign vessel.
“(E) The country where the foreign vessel is registered or
documented, and where it was previously registered if known.
“(F) The date of inclusion on the IUU vessel list of the
foreign vessel.
“(G) Any other Unique Vessel Identifier (UVI), if
applicable.
“(H) Any other identifying information on the foreign
vessel, as determined appropriate by the Secretary.
“(I) The basis for the Secretary's inclusion of the
foreign vessel on the IUU vessel list under paragraph (2).
“(d) Consequences of Being on Black List (IUU Vessel
List).—
“(1) In general.—Except for the purposes of inspection
and enforcement or in case of force majeure, a foreign vessel
on the IUU vessel list is prohibited from—
“(A) accessing United States ports and using port
services;
“(B) traveling through the United States territorial sea
unless it is conducting innocent passage; and
“(C) delivering or receiving supplies or services, or
transshipment, within waters subject to the jurisdiction of
the United States, unless such prohibition would be
inconsistent with customary international law.
“(2) Servicing prohibited.—No vessel of the United States
may service a foreign vessel that is on the IUU vessel list,
except in an emergency involving life and safety or to
facilitate enforcement.
“(3) Imports prohibited.—The import of seafood or seafood
products caught, processed, or transported by foreign vessels
on the IUU vessel list is prohibited and shall be subject to
the enforcement provisions of section 606.
“(4) Fishing treaties and agreements.—It should be a
priority for United States delegations to—
“(A) advocate for the incorporation of articles in
international fishery management organizations providing
identical or similar safeguards described in this section in
new and updated bilateral or multilateral fishing treaties;
and
“(B) encourage parties to international and regional
fisheries organizations that the United States is party to,
or holds observer status, to take similar measures described
in this section.
“(e) Enforcement of Black List (IUU Vessel List).—
“(1) In general.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), a
foreign vessel on the IUU vessel list and the cargo of such
vessel shall be subject to seizure and forfeiture to the
United States in the same manner as merchandise is forfeited
for violation of the customs revenue laws.
“(2) Exception.—The cargo of seafood of a foreign vessel
on the IUU vessel list shall not be subject to seizure and
forfeiture to the United States if the cargo of seafood is in
the possession of an importer who has paid for the cargo of
seafood and did not know, or did not have any reason to know,
that the seafood was the product of IUU fishing.
“(f) Permanency of Black List (IUU Vessel List).—
“(1) In general.—Except as provided in paragraphs (2)
through (4), a foreign vessel, foreign fleet, or beneficial
owner of a foreign vessel or foreign fleet that is put on the
IUU vessel list shall remain on the IUU vessel list.
“(2) Revocation of wro.—The Secretary shall remove a
foreign vessel or foreign fleet from the IUU vessel list if
the foreign vessel was added to the IUU vessel list because
it was found by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to have
had a withhold release order or a finding issued pursuant to
section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307) and
the withhold release order was subsequently revoked.
“(3) Application by owner for potential removal.—
“(A) In general.—In consultation with the Secretary of
State and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the
Secretary may remove a foreign vessel, foreign fleet, or
beneficial owner of a foreign vessel or foreign fleet from
the IUU vessel list if the beneficial owner of the foreign
vessel submits an application for removal to the Secretary
that meets the standards that the Secretary has set out for
removal.
“(B) Standards.—The Secretary shall include in the
standards set out for removal a determination that the
foreign vessel or foreign vessel owner has not engaged in IUU
fishing or fishing that involves the use of forced labor
during the 5-year period preceding the date of the
application for removal. The Secretary, in consultation with
the Secretary of State and the U.S. Customs and Border
Protection, shall determine whether each application for
removal demonstrates that sufficient corrective action has
been taken to remediate the violations and infractions that
led to the inclusion on the IUU vessel list.
“(C) Consideration of relevant information.—In
considering an application for removal, the Secretary shall
consider relevant information from all sources.
“(4) Removal due to international fishery management
organization action.—The Secretary may remove a foreign
vessel from the IUU vessel list if the foreign vessel was put
on the list because it was a foreign vessel listed on an IUU
vessel list of an international fishery management
organization, pursuant to subsection (c)(2)(A), and the
international fishery management organization removed the
foreign vessel from its IUU vessel list.
“(g) Regulations and Process.—Not later than 12 months
after the date of enactment of the Fighting Foreign Illegal
Seafood Harvests Act of 2025, the Secretary shall issue
regulations to set a process for establishing, maintaining,
implementing, and publishing the IUU vessel list. The
Administrator may add or remove a foreign vessel, foreign
fleet, or beneficial owner of a foreign vessel or foreign
fleet from the IUU vessel list on the date the foreign vessel
becomes eligible for such addition or removal.
“(h) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Administrator.—Unless otherwise provided, the term
`Administrator' means the Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the designee of the
Administrator.
“(2) Beneficial owner.—The term `beneficial owner' means,
with respect to a vessel, a person that, directly or
indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding,
relationship, or otherwise—
“(A) exercises substantial control over the vessel; or
“(B) owns not less than 50 percent of the ownership
interests in the vessel.
“(3) Forced labor.—The term `forced labor' has the
meaning given that term in section 307 of the Tariff Act of
1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307).
“(4) Foreign vessel.—The term `foreign vessel' has the
meaning given the term in section 110 of title 46, United
States Code.
“(5) International fishery management organization.—The
term `international fishery management organization' means an
international organization established by any bilateral or
multilateral treaty, convention, or agreement for the
conservation and management of fish.
“(6) IUU fishing.—The term `IUU fishing' means activities
described as illegal fishing, unreported fishing, or
unregulated fishing in paragraph 3 of the International Plan
of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported
and Unregulated Fishing, adopted at the 24th Session of the
Committee on Fisheries in Rome on March 2, 2001.
