Senate Committee Advances FISH Act to Ban Illegal Foreign Fishing Vessels From U.S. Ports
The House must act next: House consideration.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Foreign nationals connected to illegal fishing or forced labor operations could have their U.S. visas revoked and be barred from entering the country. This applies to leaders, officials, and beneficial owners of entities engaged in IUU fishing. While this targets a narrow group of bad actors, the consequences — immediate visa cancellation and inadmissibility — are severe for those affected.
Held at the desk.
Received in the House.
The House has received the Senate-passed bill and will decide whether to take it up.
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S1500-1503)
The Senate voted to approve this bill. If the House already passed it, it goes to the President.
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
The Senate voted to approve this bill. If the House already passed it, it goes to the President.
The U.S. Senate passed the FISH Act as part of the FY 2026 NDAA. The bill targets illegal fishing by blacklisting offending vessels from U.S. ports, bolstering Coast Guard enforcement, and addressing the use of forced labor in foreign 'gray fleets' from countries like Russia and China.
While the House committee approved the Stop Illegal Fishing Act, it noted the Senate's prior passage of the FISH Act. Both bills aim to grant the president power to impose sanctions, freeze assets, and revoke visas for individuals involved in illegal fishing and human rights abuses at sea.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced legislation to crack down on IUU fishing. This follows the passage of the FISH Act in the Senate's defense bill, reflecting a broader push to use Treasury sanctions and port bans against foreign fleets, particularly those from China.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025
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