Press release content from Globe Newswire. The AP news staff was not involved in its creation. Congress Introduces Bold New Legislation to Combat Illegal Fishing, Seafood Fraud OceanaMay 11, 2021 GMT None WASHINGTON, May 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) introduced the Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act, a comprehensive bill to end illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, expand transparency, and stop seafood fraud, while strengthening U.S. leadership on issues that threaten our oceans, consumers, and human rights.
A report by the International Trade Commission found that the United States imported $2.4 billion worth of seafood imports derived from IUU fishing in 2019. IUU fishing is off the books and can include fishing in closed areas or with prohibited gear, or for unmanaged species in unmanaged regions. IUU fishing can also be a driver of forced labor and other human rights abuses. The new legislation would ensure that all seafood sold in the U.S. is safe, legally caught, responsibly sourced, and honestly labeled. If passed, this bill would provide consumers with more information about the seafood they eat, require fish to be tracked from boat to plate, increase vessel transparency, prevent illegally caught and sourced seafood from entering the United States, and protect workers and those that rely on a healthy ocean. Additionally, the bill would allow the United States to take stronger action against countries who fail to address IUU fishing and human rights abuses in the seafood sector.