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119-s-688119th CongressWALLET

Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]

Passed Senate

Summary

Creates a public IUU vessel list to target illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and its links to forced labor. It pairs that list with visa bans, stepped-up Coast Guard boardings, data sharing, and help for partner nations.

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  • Vessel owners: Foreign owners and beneficial owners listed on the IUU vessel list are inadmissible to the United States, can have visas revoked, and are ineligible for new visas or entry.
  • Enforcement and agencies: NOAA must publish and maintain the list with 90-day notice, hearings, and annual Federal Register publication and is authorized $10 million per year for FY2025–2030 to run the listing program. The Coast Guard must increase boardings year over year and the U.S. will step up engagement with regional fisheries management organizations.
  • Seafood supply chains and partners: The law requires a published strategy to identify seafood harvested with forced labor and encourages capacity building, technical assistance, and investment in partner nations. It also extends the National Sea Grant authorization through FY2025–2031.

*Authorizes $10 million per year for FY2025–2030 to operate the IUU listing program and extends Sea Grant authorization through FY2025–2031, which increases federal spending.*

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

7 provisions identified: 7 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

More Coast Guard checks on high seas

If enacted, the Coast Guard would aim to increase year‑over‑year checks and, when possible, board vessels suspected of illegal fishing on the high seas. NOAA would work with the Coast Guard and State to coordinate with regional fishery groups on what flag states do after boardings. Within 3 years, the Coast Guard would report to Congress on agreements used, incidents, refusals to board, actions taken, and future plans. Within 1 year, Homeland Security, with NOAA support, would study how tools like drones, remote monitoring, data‑sharing software, containerization, and satellite Wi‑Fi affect illegal fishing and how to use these tools in enforcement.

Plan to target illegal and forced‑labor fishing

If enacted, the Interagency Working Group would be required to craft enforcement strategies against illegal fishing and fishing that uses forced labor, focusing on nations already flagged under existing law. The group would use tools like the Trafficking in Persons Report and CBP’s Forced Labor Division. Within 3 years, the group would deliver a report that lists key data sources, legal barriers to sharing, joint enforcement protocols, forensic resource sharing, field capacity needs, automated risk targeting, and a plan to share information without burdening lawful seafood. The report would also review other countries’ policies.

Public list of illegal fishing boats

If enacted, Commerce (through NOAA) would publish a public list of foreign fishing boats, fleets, and their beneficial owners tied to illegal fishing. Owners would get notice and 90 days to respond before listing, and a hearing process to seek removal. The rules for adding and removing entries would be issued within 12 months and the list republished each year, with a website showing vessel IDs, owner address, flag, date added, and why listed. Foreign owners of listed vessels would have visas and entry documents revoked and would be inadmissible to the United States. The bill would authorize $10 million per year for fiscal years 2025–2030 to run this program.

Study of illegal fishing’s U.S. costs

If enacted, NOAA would ask the National Academies to study how common illegal and forced‑labor fishing is across flag states and what it costs the U.S. economy. The study would guide future policy and enforcement choices.

More U.S. help for foreign fisheries

If enacted, State and Commerce would be encouraged to expand technical help, capacity building, and investment for foreign fisheries to fight illegal and forced‑labor fishing. The focus would be on priority regions and flag states named in existing law. This encouragement does not require spending.

Plan to spot forced‑labor seafood

If enacted, Commerce would create and post a plan that uses U.S. government data to find seafood caught with forced labor on foreign vessels. The plan would be published on a public website so buyers and businesses can see how the government flags risky products.

Sea Grant funding window extended

If enacted, Congress would authorize the National Sea Grant College Program for each year from fiscal year 2025 through 2031 instead of a single year. This extends authorization but does not itself spend money.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]

AK • R

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]

    RI • D

    Sponsored 2/24/2025

  • Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]

    AK • R

    Sponsored 3/24/2025

  • Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS]

    MS • R

    Sponsored 4/30/2025

  • Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC]

    SC • R

    Sponsored 5/7/2025

  • Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 5/7/2025

  • Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE]

    DE • D

    Sponsored 6/12/2025

  • Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]

    DE • D

    Sponsored 6/17/2025

  • Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA]

    LA • R

    Sponsored 7/8/2025

  • Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS]

    MS • R

    Sponsored 12/1/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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