June 16, 2026 — Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing undercuts the U.S. market with cheap seafood, depressing prices, and squeezing out the operators who follow the rules. Combating IUU fishing remains a high priority for U.S. commercial fishermen, environmental groups, human rights advocates, and Congress.
Last week, there were two noteworthy developments in that fight: the House passed the Stop Illegal Fishing Act (H.R. 6338), and Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced the Protecting U.S. Fishers from Illegal Foreign Flags Act of 2026 (S. 4720).
How Does Farmed Seafood Rely on IUU Fishing?
The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) explained in its 2024 List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor report that fish harvested in Thailand involves forced labor and that a quarter of that harvest goes into fishmeal for animal feed. The majority of that feed ends up used in Thai shrimp and poultry farms. And much of that Thai shrimp, raised on fishmeal harvested through forced labor, ends up on American plates. In 2025 alone, Thailand shipped nearly 60 million pounds of shrimp products to the U.S. market, worth over $304 million.