Merkley, Wicker Lead Bipartisan Legislation to Protect U.S. Fishers by Cracking Down on Illegal Fishing and Abusive Vessel Flagging Practices

Washington, D.C. - Ahead of the International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing on June 5, 2026, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) announced a new bipartisan bill to target a loophole that illegal fishers exploit to gain an unfair advantage over folks adhering to responsible fisheries management in the United States and worldwide.

The Protecting U.S. Fishers from Illegal Foreign Flags Act would hold bad actors accountable for swapping out their vessel's flag-known as a flag of convenience-when a vessel is registered in a country different from the owner's home country. Flags of convenience, which are often issued by countries with weak oversight practices, can allow foreign vessels to avoid environmental and labor standards in international waters, while enabling illegal fishers to flood the market with low-cost, difficult-to-trace seafood.

"The United States is the world's largest seafood-importing country, and we have both the purchasing power and the responsibility to tackle illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing," said Merkley. "Flags of convenience enable IUU fishing by allowing vessels to dodge oversight, further exposing American consumers to illegally caught seafood and driving down prices for sustainable domestic products. Our bipartisan bill is a win-win-protecting U.S. fishers that play by the rules while also promoting sustainable fisheries management across the globe."

"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," said Wicker.

The bipartisan Protecting U.S. Fishers from Illegal Foreign Flags Act is endorsed by the Oregon Trawl Commission, Oceana, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Southern Shrimp Alliance.

"The United States has some of the most responsibly managed fisheries in the world, and Oregon's commercial seafood industry is proud to help supply healthy, sustainable seafood to American consumers," said Yelena Nowak, Executive Director of the Oregon Trawl Commission. "This bill is an important step toward ensuring that seafood tied to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing does not benefit from access to the U.S. market, while helping level the playing field for U.S. fishermen and processors. The Oregon Trawl Commission commends Senator Merkley and Senator Wicker for their leadership in advancing bipartisan legislation to strengthen accountability for IUU fishing and the countries that enable it."

"Oceana applauds this bipartisan bill that addresses flags of convenience that create cover for some of the worst abuses on our oceans, allowing vessels engaged in illegal fishing and labor exploitation to evade scrutiny and accountability," said Maisie Pigeon, Oceana's Senior Director of Global Transparency. "If we want to promote sustainable fisheries, protect habitat and wildlife, and keep illegally caught seafood out of the U.S. market, we need to hold flag states accountable and this bill would do just that. Congress should pass this commonsense bill to hold foreign countries accountable for actions at sea and help level the playing field for U.S. fishers and seafood producers that follow the rules."

"Illegal fishing and labor abuses at sea persist when bad actors can hide behind lax foreign flags to evade basic oversight," said Molly Masterton, Senior Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "The Protecting U.S. Fishers from Illegal Foreign Flags Act updates NOAA's enforcement tools to shed a light on flags of convenience, helping to level the playing field for US fishermen who play by the rules and helping to secure a healthier future for our shared ocean."

"Because IUU fishing continues to play a significant role in the production of feed for foreign aquaculture, American shrimpers are among the hundreds of thousands of law-abiding commercial fishermen harmed by vessels operating under flags of convenience," said Blake Price, Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. "Senator Merkley's and Senator Wicker's Protecting U.S. Fishers from Illegal Foreign Flags Act of 2026 provides the federal government with an important tool to meaningfully counter the negligence of some of our foreign trading partners and is strongly supported by the Southern Shrimp Alliance and the U.S. shrimp industry."

Full text of the bill can be found by clicking here.

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