“(7) Seafood.—The term `seafood' means fish, shellfish,
processed fish, fish meal, shellfish products, and all other
forms of marine animal and plant life other than marine
mammals and birds.
“(i) Authorization of Appropriations.—There are
authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Commerce
to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2025 through 2030.”.
SEC. 5. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS.
(a) Authorization for Sanctions.—The Secretary of the
Treasury may impose the measures described in subsection (b)
with respect to—
(1) any foreign person or foreign vessel, regardless of
ownership, that the Secretary of the Treasury determines has
participated in—
(A) the sale, supply, purchase, or transfer (including
transportation) of a fish species that is an endangered
species, as defined in section of the Endangered Species Act
of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1532), directly or indirectly; or
(B) IUU fishing;
(2) a leader or official of an entity that has engaged in,
or whose members have engaged in, any of the activities
described in paragraph (1);
(3) an entity determined to have owned, operated,
chartered, or controlled a vessel whose personnel are engaged
in the activities described in paragraph (1) at a time period
relating to the activities;
(4) an entity that commits any action described in section
608(c) of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium
Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826i) as a basis to be put on the
IUU vessel list under such section; and
(5) an entity that has materially assisted, sponsored, or
provided financial, material, or technological support for,
or goods or services in support of, a foreign person or
foreign vessel described in paragraph (1).
(b) Sanctions Described.—The sanctions to be imposed under
subsection (a) are the following:
(1) Blocking of property.—Notwithstanding section 202 of
the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C.
1701), the exercise of all powers granted to the President by
the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C.
1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to block and prohibit
all transactions in all property and interests in property of
a foreign person or entity described in subsection (a)
including, to the extent appropriate, the vessel of which the
person is the beneficial owner, if such property and
interests in property are in the United States, come within
the United States, or are or come within the possession or
control of a United States person.
(2) Ineligibility for visas, admission, or parole.—
(A) Visas, admission, or parole.—A foreign person
described in subsection (a) is—
(i) inadmissible to the United States;
(ii) ineligible to receive a visa or other documentation to
enter the United States; and
(iii) otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled into
the United States or to receive any other benefit under the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
(B) Current visas revoked.—
(i) In general.—The visa or other entry documentation of a
foreign person described in subsection (a) shall be revoked,
regardless of when such visa or other entry documentation is
or was issued.
(ii) Immediate effect.—A revocation under clause (i)
shall, in accordance with section 221(i) of the Immigration
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i))—
(I) take effect; and
(II) cancel any other valid visa or entry documentation
that is in the person's possession.
(c) Implementation; Penalties.—
(1) Implementation.—The President may exercise all
authorities provided under sections 203 and 205 of the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702
and 1704) to carry out this section.
(2) Penalties.—A person that violates, attempts to
violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of this
section or any regulation, license, or order issued to carry
out this section shall be subject to the penalties set forth
in subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705)
to the same extent as a person that commits an unlawful act
described in subsection (a) of that section.
(d) National Interest Waiver.—The President may waive the
imposition of sanctions under this section with respect to a
foreign person or entity.
(e) Exceptions.—
(1) Exceptions for authorized intelligence and law
enforcement activities.—This section shall not apply with
respect to activities subject to the reporting requirements
under title V of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C.
3091 et seq.) or any authorized intelligence, law
enforcement, or national security activities of the United
States.
(2) Exception to comply with international agreements.—
Sanctions under subsection (b)(2) shall not apply with
respect to the admission of an alien to the United States if
such admission is necessary to comply with the obligations of
the United States under the Agreement regarding the
Headquarters of the United Nations, signed at Lake Success
June 26, 1947, and entered into force November 21, 1947,
between the United Nations and the United States, or the
Convention on Consular Relations, done at Vienna April 24,
1963, and entered into force March 19, 1967, or other
international obligations.
(3) Exception for safety of vessels and crew.—Sanctions
under this section shall not apply with respect to a person
or entity providing provisions to a vessel identified under
section 608(c) of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium
Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826i) if such provisions are
intended for the safety and care of the crew aboard the
vessel, or the maintenance of the vessel to avoid any
environmental or other significant damage.
(4) Humanitarian exception.—The President may not impose
sanctions under this section with respect to any person or
entity for conducting or facilitating a transaction for the
sale of agricultural commodities, food, medicine, or medical
devices or for the provision of humanitarian assistance.
(f) Rulemaking.—
(1) In general.—The President is authorized to promulgate
such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out
the provisions of this section (which may include regulatory
exceptions), including under section 205 of the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1704).
(2) Rule of construction.—Nothing in this section, or in
any amendment made by this section, may be construed to limit
the authority of the President pursuant to the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).
(g) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Admission; admitted; alien; lawfully admitted for
permanent residence.—The terms “admission”, “admitted”,
“alien”, and “lawfully admitted for permanent residence”
have the meanings given those terms in section 101 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101).
(2) Foreign person.—The term “foreign person” means an
individual or entity that is not a United States person.
(3) United states person.—The term “United States
person” means—
(A) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted
for permanent residence to the United States;
(B) an entity organized under the laws of the United States
or any jurisdiction within the United States, including a
foreign branch of such an entity; or
(C) any person in the United States.
SEC. 6. AGREEMENTS.
(a) Presidential Negotiation.—In negotiating any relevant
agreement with a foreign nation or nations after the date of
enactment of this Act, the President is encouraged to
consider the impacts on or to IUU fishing and fishing that
involves the use of forced labor and strive to ensure that
the agreement strengthens efforts to combat IUU fishing and
fishing that involves the use of forced labor.
