Sec. 4. Establishment of an IUU vessel list
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Section 608 of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1826i ) is amended by striking subsections
(c)and
(d)and inserting the following: The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Labor, and the heads of other relevant agencies, shall develop, maintain, and make public a list of foreign vessels, foreign fleets, and beneficial owners of foreign vessels or foreign fleets engaged in IUU fishing or fishing-related activities in support of IUU fishing (referred to in this section as the IUU vessel list ). The IUU vessel list shall include any foreign vessel, foreign fleet, or beneficial owner of a foreign vessel or foreign fleet for which the Secretary determines there is clear and convincing evidence to believe that a foreign vessel is any of the following (even if the Secretary has only partial information regarding the vessel): A vessel listed on an IUU vessel list of an international fishery management organization. A vessel knowingly taking part in fishing that undermines the effectiveness of an international fishery management organization’s conservation and management measures, including a vessel— exceeding applicable international fishery management organization catch limits; or that is operating inconsistent with relevant catch allocation arrangements of the international fishery management organization, even if operating under the authority of a foreign country that is not a member of the international fishery management organization. A vessel, either on the high seas or in the exclusive economic zone of another country, identified and reported by United States authorities to an international fishery management organization to be conducting IUU fishing when the United States has reason to believe the foreign country to which the vessel is registered or documented is not addressing the allegation. A vessel, fleet, or beneficial owner of a vessel or fleet on the high seas identified by United States authorities to be conducting IUU fishing. A vessel that knowingly provides services (excluding emergency or enforcement services) to a vessel that is on the IUU vessel list, including transshipment, resupply, refueling, or pilotage. A vessel that is a fishing vessel engaged in commercial fishing within the exclusive economic zone of the United States without a permit issued under title II of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1821 et seq. ). A vessel that has the same beneficial owner as another vessel on the IUU vessel list at the time of the infraction. The Secretary may receive nominations for putting a vessel on the IUU vessel list from— the head of an executive branch agency that is a member of the Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing established under section 3551 of the Maritime SAFE Act ( 16 U.S.C. 8031 ); a country that is a member of the Combined Maritime Forces; or civil organizations that have data-sharing agreements with a member of the Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing. The Secretary may put a vessel on the IUU vessel list only after notification to the vessel’s beneficial owner and a review of any information that the owner provides within 90 days of the notification. A beneficial owner may request a hearing on the evidence if the owner's vessel is placed on the IUU vessel list under subparagraph
(A)and may present new evidence to the Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing described in paragraph (3)(A). Such Working Group shall review the new evidence and vote on whether the vessel shall remain on the IUU vessel list or not. The Secretary shall publish its procedures for adding vessels on, and removing vessels from, the IUU vessel list. The Secretary shall publish the IUU vessel list itself in the Federal Register annually and on a website, which shall be updated any time a vessel is added to the IUU vessel list, and include the following information (as much as is available and confirmed) for each vessel on the IUU vessel list: The name of the vessel and previous names of the vessel. The International Maritime Organization
(IMO)number of the vessel, or other Unique Vessel Identifier (such as the flag state permit number or authorized vessel number issued by an international fishery management organization). The maritime mobile service identity number and call sign of the vessel. The business or corporate address of each beneficial owner of the vessel. The country where the vessel is registered or documented, and where it was previously registered if known. The date of inclusion on the IUU vessel list of the vessel. Any other Unique Vessel Identifier (UVI), if applicable. Any other identifying information on the vessel, as determined appropriate by the Secretary. The basis for the Secretary’s inclusion of the vessel on the IUU vessel list under paragraph (2). The Secretary may take the action described in subsection (c)(2) of this section in effect on the day before the date of enactment of the Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025 against a vessel on the IUU vessel list, the owner of such vessel, and the operator of such vessel. Except as provided in paragraph (3), a vessel, fleet, or beneficial owner of a vessel or fleet that is put on the IUU vessel list shall remain on the IUU vessel list. In consultation with the Secretary of State and the heads of other relevant agencies, the Secretary may remove a vessel, fleet, or beneficial owner of a vessel or fleet from the IUU vessel list if the beneficial owner of the vessel submits an application for removal to the Secretary that meets the standards that the Secretary has set out for removal. The Secretary shall make such standards publicly available. In considering an application for removal, the Secretary shall consider relevant information from all sources. The Secretary may remove a vessel from the IUU vessel list if the vessel was put on the list because it was a vessel listed on an IUU vessel list of an international fishery management organization, pursuant to subsection (c)(2)(A), and the international fishery management organization removed the vessel from its IUU vessel list. Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of the Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025 , the Secretary shall issue regulations to set a process for establishing, maintaining, implementing, and publishing the IUU vessel list. The Administrator may add or remove a vessel, fleet, or beneficial owner of a vessel or fleet from the IUU vessel list on the date the vessel becomes eligible for such addition or removal. In this section: Unless otherwise provided, the term Administrator means the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the designee of the Administrator. The term beneficial owner means, with respect to a vessel, a person that, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship, or otherwise— exercises substantial control over the vessel; or owns not less than 50 percent of the ownership interests in the vessel. The term foreign vessel has the meaning given the term in section 110 of title 46, United States Code). The term international fishery management organization means an international organization established by any bilateral or multilateral treaty, convention, or agreement for the conservation and management of fish. The term IUU fishing has the meaning given the term illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing in the implementing regulations or any subsequent regulations issued pursuant to section 609(e). The term seafood means fish, shellfish, processed fish, fish meal, shellfish products, and all other forms of marine animal and plant life other than marine mammals and birds. There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Commerce to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2030. .
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