FISH Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill creates a public blacklist of foreign fishing vessels, fleets, and their owners caught engaging in illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing. Once listed, a vessel or owner stays on the list permanently unless they apply for removal and meet standards the government sets.
• Foreign owners who control at least half of a blacklisted vessel are barred from entering the U.S., and any visa they already hold gets revoked immediately, though the President can issue a national interest waiver.
• The Coast Guard is directed to increase boarding and inspection of suspected illegal fishing vessels on the high seas each year and must report to Congress on enforcement results and whether foreign governments actually punish offenders.
• The bill orders new government studies on using drones, satellite technology, and data tools to catch illegal fishers, plus a dedicated study on how Russian and Chinese fishing industries work together and affect U.S. seafood markets.
• Funding of 10 million dollars a year through 2031 goes to running the vessel list program, with an additional 2 million dollars for a National Academies study measuring the economic cost of illegal fishing.