(b) Federal Government Encouragement.—The Federal
Government should encourage other nations to ratify treaties
and agreements that address IUU fishing to which the United
States is a party, including the UN Fish Stocks Agreement,
the High Seas Fishing Compliance Agreement, the Port State
Measures Agreement, and other applicable agreements, and
pursue bilateral and multilateral initiatives to raise
international ambition to combat IUU fishing, including in
the G7 and G20, the United Nations, the International Labor
Organization (ILO), and the International Maritime
Organization (IMO), and through voluntary multilateral
efforts. The bilateral and multilateral initiatives should
address underlying
drivers of IUU fishing and fishing that involves the use of
forced labor, such as the practice of transshipment, flags of
convenience vessels, and government subsidies of the distant
water fishing industry.
(c) Transparency for Non-Binding Instruments Concluded
Under This Section.—Any memorandum of understanding or other
non-binding instrument to further the objectives of this
section shall be considered a qualifying non-binding
instrument for purposes of section 112b of title 1, United
States Code.
SEC. 7. ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS.
(a) Increase Boarding of Vessels Suspected of IUU
Fishing.—The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall strive, in
accordance with the UN Fish Stocks Agreement, to increase,
from year to year, its observation of vessels on the high
seas that are suspected of IUU fishing and related harmful
practices, and is encouraged to consider boarding these
vessels to the greatest extent practicable.
(b) Follow Up.—The Administrator shall, in consultation
with the Commandant of the Coast Guard and the Secretary of
State, coordinate regularly with regional fisheries
management organizations to determine what corrective
measures each country has taken after vessels that are
registered or documented by the country have been boarded for
suspected IUU fishing.
(c) Report.—Not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act and in accordance with information
management rules of the relevant regional fisheries
management organizations, the Commandant of the Coast Guard
shall submit a report to Congress on—
(1) the total number of bilateral agreements utilized or
enacted during Coast Guard counter-IUU patrols and future
patrol plans for operations with partner nations where
bilateral agreements are required to effectively execute the
counter-IUU mission and any changes to IUU provisions in
bilateral agreements;
(2) incidents of IUU fishing observed while conducting High
Seas Boarding and Inspections (HSBI), how the conduct is
tracked after referral to the respective country where the
vessel is registered or documented, and what actions are
taken to document or otherwise act on the enforcement, or
lack thereof, taken by the country;
(3) the country where the vessel is registered or
documented, the country where the vessel was previously
registered and documented if known, and status of a vessel
interdicted or observed to be engaged in IUU fishing on the
high seas by the Coast Guard;
(4) incident details on vessels observed to be engaged in
IUU fishing on the high seas, boarding refusals, and what
action was taken; and
(5) any other potential enforcement actions that could
decrease IUU fishing on the high seas.
SEC. 8. IMPROVED MANAGEMENT AT THE REGIONAL FISHERIES
MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS.
(a) Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing.—Section
3551(c) of the Maritime SAFE Act (16 U.S.C. 8031(c)) is
amended—
(1) in paragraph (13), by striking “and” after the
semicolon;
(2) in paragraph (14), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(15) developing a strategy for leveraging enforcement
capacity against IUU fishing, particularly focusing on
nations identified under section 609(a) of the High Seas
Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C.
1826j(a)); and
“(16) developing a strategy for leveraging enforcement
capacity against associated abuses, such as fishing that
involves the use of forced labor and other illegal labor
practices, and increasing enforcement and other actions
across relevant import control and assessment programs, using
as resources—
“(A) the List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced
Labor produced pursuant to section 105 of the Trafficking
Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (22 U.S.C.
7112);
“(B) the Trafficking in Persons Report required under
section 110 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000
(22 U.S.C. 7107);
“(C) United States Customs and Border Protection's Forced
Labor Division and enforcement activities and regulations
authorized under section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19
U.S.C. 1307); and
“(D) reports submitted under the Uyghur Human Rights
Policy Act of 2020 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note).”.
(b) Secretary of State Identification.—The Secretary of
State, in coordination with the Commandant of the Coast Guard
and the Administrator, shall—
(1) identify regional fisheries management organizations
that the United States is party to that do not have a high
seas boarding and inspection program; and
(2) identify obstacles, needed authorities, or existing
efforts to increase implementation of these programs, and
take action as appropriate.
SEC. 9. STRATEGIES TO OPTIMIZE DATA COLLECTION, SHARING, AND
ANALYSIS.
Section 3552 of the Maritime SAFE Act (16 U.S.C. 8032) is
amended by adding at the end:
“(c) Strategies To Optimize Data Collection, Sharing, and
Analysis.—Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment
of the Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025,
the Working Group shall identify information and resources to
prevent fish and fish products from IUU fishing and fishing
that involves the use of forced labor from entering United
States commerce without increasing burden or trade barriers
on seafood not produced from IUU fishing. The report shall
include the following:
“(1) Identification of relevant data streams collected by
Working Group members.
“(2) Identification of legal, jurisdictional, or other
barriers to the sharing of such data.
“(3) In consultation with the Secretary of Defense,
recommendations for joint enforcement protocols,
collaboration, and information sharing between Federal
agencies and States.
“(4) Recommendations for sharing and developing forensic
resources between Federal agencies and States.
“(5) Recommendations for enhancing capacity for United
States Customs and Border Protection and National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration to conduct more effective field
investigations and enforcement efforts with U.S. state
enforcement officials.
“(6) Recommendations for improving data collection and
automated risk-targeting of seafood imports within the United
States International Trade Data System and Automated
Commercial Environment.
“(7) Recommendations for the dissemination of IUU fishing
and fishing that involves the use of forced labor analysis
and information to those governmental and non-governmental
entities that could use it for action and awareness, with the
aim to establish an IUU fishing information sharing center.
“(8) Recommendations for an implementation strategy,
including measures for ensuring that trade in seafood not
linked to IUU fishing and forced labor is not impeded.
