Bipartisan Bill to Protect Fishermen Passes House of Representatives

Press Release

This week, the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan H.R. 774 -- the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015 to enhance the enforcement authority of the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to regulate illegal fishing and protect Granite State fishermen from unfair and illegal competition.

In 2012, Congressman Guinta was the lead Republican sponsor of a similar measure, H.R. 4100 - the Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2011 - with lead sponsor Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo of Guam.

"For nearly 400 years, our Seacoast region has provided Granite Staters with thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in economic opportunities annually thanks to our fishermen, whose efforts also support our tourism and hospitality industries. Unfortunately, there are individuals knowingly and willingly breaking our nation's fishing laws. I have worked on the issue of IUU fishing for a number of years now, and this bipartisan bill is a great first step to ensuring Granite State fishermen are not subject to unfair and illegal competitive disadvantages."

The bill also increases capacity for inspection, identification, and monitoring of illegal foreign vessels, amends several international agreements to incorporate civil and criminal penalties, and broadens data sharing authority with foreign governments in order to identify and penalize nations that do not comply with fisheries management regulations.

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