Rep. Nancy Mace Reintroduces Bill To Crack Down On Illegal Foreign Fishing And Protect American Fishermen

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 19, 2025) -Congresswoman Nancy Mace (SC-01) reintroduced the Protect American Fisheries Act of 2025 to strengthen protections for U.S. fisheries and coastal communities against foreign interference and illegal fishing.

The bill modernizes the Magnuson-Stevens Act to include economic harm caused by foreign actors as a valid trigger for disaster declarations, giving the federal government the power to intervene when American fishing communities are put at risk.

This is especially critical for South Carolina, where coastal fishermen have been undercut by unfair foreign competition and alleged mislabeling of foreign shrimp as "local."

"South Carolina's fishing industry is the backbone of our coastal economy and our way of life," said Congresswoman Mace."For far too long, foreign actors have cheated the system with illegal fishing, forced labor, and this bill finally brings real accountability. It defends the livelihoods of hardworking American fishermen instead of leaving them to pay the price."

South Carolina's Lowcountry fisheries support thousands of jobs, from shrimpers and captains to processors and marine service industries. Foreign interference threatens those jobs and the coastal economy depending on them.

The legislation expands the definition of a fishery disaster to include economic harm caused by foreign activity, such as:

• Market distortion by foreign producers,
• Disruptions to sustainable harvests, and
• Threats to the operational or economic viability of U.S. fisheries.

It also directs the Secretary of Commerce to consider evidence of:

• Illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) foreign fishing, including operations using forced labor,
• Predatory pricing from foreign competitors, and
• Subsidies that undercut U.S. seafood prices or distort markets.

The United States Shrimpers Coalition provided the following letter in support of Congresswoman Mace's bill:

South Carolina fishermen, along with industry leaders nationwide, expressed strong support for Congresswoman Mace's bill:

"This is a common-sense bill that provides a critical support to our industry when we need it most. Our fishermen are some of the hardest working small business owners in the country, and they shouldn't be forced out of business because of the actions of bad actors on the other side of the world. We wholeheartedly support Congresswoman Mace in her fight to get this bill passed and signed into law. To support this bill is to support the preservation and continuity of the American Dream," said Rocky Magwood, President of the South Carolina Shrimpers Association.

"Fishermen are, by nature, a community that comes to the aid of anyone in trouble on the water. This bill isn't a handout, but a lifeline for our industry when we find ourselves in stormy economic seas. It's a matter of economic justice, and we appreciate Congresswoman Mace for her tireless efforts to support the American seafood industry," said Bryan Jones, Vice President of the South Carolina Shrimpers Association.

"When we lose our fishing industry to unethically produced supply chains, we lose our food security. Representative Mace understands that supporting American fishermen in a crisis means protecting America's ability to feed itself. We're grateful she's fighting for our food independence and the hardworking families that support coastal economies by sustainably harvesting wild-caught shrimp," said John Williams, Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance.

"No other U.S. fishery has suffered greater harm from having to compete in the U.S. market with illegal and unfairly traded imports than the Atlantic pelagic longline fishery. NOAA needs to recognize that the failure to effectively enforce U.S. trade laws has enabled imports from IUU fisheries, through the abhorrent use of forced labor, and with the benefit of foreign government subsidies, to continue to enter our market placing our fishermen at a severe competitive disadvantage. It's become a total disaster for our fishery. We really need help and thankfully, Rep. Mace's bill would provide it," said Marty Scanlon, President of the Blue Water Fishermen's Association.

"Currently the only way fishermen and seafood support businesses can get disaster relief assistance is when there is a resource disaster. While this is important and valuable to the industry when there is a resource collapse, there is no assistance available in the event of an infrastructure or market related disaster. The hurricane that devastated the industry in southwest Florida did not qualify because the resource was intact but the whole harvesting infrastructure was destroyed. Likewise, the shrimp resource in the southeast USA is robust, however, the market price has collapsed due to over importation of farm-raised shrimp, typically below the cost to produce. More shrimp was imported over the last few years than this country can consume. This leaves the wild-caught, American shrimp industry very little market space at prices too low to cover the expense to harvest. This is a fisheries disaster created by unregulated importation but does not qualify for fisheries disaster funding. We need to protect American seafood food producers for the people of the United States or we will have no domestic food to choose from," said Mike Merrifield, President, Southeastern Fisheries Association.

"For far too long domestic seafood producers have been harmed by the anti-competitive practices of foreign interests, the Protect American Fisheries Act of 2025 is a timely lifeline to level the playing field for fishermen providing wild, American seafood to the public," said Ryan Bradley, Director, Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United, Inc.

"This bill aims at making the fishery disaster determination process more comprehensive and helps ensure the longevity of the seafood industry and the communities that it supports," said Dave Donaldson, Executive Director, Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission.

