June 8, 2026 — A pair of U.S. senators have introduced legislation to crack down on flags of convenience, aiming to ensure that nations enabling the practice are considered to be engaging in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
“Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing puts the United States seafood industry at a competitive disadvantage. Our maritime laws are built to protect fishermen and improve environmental and labor standards, but many bad actors use the flag of convenience to exploit gaps in those laws. Closing this loophole benefits fishermen, consumers, and the fishing industry,” U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) said in a release.