“(9) An analysis of the IUU fishing policies and
regulatory regimes of other countries in order to develop
policy and regulatory alternatives for United States
consideration.”.
SEC. 10. INVESTMENT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN THE FISHERIES
SECTOR.
(a) In General.—The Secretary of State, the Administrator
of the United States Agency for International Development,
and the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the heads
of relevant agencies, the Millennium Challenge Corporation,
and multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, are
encouraged to increase support to programs that provide
technical assistance, institutional capacity, and investment
to nations' fisheries sectors for sustainable fisheries
management and combating IUU fishing and forced labor. The
focus of such support is encouraged to be on priority regions
and priority flag states identified under section 3552(b) of
the Maritime SAFE Act (16 U.S.C. 8032(b)).
(b) Analysis of U.S. Capacity-Building Expertise and
Resources.—In order to maximize efforts on preventing IUU
fishing at its sources, the Interagency Working Group on IUU
Fishing established under section 3551 of the Maritime SAFE
Act (16 U.S.C. 8031) shall analyze United States capacity-
building expertise and resources to provide support to
nations' fisheries sectors. This analysis may include an
assessment of potential avenues for in-country public-private
collaboration and multilateral collaboration on developing
local fisheries science, fisheries management, maritime
enforcement, and maritime judicial capabilities.
SEC. 11. PREVENTING IMPORTATION OF SEAFOOD AND SEAFOOD
PRODUCTS FROM FOREIGN VESSELS USING FORCED
LABOR.
The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in
coordination with the Secretary shall—
(1) develop a strategy for utilizing relevant United States
Government data to identify imports of seafood harvested on
foreign vessels using forced labor; and
(2) publish information regarding the strategy developed
under paragraph (1) on the website of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection.
SEC. 12. REPORTS.
(a) Impact of New Technology.—Not later than 1 year after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland
Security, with support from the Administrator and the Working
Group established under section 3551 of the Maritime SAFE Act
(16 U.S.C. 8031), shall conduct a study to assess the impact
of new technology (such as remote observing, the use of
drones, development of risk assessment tools and data-sharing
software, immediate containerization of fish on fishing
vessels, satellite Wi-Fi technology on fishing vessels, and
other technology-enhanced new fishing practices) on IUU
fishing and associated crimes (such as trafficking and
fishing involving the use of forced labor) and propose ways
to integrate these technologies into global fisheries
enforcement and management.
(b) Russian and Chinese Fishing Industries' Influence on
Each Other and on the United States Seafood and Fishing
Industry.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of State, with support from the
Secretary of Commerce and the Office of the United States
Trade Representative, shall—
(1) conduct a study on the collaboration between the
Russian and Chinese fishing industries and on the role of
seafood reprocessing in China (including that of raw
materials originating in Russia) in global seafood markets
and its impact on United States seafood importers,
processors, and consumers; and
(2) complete a report on the study that includes classified
and unclassified portions, as the Secretary of State
determines necessary.
(c) Fishermen Conducting Unlawful Fishing in the Economic
Exclusion Zone.—Section 3551 of the Maritime SAFE Act (16
U.S.C. 8031) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(d) The Impacts of IUU Fishing and Fishing Involving the
Use of Forced Labor.—
“(1) In general.—The Administrator, in consultation with
relevant members of the Working Group, shall seek to enter
into an arrangement with the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine under which the National Academies
will undertake a multifaceted study that includes the
following:
“(A) An analysis that quantifies the occurrence and extent
of IUU fishing and fishing involving the use of forced labor
among all flag states.
“(B) An evaluation of the costs to the United States
economy of IUU fishing and fishing involving the use of
forced labor.
“(C) An assessment of the costs to the global economy of
IUU fishing and fishing involving the use of forced labor.
“(D) An assessment of the effectiveness of response
strategies to counter IUU fishing, including both domestic
programs and foreign capacity-building and partnering
programs.
“(2) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this subsection
$4,000,000.”.
(d) Report.—Not later than 24 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to
Congress a report on the study conducted under subsection (d)
of section 3551 of the Maritime SAFE Act that includes—
(1) the findings of the National Academies; and
(2) recommendations on knowledge gaps that warrant further
scientific inquiry.
SEC. 13. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR NATIONAL SEA
GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM.
Section 212(a) of the National Sea Grant College Program
Act (33 U.S.C. 1131(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking “this title” and all
that follows and inserting “this title $105,700,000 for each
of fiscal years 2026 through 2031.”; and
(2) in paragraph (2)—
(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking “for fiscal
years 2021 through 2025”; and
(B) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
“fiscal years 2021 through 2025” and inserting “fiscal
years 2026 through 2031”.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Rhode Island.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, there is no objection on our side. Through many trials, toils, and snares, we have come together at this moment, and we are delighted to proceed.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Alaska.
Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment be withdrawn; that the Sullivan substitute amendment at the desk be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment was withdrawn.
The amendment (No. 4744), in the nature of a substitute, was agreed to.
(The amendment is printed in today's Record under “Text of Amendments.”)
The bill (S. 688), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:
S. 688
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Fighting Foreign Illegal
Seafood Harvests Act of 2025” or the “FISH Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.—Unless otherwise provided, the term
“Administrator” means the Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the designee of the
Administrator.
(2) Beneficial owner.—The term “beneficial owner” means,
with respect to a vessel, a person that, directly or
indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding,
relationship, or otherwise—
(A) exercises substantial control over the vessel; or
(B) owns not less than 50 percent of the ownership
interests in the vessel.
(3) Fish.—The term “fish” means finfish, crustaceans,
and mollusks.
(4) Forced labor.—The term “forced labor” has the
meaning given that term in section 307 of the Tariff Act of
1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307).
