IUU fishing is a major global problem, accounting for an estimated 20% of all seafood harvested annually. It costs legitimate fisheries between $10 billion and $23 billion each year and includes small-scale violations as well as organized criminal operations that falsify catch reports, bypass permits, and use fishing vessels for illicit activities.
The government shutdown, which began on October 1st, 2025, has furloughed roughly 900,000 federal employees, with another 700,000 working without pay. The U.S. Coast Guard continues operations under the Department of Homeland Security, but other agencies that support fisheries enforcement, such as NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, are operating with limited capacity. Essential inspections and enforcement continue, but some investigative and international cooperation efforts may be delayed.
The State Department’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, which oversees international fishing agreements, has also scaled back activities. These reductions could slow the U.S. government’s ability to track and respond to illegal fishing in distant waters, affecting compliance with international law and domestic regulations.
Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) has been vocal about the need to protect Alaska’s salmon and pollock stocks from foreign overfishing, while Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) and Democratic co-sponsor Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) introduced H.R. 3756 to strengthen enforcement. The bill seeks to support fishermen who comply with U.S. laws by reducing unfair competition from illegal operators.
The legislation, along with a related Senate effort often called the FISH Act, would:
- Establish a blacklist of foreign vessels engaged in illegal fishing, barring them from U.S. ports
- Expand U.S. Coast Guard inspections of high-risk vessels
- Increase U.S. enforcement cooperation internationally
- Provide authority for the Treasury Department to impose sanctions on violating vessel owners
- Require reports on emerging monitoring technologies, including satellite tracking
- Assess the economic impact of foreign fishing operations on U.S. markets
Before the shutdown, a Senate committee advanced similar provisions as part of broader national security legislation, reflecting bipartisan interest in curbing IUU fishing. In the House, H.R. 3756 has support from members across the political spectrum, though it has not yet reached the floor for a vote.
With Congress largely focused on ending the shutdown, bills like H.R. 3756 are on hold. For U.S. fishermen who comply with regulations, this delay results in continued competition from foreign vessels operating outside international law.
The bill’s future will depend on when Congress can return to a functioning legislative schedule. In the meantime, U.S. fisheries and coastal communities must balance regulatory compliance with the challenges of global IUU fishing.