Congress·Reported·S. 688

Senate Committee Advances FISH Act to Ban Illegal Foreign Fishing Vessels From U.S. Ports

FISH Act of 2025

about 2 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Part of: Congress Moves to Sanction Foreign Vessels for Illegal Fishing and Labor Abuses

Legislative Progress

Senate

House

President

Law

Key Points

Congress is considering a bill to create a public "black list" of foreign ships and owners caught fishing illegally or using forced labor. Ships on this list would be banned from entering U.S. ports, and any seafood they catch would be blocked from being sold in the United States.
The policy targets illegal fishing that hurts law-abiding American fishers by flooding the market with cheap, unfairly caught products. It also aims to stop human rights abuses, like human trafficking and forced labor, which the bill identifies as common problems on illegal fishing boats.
The U.S. Treasury Department would gain the power to freeze the bank accounts and property of people or companies involved in illegal fishing. It could also cancel their U.S. visas, preventing them from traveling to the United States.
The Coast Guard would be encouraged to board and inspect more suspicious ships on the high seas. The bill also sets aside $20 million a year through 2030 to help the government track these illegal activities and work with other countries to protect global fish stocks.

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Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

State Impacts

StateScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

4 milestones5 actions

Feb 3, 2026Senate

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 313.

Feb 3, 2026Senate

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment. With written report No. 119-101.

Apr 30, 2025Senate

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.

Feb 24, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Feb 24, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

NOAA must issue regulations establishing the IUU vessel black list process

Within 12 months of enactment, the government would publish rules for how foreign vessels get added to or removed from the black list, which triggers import bans and port access restrictions. Until these rules are finalized, the enforcement mechanisms in the bill cannot fully take effect.

Coast Guard report to Congress on IUU fishing enforcement results

Within 3 years of enactment, the Coast Guard would report on how many illegal fishing vessels it has intercepted, what countries are involved, and whether other nations are taking action. This report would shape future enforcement priorities.

Sea Grant College Program funding authorized through 2031

The bill would authorize $105.7 million per year for the National Sea Grant College Program from 2026 through 2031, supporting marine research and coastal community programs across the country.

Related News

3 articles

SeafoodSource·5 months ago

Senate Passes Sullivan-Whitehouse FISH Act to Combat Illegal Foreign Seafood Harvest

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.

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SeafoodSource·4 months ago

US House committee approves Stop Illegal Fishing Act

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.

SeafoodSource·about 2 months ago

US Senate committee advances Protecting Global Fisheries Act

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.