(5) IUU fishing.—The term “IUU fishing” means activities
described as illegal fishing, unreported fishing, and
unregulated fishing in paragraph 3 of the International Plan
of Action to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal,
Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, adopted at the 24th
Session of the Committee on Fisheries in Rome on March 2,
(6) Regional fisheries management organization.—The terms
“regional fisheries management organization” and “RFMO”
have the meaning given the terms in section 303 of the Port
State Measures Agreement Act of 2015 (16 U.S.C. 7402).
(7) Seafood.—The term “seafood” means fish, shellfish,
processed fish, fish meal, shellfish products, and all other
forms of marine animal and plant life other than marine
mammals and birds.
(8) Secretary.—Unless otherwise provided, the term
“Secretary” means the Secretary of Commerce acting through
the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration or the designee of the Administrator.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States to partner, consult,
and coordinate with foreign governments (at the national and
subnational levels), civil society, international
organizations, international financial institutions,
subnational coastal communities, commercial and recreational
fishing industry leaders, communities that engage in
artisanal or subsistence fishing, fishers, and the private
sector, in a concerted effort—
(1) to continue the broad effort across the Federal
Government to counter IUU fishing, including any potential
links to forced labor, human trafficking, and other threats
to maritime security, as outlined in sections 3533 and 3534
of the Maritime SAFE Act (16 U.S.C. 8002 and 8003); and
(2) to, additionally—
(A) prioritize efforts to prevent IUU fishing at its
sources; and
(B) support continued implementation of the Central Arctic
Ocean Fisheries agreement, as well as joint research and
follow-on actions that ensure sustainability of fish stocks
in Arctic international waters.
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF AN IUU VESSEL LIST.
Section 608 of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium
Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826i) is amended by striking
subsections (c) and (d) and inserting the following:
“(c) IUU Vessel List.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary, in coordination with the
Secretary of State, the Secretary of Labor, and the heads of
other relevant agencies, shall develop, maintain, and make
public a list of foreign vessels, foreign fleets, and
beneficial owners of foreign vessels or foreign fleets
engaged in IUU fishing or fishing-related activities in
support of IUU fishing (referred to in this section as the
`IUU vessel list').
“(2) Inclusion on list.—The IUU vessel list shall include
any foreign vessel, foreign fleet, or beneficial owner of a
foreign vessel or foreign fleet for which the Secretary
determines there is clear and convincing evidence to believe
that a foreign vessel is any of the following (even if the
Secretary has only partial information regarding the vessel):
“(A) A vessel listed on an IUU vessel list of an
international fishery management organization.
“(B) A vessel knowingly taking part in fishing that
undermines the effectiveness of an international fishery
management organization's conservation and management
measures, including a vessel—
“(i) exceeding applicable international fishery management
organization catch limits; or
“(ii) that is operating inconsistent with relevant catch
allocation arrangements of the international fishery
management organization, even if operating under the
authority of a foreign country that is not a member of the
international fishery management organization.
“(C) A vessel, either on the high seas or in the exclusive
economic zone of another country, identified and reported by
United States authorities to an international fishery
management organization to be conducting IUU fishing when the
United States has reason to believe the foreign country to
which the vessel is registered or documented is not
addressing the allegation.
“(D) A vessel, fleet, or beneficial owner of a vessel or
fleet on the high seas identified by United States
authorities to be conducting IUU fishing.
“(E) A vessel that knowingly provides services (excluding
emergency or enforcement services) to a vessel that is on the
IUU vessel list, including transshipment, resupply,
refueling, or pilotage.
“(F) A vessel that is a fishing vessel engaged in
commercial fishing within the exclusive economic zone of the
United States without a permit issued under title II of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16
U.S.C. 1821 et seq.).
“(G) A vessel that has the same beneficial owner as
another vessel on the IUU vessel list at the time of the
infraction.
“(3) Nominations to be put on the iuu vessel list.—The
Secretary may receive nominations for putting a vessel on the
IUU vessel list from—
“(A) the head of an executive branch agency that is a
member of the Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing
established under section 3551 of the Maritime SAFE Act (16
U.S.C. 8031);
“(B) a country that is a member of the Combined Maritime
Forces; or
“(C) civil organizations that have data-sharing agreements
with a member of the Interagency Working Group on IUU
Fishing.
“(4) Procedures for addition.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary may put a vessel on the
IUU vessel list only after notification to the vessel's
beneficial owner
and a review of any information that the owner provides
within 90 days of the notification.
“(B) Hearing.—A beneficial owner may request a hearing on
the evidence if the owner's vessel is placed on the IUU
vessel list under subparagraph (A) and may present new
evidence to the Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing
described in paragraph (3)(A). Such Working Group shall
review the new evidence and vote on whether the vessel shall
remain on the IUU vessel list or not.
“(5) Public information.—The Secretary shall publish its
procedures for adding vessels on, and removing vessels from,
the IUU vessel list. The Secretary shall publish the IUU
vessel list itself in the Federal Register annually and on a
website, which shall be updated any time a vessel is added to
the IUU vessel list, and include the following information
(as much as is available and confirmed) for each vessel on
the IUU vessel list:
“(A) The name of the vessel and previous names of the
vessel.
“(B) The International Maritime Organization (IMO) number
of the vessel, or other Unique Vessel Identifier (such as the
flag state permit number or authorized vessel number issued
by an international fishery management organization).
“(C) The maritime mobile service identity number and call
sign of the vessel.
“(D) The business or corporate address of each beneficial
owner of the vessel.
“(E) The country where the vessel is registered or
documented, and where it was previously registered if known.
“(F) The date of inclusion on the IUU vessel list of the
vessel.
“(G) Any other Unique Vessel Identifier (UVI), if
applicable.