"NOAA's fishery disaster program must finally come to terms with the reality that imports completely dominate the U.S. market including for cod, haddock and other New England groundfish. As covered by this bill, such imports distort the market for our fishery, disrupt our sustainable harvest of groundfish stocks, and hinder the operational or economic viability of our fishery. All that on top of the dysfunctional management of our fishery has led us to the brink of disaster. Like so many U.S. fisheries, we need Rep. Mace's bill," said Jackie Odell, Executive director of the Northeast Seafood Coalition.

"The Texas Shrimp Association strongly endorses the Protect American Fisheries Act of 2025 re-introduced by South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace which will amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management (MSFCM) Act. This bill will add an economic cause as an allowable criterion to declare a fishery resource disaster. This provision is much needed to help the Texas and United States shrimp industry with recovery from financial disaster as a result of the overabundance of largely uninspected farm-raised shrimp being imported into the U.S. The passage of this bill will allow fishery disaster provisions of the MSFCM to go into effect to provide immediate and critical relief to the many struggling fishermen who are on the brink of financial ruin and in need of recovery assistance for survival," said Chris Londrie, President of Texas Shrimp Association.

"Since the 1990s, America's commercial fishermen have set the global gold standard for sustainability, delivering wild-harvested U.S. seafood to our nation's kitchen and restaurants. Yet they've many times been undercut by container-ship-sized imports from nations with zero environmental safeguards, often caught or processed by modern-day slave labor. Despite following some of the strictest rules in the world, U.S. fishermen have never had the backing of their own government against foreign price-dumping. The Protect American Fisheries Act changes that, placing them at the bow and reeling in long-overdue protection from predatory importers. We are deeply appreciative of Congresswoman Mace's efforts to bring this bill to fruition," said Bonnie Brady, executive director, Long Island Commercial Fishing Association.

"The Protect American Fisheries Act strengthens protections for U.S. fishermen against unfair foreign practices. By recognizing economic harm as a disaster, it ensures swift federal support when foreign subsidies or illegal fishing threaten our industry. This act defends American jobs, seafood supply, and coastal communities," said Acy Cooper, President, Louisiana Shrimp Association.

"For far too long domestic seafood producers have been harmed by the anti-competitive practices of foreign interests, the Protect American Fisheries Act of 2025 is a timely lifeline to level the playing field for fishermen providing wild, American seafood to the public," said Ryan Bradley- Director, Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United.

"American fisheries are under constant threat in the USA seafood market from cheaper, less regulated foreign imports. Economic safeguards such as those provided in the bill are necessary to respond to financial disasters due to unfair market competition from subsidized foreign produced seafood," said Eric K. Kingma, Executive Director, Hawaii Longline Association.

"There is a lack of awareness by the American consumer of the origin of most seafood, this Bill will assist in protecting the hard working American Fishermen sustainability into the future," said Fred Mattera, Executive Director, Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island.

"The Port Arthur Area Shrimper's Association is supportive of the "Protect American Fisheries Act of 2025." We will do anything that we can to help the U.S. legislators in their passage of this bill. We are fighting for the survival of not just the shrimp industry, but the American fisheries as a whole. We are brothers and sisters in the shrimping community and we pray that all fishermen from all states are successful and we stand in solidarity with them. Although this legislation does not cure all of the ills in our industries, it is the start of a conversation and I hope that this conversation will continue into the future as we address the many issues of the shrimp industry and other fisheries as well in their fight for survival. All that we ask for is a level playing field and fair prices for our catches without interference from foreign countries," said Tricia Kimball, Vice President, Port Arthur Area Shrimpers Association.

"The New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association stands firmly behind the Protect American Fisheries Act. This critical legislation empowers our fishermen and seafood businesses to combat the deleterious effects of foreign market manipulation and unfair competition. By recognizing economic factors as valid grounds for declaring a federal fishery resource disaster, we are not only protecting our livelihoods but also maintaining the integrity and sustainability of our local fishing communities. We are proud to support the Protect American Fisheries Act as it represents a vital step toward ensuring a level playing field for American fishermen. The act addresses the urgent need to confront the challenges posed by subsidized foreign competitors who jeopardize our industry with their substandard, low-priced seafood. By endorsing this legislation, we are advocating for the future of our fisheries and the economic stability of our coastal communities," said Jerry Leeman, CEO, New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association.

"The unfair trade practices allowing foreign shrimp to flood our markets at artificially low prices have made it increasingly difficult for our watermen to sustain their livelihoods. When chicken feet cost more than shrimp, it highlights the urgent need for action. The Protect American Fisheries Act addresses these issues by including economic disasters-such as shrimp dumping and the ongoing trade imbalances-as part of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This inclusion is a critical piece of the puzzle needed to keep our domestic commercial fishing industry functioning and sustainable," said H. Huger McClellan, President of the McClellanville Watermen's Association.

"Disaster relief for watermen needs to be done in a timely manner. This relief comes at a time that watermen need it the most. If disaster hits, most watermen are hit pretty hard, and being self-employed they need immediate relief. Thanks to everyone involved in supporting this bill," said J.C. Hudgins, President of the Virginia Waterman's Association.

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