House Bill to Deter and Defeat Pirate Fishing Passes Senate, Moves to President's Desk

Press Release

Last night, the United States Senate unanimously passed H.R. 774, the Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015, legislation introduced by Alaska Congressman Don Young and Representative Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU) on February 5, 2015.

The bipartisan legislation, which passed the House on July 27, 2015, enhances the enforcement authority of the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to regulate and combat IUU fishing, also known as "pirate" fishing.

"I think everyone can agree that pirate fishing should not and cannot be tolerated," said Congressman Don Young after House passage of H.R. 774. "These significant efforts will help defeat the growing number of criminals stealing our resources and harming our local economies. As a staunch support of our oceans and U.S. fishing industry, I've proudly worked to give our authorities the tools they need to fight back and eliminate these illegal vessels, in addition to ensuring the millions of pounds of illegally caught seafood and fish never reach the global markets."

H.R. 774 significantly strengthens existing enforcement measures by increasing U.S. capacity for inspection, identification, and monitoring of illegal foreign vessels. The legislation amends several international agreements to incorporate civil and criminal penalties against IUU violators, and broadens data sharing authority with foreign governments in order to identify and penalize nations not in compliance with fisheries management regulations.

H.R. 774 also implements the Port States Measures Agreement, a provision which further works to prevent and deter IUU fishing by placing additional controls on foreign vessels seeking entry into U.S. ports, ultimately restricting their access to U.S. markets.

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