“(H) Any other identifying information on the vessel, as
determined appropriate by the Secretary.
“(I) The basis for the Secretary's inclusion of the vessel
on the IUU vessel list under paragraph (2).
“(d) Action.—The Secretary may take the action described
in subsection (c)(2) of this section in effect on the day
before the date of enactment of the Fighting Foreign Illegal
Seafood Harvests Act of 2025 against a vessel on the IUU
vessel list, the owner of such vessel, and the operator of
such vessel.
“(e) Permanency of IUU Vessel List.—
“(1) In general.—Except as provided in paragraph (3), a
vessel, fleet, or beneficial owner of a vessel or fleet that
is put on the IUU vessel list shall remain on the IUU vessel
list.
“(2) Application by owner for potential removal.—
“(A) In general.—In consultation with the Secretary of
State and the heads of other relevant agencies, the Secretary
may remove a vessel, fleet, or beneficial owner of a vessel
or fleet from the IUU vessel list if the beneficial owner of
the vessel submits an application for removal to the
Secretary that meets the standards that the Secretary has set
out for removal. The Secretary shall make such standards
publicly available.
“(B) Consideration of relevant information.—In
considering an application for removal, the Secretary shall
consider relevant information from all sources.
“(3) Removal due to international fishery management
organization action.—The Secretary may remove a vessel from
the IUU vessel list if the vessel was put on the list because
it was a vessel listed on an IUU vessel list of an
international fishery management organization, pursuant to
subsection (c)(2)(A), and the international fishery
management organization removed the vessel from its IUU
vessel list.
“(f) Regulations and Process.—Not later than 12 months
after the date of enactment of the Fighting Foreign Illegal
Seafood Harvests Act of 2025, the Secretary shall issue
regulations to set a process for establishing, maintaining,
implementing, and publishing the IUU vessel list. The
Administrator may add or remove a vessel, fleet, or
beneficial owner of a vessel or fleet from the IUU vessel
list on the date the vessel becomes eligible for such
addition or removal.
“(g) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Administrator.—Unless otherwise provided, the term
`Administrator' means the Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the designee of the
Administrator.
“(2) Beneficial owner.—The term `beneficial owner' means,
with respect to a vessel, a person that, directly or
indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding,
relationship, or otherwise—
“(A) exercises substantial control over the vessel; or
“(B) owns not less than 50 percent of the ownership
interests in the vessel.
“(3) Foreign vessel.—The term `foreign vessel' has the
meaning given the term in section 110 of title 46, United
States Code).
“(4) International fishery management organization.—The
term `international fishery management organization' means an
international organization established by any bilateral or
multilateral treaty, convention, or agreement for the
conservation and management of fish.
“(5) IUU fishing.—The term `IUU fishing' has the meaning
given the term `illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing'
in the implementing regulations or any subsequent regulations
issued pursuant to section 609(e).
“(6) Seafood.—The term `seafood' means fish, shellfish,
processed fish, fish meal, shellfish products, and all other
forms of marine animal and plant life other than marine
mammals and birds.
“(h) Authorization of Appropriations.—There are
authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Commerce
to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2025 through 2030.”.
SEC. 5. VISA SANCTIONS FOR FOREIGN PERSONS.
(a) Foreign Persons Described.—A foreign person is
described in this subsection if the foreign person is the
owner or beneficial owner of a vessel on the IUU vessel list
developed under section 608(c) of the High Seas Driftnet
Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826i(c)).
(b) Ineligibility for Visas, Admission, or Parole.—
(1) Visas, admission, or parole.—A foreign person
described in subsection (a) is—
(A) inadmissible to the United States;
(B) ineligible to receive a visa or other documentation to
enter the United States; and
(C) otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled into the
United States or to receive any other benefit under the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
(2) Current visas revoked.—
(A) In general.—The visa or other entry documentation of a
foreign person described in subsection (a) shall be revoked,
regardless of when such visa or other entry documentation is
or was issued.
(B) Immediate effect.—A revocation under subparagraph (A)
shall, in accordance with section 221(i) of the Immigration
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i))—
(i) take effect; and
(ii) cancel any other valid visa or entry documentation
that is in the person's possession.
(c) National Interest Waiver.—The President may waive the
imposition of sanctions under this section with respect to a
foreign person if doing so is in the national interest of the
United States.
(d) Exceptions.—
(1) Exceptions for authorized intelligence and law
enforcement activities.—This section shall not apply with
respect to activities subject to the reporting requirements
under title V of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C.
3091 et seq.) or any authorized intelligence, law
enforcement, or national security activities of the United
States.
(2) Exception to comply with international agreements.—
Sanctions under subsection (b) shall not apply with respect
to the admission of an alien to the United States if such
admission is necessary to comply with the obligations of the
United States under the Agreement regarding the Headquarters
of the United Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947,
and entered into force November 21, 1947, between the United
Nations and the United States, or the Convention on Consular
Relations, done at Vienna April 24, 1963, and entered into
force March 19, 1967, or other international obligations.
(3) Exception for safety of vessels and crew.—Sanctions
under subsection (b) shall not apply with respect to a person
providing provisions to a vessel identified under section
608(c) of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium
Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826i) if such provisions are
intended for the safety and care of the crew aboard the
vessel, or the maintenance of the vessel to avoid any
environmental or other significant damage.
(4) Exemptions.—Sanctions under subsection (b) shall not
apply with respect to a person described in subsection (a),
if such person was listed as the owner of a vessel described
in that subsection through the use of force, threats of
force, fraud, or coercion.
(e) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Admission; admitted; alien; lawfully admitted for
permanent residence.—The terms “admission”, “admitted”,
“alien”, and “lawfully admitted for permanent residence”
have the meanings given those terms in section 101 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101).
