Sponsors (6)
Official title: Support the execution of bilateral agreements concerning illicit transnational maritime activity and to authorize the President to impose sanctions with respect to illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing and the sale, supply, purchase, or transfer of endangered species, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 9, 2025 by Timothy Michael Kaine · Last progress April 9, 2025
The bill strengthens U.S. tools, international coordination, and reporting to detect and deter illegal fishing and wildlife trafficking—protecting fisheries and enabling sanctions—while increasing jurisdictional reach, compliance costs for businesses, and risks of diplomatic friction or retaliation.
Coastal communities, fisheries-dependent businesses, and federal agencies will benefit from stronger U.S. coordination with allies on maritime monitoring, information-sharing, and enforcement, improving detection of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and protecting fish stocks and livelihoods.
U.S. law enforcement and national security actors (and taxpayers) gain stronger tools—asset blocks, sanctions, and visa restrictions—to disrupt foreign IUU fishing operators and wildlife traffickers, while a humanitarian exception preserves delivery of food and medical aid.
Policymakers at the federal and state level will receive annual unclassified reporting and a recommended U.S. engagement strategy on global IUU fishing, improving informed diplomacy, targeting of actions (including vs. specific bad actors), and coordination with allies.
U.S. banks, financial institutions, maritime suppliers, and businesses face significant compliance costs, customer losses, and legal risk from asset blocks, sanctions, civil/criminal penalties, and prohibitions on transactions with designated foreign parties.
Targeting specific countries and publicly focusing reporting on their IUU fishing activity (notably the PRC) could escalate geopolitical tensions, complicate diplomacy and cooperation on other issues.
Increased sanctions or enforcement actions risk foreign retaliatory measures that could disrupt U.S. trade, seafood supply chains, and commercial fishing industries.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes diplomatic action and targeted sanctions to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and illicit trade in endangered species, and requires annual unclassified reports assessing global IUU fishing including PRC activity.
Directs the U.S. government to step up international cooperation and use targeted sanctions and diplomatic tools to counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and unlawful trade in endangered species. It authorizes executive branch officials to promote technology and enforcement in international fora, recommends and enables sanctions on foreign persons and vessels involved in IUU fishing (with specified exceptions), and requires an annual unclassified report (with a classified annex option) assessing global IUU fishing—including focused analysis of People’s Republic of China activities—and recommending engagement and enforcement strategies.