Senators in the United States have introduced new legislation to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvest (FISH) Act will blacklist offending vessels from US ports and waters, bolster the Coast Guard’s enforcement capabilities, and promote negotiation with other states to enforce treaties.
The legislation was introduced by Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Lisa Murkowski (R-AL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
“The FISH Act is an all-hands-on-deck effort to crack down on foreign IUU fishing for the sake of our fish, our environment, and our coastal communities,” said Sen. Sullivan.
“My colleagues and I have assembled a package to tackle this foreign threat to the sustainability of our oceans—by ratcheting up inspection and enforcement, raising the costs for the purveyors of foreign illegal fishing, and working with other nations to eliminate any safe harbour for illegal fishermen and their backers.”
This latest change builds on earlier legislation including the Maritime SAFE Act of 2019 and the Magnuson-Stevens Act first passed in 1976.
Key provisions of the FISH Act are to direct the:
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish a black list of foreign vessels and owners that have engaged in IUU fishing.
- Administration to address IUU fishing in any relevant international agreements.
- US Coast Guard to increase at-sea inspections of foreign vessels suspected of IUU fishing, and coordinate with regional fishery management organisations to determine if a vessel’s flag state is taking corrective action.
- Administration to report to Congress on how new technologies can aid in the fight against IUU fishing and the success of prosecutions.
