April 9, 2025 — The following was released by Bill Cassidy:
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Curtis (R-UT), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the Protecting Global Fisheries Actto combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Predatory IUU fishing, particularly by China, disrupts international trade and undermines maritime security, marine ecosystems, and food and economic security. It often involves forced labor, human trafficking, unsafe working conditions, and other human rights abuses. IUU fishing directly harms the United States—a major harvester, importer, and consumer of seafood—by creating unfair competition for fishermen who abide by international fishing laws.
“Louisiana produces the best seafood in the world. Competitors abroad outprice us with illegal practices. It hurts our jobs, economy, and national security. Let’s protect our way of life,” said Dr. Cassidy.
The Protecting Global Fisheries Act would:
- Authorize the President to impose visa, asset, and financial sanctions on foreign persons or foreign vessels found responsible or complicit in IUU fishing and the sale, supply, purchase, or transfer of endangered species.
- Require the U.S. Departments of State and U.S. Defense to regularly provide briefings to Congress on efforts and strategies to combat IUU fishing.
- Assert that the United States will prioritize countering IUU fishing in collaboration with friendly countries and via international forums.
Background
IUU fishing violates national and international fishing laws, including fishing without a license for certain species, failing to report catches or making false reports, using prohibited fishing gear, or conducting unauthorized transfers of fish to cargo vessels. It has become a particular challenge in the Western Hemisphere, costing nearly $2.7 billion in lost revenue annually and making up more than 20 percent of all catches in Latin America. The increasing presence of illegal Chinese fishing vessels has significantly contributed to the rise in IUU fishing in the hemisphere and around the world.