(2) Foreign person.—The term “foreign person” means an
individual or entity that is not a United States person.
(3) United states person.—The term “United States
person” means—
(A) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted
for permanent residence to the United States;
(B) an entity organized under the laws of the United States
or any jurisdiction within the United States, including a
foreign branch of such an entity; or
(C) any person in the United States.
SEC. 6. AGREEMENTS.
(a) Presidential Negotiation.—In negotiating any relevant
agreement with a foreign nation or nations after the date of
enactment of this Act, the President is encouraged to
consider the impacts on or to IUU fishing and fishing that
involves the use of forced labor and strive to ensure that
the agreement strengthens efforts to combat IUU fishing and
fishing that involves the use of forced labor as long as such
considerations do not come at the expense of higher priority
national interests of the United States.
(b) Federal Government Encouragement.—The Federal
Government should encourage other nations to ratify treaties
and agreements that address IUU fishing to which the United
States is a party, including the High Seas Fishing Compliance
Agreement and the Port State Measures Agreement, and pursue
bilateral and multilateral initiatives to raise international
ambition to combat IUU fishing, including in the G7 and G20,
the United Nations, the International Labor Organization
(ILO), and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and
through voluntary multilateral efforts, as long as clear
burden sharing arrangements with partner nations are
determined. The bilateral and multilateral initiatives should
address underlying drivers of IUU fishing and fishing that
involves the use of forced labor.
(c) Transparency for Non-binding Instruments Concluded
Under This Section.—Any memorandum of understanding or other
non-binding instrument to further the objectives of this
section shall be considered a qualifying non-binding
instrument for purposes of section 112b of title 1, United
States Code.
SEC. 7. ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS.
(a) Increase Boarding of Vessels Suspected of IUU
Fishing.—The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall strive to
increase, from year to year, its observation of vessels on
the high seas that are suspected of IUU fishing and related
harmful practices, and is encouraged to consider boarding
these vessels to the greatest extent practicable.
(b) Follow up.—The Administrator shall, in consultation
with the Commandant of the Coast Guard and the Secretary of
State, coordinate regularly with regional fisheries
management organizations to determine what corrective
measures each country has taken after vessels that are
registered or documented by the country have been boarded for
suspected IUU fishing.
(c) Report.—Not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act and in accordance with information
management rules of the relevant regional fisheries
management organizations, the Commandant of the Coast Guard
shall submit a report to Congress on—
(1) the total number of bilateral agreements utilized or
enacted during Coast Guard counter-IUU patrols and future
patrol plans for operations with partner nations where
bilateral agreements are required to effectively execute the
counter-IUU mission and any changes to IUU provisions in
bilateral agreements;
(2) incidents of IUU fishing observed while conducting High
Seas Boarding and Inspections (HSBI), how the conduct is
tracked after referral to the respective country where the
vessel is registered or documented, and what actions are
taken to document or otherwise act on the enforcement, or
lack thereof, taken by the country;
(3) the country where the vessel is registered or
documented, the country where the vessel was previously
registered and documented if known, and status of a vessel
interdicted or observed to be engaged in IUU fishing on the
high seas by the Coast Guard;
(4) incident details on vessels observed to be engaged in
IUU fishing on the high seas, boarding refusals, and what
action was taken; and
(5) any other potential enforcement actions that could
decrease IUU fishing on the high seas.
SEC. 8. IMPROVED MANAGEMENT AT THE REGIONAL FISHERIES
MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS.
(a) Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing.—Section
3551(c) of the Maritime SAFE Act (16 U.S.C. 8031(c)) is
amended—
(1) in paragraph (13), by striking “and” after the
semicolon;
(2) in paragraph (14), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(15) developing a strategy for leveraging enforcement
capacity against IUU fishing, particularly focusing on
nations identified under section 609(a) of the High Seas
Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C.
1826j(a)); and
“(16) developing a strategy for leveraging enforcement
capacity against associated abuses, such as fishing that
involves the use of forced labor and other illegal labor
practices, and increasing relevant enforcement, using as
resources—
“(A) the List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced
Labor produced pursuant to section 105 of the Trafficking
Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (22 U.S.C.
7112);
“(B) the Trafficking in Persons Report required under
section 110 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000
(22 U.S.C. 7107);
“(C) United States Customs and Border Protection's Forced
Labor Division and enforcement activities and regulations
authorized under section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19
U.S.C. 1307); and
“(D) reports submitted under the Uyghur Human Rights
Policy Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-145).”.
(b) Secretary of State Identification.—The Secretary of
State, in coordination with the Commandant of the Coast Guard
and the Administrator, shall—
(1) identify regional fisheries management organizations
that the United States is party to that do not have a high
seas boarding and inspection program; and
(2) identify obstacles, needed authorities, or existing
efforts to increase implementation of these programs, and
take action as appropriate.
SEC. 9. STRATEGIES TO OPTIMIZE DATA COLLECTION, SHARING, AND
ANALYSIS.
Section 3552 of the Maritime SAFE Act (16 U.S.C. 8032) is
amended by adding at the end:
“(c) Strategies to Optimize Data Collection, Sharing, and
Analysis.—Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment
of the Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025,
the Working Group shall identify information and resources to
prevent fish and fish products from IUU fishing and fishing
that involves the use of forced labor from negatively
affecting United States commerce without increasing burdens
on seafood not produced from IUU fishing. The report shall
include the following:
“(1) Identification of relevant data streams collected by
Working Group members.
“(2) Identification of legal, jurisdictional, or other
barriers to the sharing of such data.
“(3) In consultation with the Secretary of Defense,
recommendations for joint enforcement protocols,
collaboration, and information sharing between Federal
agencies and States.
“(4) Recommendations for sharing and developing forensic
resources between Federal agencies and States.
