Saving Seafood

US senators call for sanctions on vessels that support China’s distant water fishing fleet

July 28, 2026 — A handful of U.S. senators have asked the Department of the Treasury to issue sanctions on vessels that support China’s distant water fishing fleet, continuing a push from U.S. lawmakers to limit China’s commercial fishing and seafood sectors.

“The Chinese Communist Party is using its global distant-water fleet to conduct ecocide across at least three continents in both hemispheres. They kill endangered species by the hundreds and sharks, whales, and dolphins by the thousands, and have destroyed tens of thousands of acres of coral reefs,” U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said in a statement. “Their fleet uses coerced laborers, who are subjected to physical abuse, malnutrition, overwork, and withheld pay. They could not conduct these activities without supply ships, including reefers, tankers, and floating bases. The U.S. should bolster our Maritime Domain Awareness capabilities to identify these vessels, and then we should use every available option to sanction and disrupt them.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA again cites Mexico for illegal fishing as Southern Shrimp Alliance calls for seafood import ban

July 13, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries has once again issued a negative certification to Mexico over illegal fishing in U.S. Gulf waters, marking the third consecutive report to do so.

Last week, NOAA Fisheries issued its most recent “biennial” report to Congress on Improving International Fisheries Management. The agency explained that despite the recent release, the report “was prepared in 2025.”

Six countries were identified for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing: Costa Rica, Grenada, Mexico, Morocco, the People’s Republic of China, and the Russian Federation.

Two countries were identified for the production of seafood-related goods through forced labor: Burma and the People’s Republic of China.

The agency also updated “certification” determinations, providing this explanation:

“NOAA Fisheries issues a positive certification if the nation or entity has provided evidence of actions that address the activities for which it was identified. If sufficient action has not been taken, NOAA Fisheries issues a negative certification which results in U.S. port restrictions for fishing vessels of that nation or entity, and could result in import restrictions on certain fish or fish products.”

Read the full article at

NOAA identifies six foreign governments engaging in IUU fishing, including Russia and China

July 7, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries has identified six nations engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing based on the activities of those foreign governments from 2022 through 2024.

Every two years, the agency sends a report to Congress identifying which countries are engaged in IUU fishing, which countries have adequate shark protections, and which countries have forced labor present in their seafood supply chains. NOAA Fisheries also issues certifications based on what actions countries identified in past reports have done to address the problems raised by the agency.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

President Obama signs new IUU fishing law

November 8, 2015 — Pirate fishing legislation signed into law by President Obama on Nov. 5 opens access to better protection for domestic fishermen from illegal competition from illegally harvested fish entering U.S. ports and markets.

A statement issued from the White House said that the United States will now join in a global effort to ratify and implement the Port State Measures Agreement, which will prevent vessels carrying fish caught illegally from entering American ports, keep illegal product out of domestic markets and demonstrate America’s continued leadership in the global fight against IUU fishing.

Of the 25 countries needed for the treaty to enter into force, more than half have signed and the U.S. will continue to work closely with its partners around the world to finalize this treaty, the statement said.

President Obama signed H.R. 774, the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015, in the wake of congressional approval of the legislation several years in the making.

Secretary of State John Kerry on Oct. 23 hailed the U.S. Senate’s unanimous approval of the bill, saying that he would continue to urge them to join the Port State Measures Agreement as well. 
”And because we know that no single nation can possibly police the entire sea, we’ll also begin to implement Sea Scout, an initiative I announced earlier this month at the Our Ocean conference in Chile,” he said.

“Sea Scout is aimed at enhancing global coordination, information sharing, and ultimately enforcement on IUU fishing from pole to pole and across the equator, to help ensure that no patch of it is beyond the law.”

Read the full story at The Cordova Times

 

Pew Environment Hosting Live Webcast on IUU Fishing

Live Webcast: Progress in the Fight to End Illegal Fishing
Sept. 2, 10:30 a.m. to noon EDT

In just a few weeks, world leaders will address the planet’s most pressing marine issues at the Our Ocean conference in Chile. Will they land a blow against illegal fishing and other crimes—and protect more of our global ocean?

For an exclusive preview of the conference, Pew has gathered an all-star panel of experts and insiders—and you’re invited.

Learn more about the webcast and view the agenda from Pew Environment

JOHN VIRDIN: We can end illegal fishing in the ocean

August 31, 2015 — The killing of Cecil the lion has thrust the issue of wildlife crime into the international spotlight. And for good reason: wildlife crime is a highly profitable form of global organized crime that imperils precious natural resources and, at a minimum, offends our sense of equity and fair play. Far less publicized is that some of the largest volume of such crime happens not on land but in the sea through illegal fishing.

Overfishing is a key environmental challenge of our time. Experts estimate that, globally, 29 percent of assessed fish stocks are biologically overfished—up from 10 percent in 1970. Illegal, unregulated, or unreported fishing is a large contributor to this problem.

I’ve been working with governments to improve fisheries management for more than 10 years and have seen the devastating effects of illegal fishing, particularly by large vessels, on fish stocks, the environment, and the economies of coastal communities in places like Sierra Leone. However, in the past six months, I’ve noticed a convergence of improved surveillance technology, public awareness, and government interest that has given me hope that we can turn the tide on illegal fishing.

Read the full opinion piece from John Virdin at The Hill