“(5) Recommendations for enhancing capacity to conduct
more effective field investigations and enforcement efforts
with U.S. state enforcement officials.
“(6) Recommendations for improving data collection and
automated risk-targeting of seafood.
“(7) Recommendations for the dissemination of IUU fishing
and fishing that involves the use of forced labor analysis
and information to those governmental and non-governmental
entities that could use it for action and awareness, with the
aim to establish an IUU fishing information sharing center.
“(8) Recommendations for an implementation strategy,
including measures for ensuring that seafood not linked to
IUU fishing and fishing that involves the use of forced labor
is not affected.
“(9) An analysis of the IUU fishing policies and
regulatory regimes of other countries in order to develop
policy and regulatory alternatives for United States
consideration.”.
SEC. 10. INVESTMENT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN THE FISHERIES
SECTOR.
(a) In General.—The Secretary of State and the Secretary
of Commerce, in consultation with the heads of relevant
agencies, are encouraged to increase support to programs that
provide technical assistance, institutional capacity, and
investment to nations' fisheries sectors for sustainable
fisheries management and combating IUU fishing and fishing
involving the use of forced labor. The focus of such support
is encouraged to be on priority regions and priority flag
states identified under section 3552(b) of the Maritime SAFE
Act (16 U.S.C. 8032(b)).
(b) Analysis of US Capacity-building Expertise and
Resources.—In order to maximize efforts on preventing IUU
fishing at its sources, the Interagency Working Group on IUU
Fishing established under section 3551 of the Maritime SAFE
Act (16 U.S.C. 8031) shall analyze United States capacity-
building expertise and resources to provide support to
nations' fisheries sectors. This analysis may include an
assessment of potential avenues for in-country public-private
collaboration and multilateral collaboration on developing
local fisheries science, fisheries management, maritime
enforcement, and maritime judicial capabilities.
SEC. 11. STRATEGY TO IDENTIFY SEAFOOD AND SEAFOOD PRODUCTS
FROM FOREIGN VESSELS USING FORCED LABOR.
The Secretary, in coordination with the heads of other
relevant agencies, shall—
(1) develop a strategy for utilizing relevant United States
Government data to identify seafood harvested on foreign
vessels using forced labor; and
(2) publish information regarding the strategy developed
under paragraph (1) on a publicly accessible website.
SEC. 12. REPORTS.
(a) Impact of New Technology.—Not later than 1 year after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland
Security, with support from the Administrator and the Working
Group established under section 3551 of the Maritime SAFE Act
(16 U.S.C. 8031), shall conduct a study to assess the impact
of new technology (such as remote observing, the use of
drones, development of risk assessment tools and data-sharing
software, immediate containerization of fish on fishing
vessels, satellite Wi-Fi technology on fishing vessels, and
other technology-enhanced new fishing practices) on IUU
fishing and associated crimes (such as trafficking and
fishing involving the use of forced labor) and propose ways
to integrate these technologies into global fisheries
enforcement and management.
(b) Russian and Chinese Fishing Industries' Influence on
Each Other and on the United States Seafood and Fishing
Industry.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of State, with support from the
Secretary of Commerce, shall—
(1) conduct a study on the collaboration between the
Russian and Chinese fishing industries and on the role of
seafood reprocessing in China (including that of raw
materials originating in Russia) in global seafood markets
and its impact on United States interests; and
(2) complete a report on the study that includes classified
and unclassified portions, as the Secretary of State
determines necessary.
(c) Fishermen Conducting Unlawful Fishing in the Exclusive
Economic Zone.—Section 3551 of the Maritime SAFE Act (16
U.S.C. 8031) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(d) The Impacts of IUU Fishing and Fishing Involving the
Use of Forced Labor.—
“(1) In general.—The Administrator, in consultation with
relevant members of the Working Group, shall seek to enter
into an arrangement with the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine under
which the National Academies will undertake a multifaceted
study that includes the following:
“(A) An analysis that quantifies the occurrence and extent
of IUU fishing and fishing involving the use of forced labor
among all flag states.
“(B) An evaluation of the costs to the United States
economy of IUU fishing and fishing involving the use of
forced labor.
“(C) An assessment of the costs to the global economy of
IUU fishing and fishing involving the use of forced labor.
“(D) An assessment of the effectiveness of response
strategies to counter IUU fishing, including both domestic
programs and foreign capacity-building and partnering
programs.
“(2) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this subsection
$2,000,000.”.
(d) Report.—Not later than 24 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to
Congress a report on the study conducted under subsection (d)
of section 3551 of the Maritime SAFE Act that includes—
(1) the findings of the National Academies; and
(2) recommendations on knowledge gaps that warrant further
scientific inquiry.
SEC. 13. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR NATIONAL SEA
GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM.
Section 212(a) of the National Sea Grant College Program
Act (33 U.S.C. 1131(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking “for fiscal year 2025”
and inserting “for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2031”;
and
(2) in paragraph (2)—
(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking “for fiscal
years 2021 through 2025”; and
(B) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
“fiscal years 2021 through 2025” and inserting “fiscal
years 2026 through 2031”.
SEC. 14. EXCEPTION RELATED TO THE IMPORTATION OF GOODS.
(a) In General.—The authorities and requirements provided
in this Act, and the amendments made by this Act, shall not
include any authority or requirement to impose sanctions on
the importation of goods or related to sanctions on the
importation of goods.
(b) Good Defined.—In this section, the term “good”—
(1) means any article, natural or man-made substance,
material, supply or manufactured product, including
inspection and test equipment; and
(2) excludes technical data.
SEC. 15. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the
authority under, or otherwise affect, a provision of law
that—
(1) is in effect on the date of enactment of this Act; and
(2) is not amended by this Act.
Mr. SULLIVAN. I yield the floor.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.