U.S. gains new power to sanction illegal fishing and endangered species trafficking globally

What it does

This bill authorizes the President to impose economic sanctions (asset freezes, visa bans, loan prohibitions, foreign exchange restrictions) against foreign individuals and entities engaged in illegal fishing, unreported fishing, unregulated fishing, or trade in endangered species. It also directs U.S. diplomats to collaborate internationally and advocate at the UN to combat these activities, with particular focus on China's fishing practices. The bill creates reporting requirements and establishes an interagency working group to track global illegal fishing patterns.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is a sanctions regime targeting illegal fishing and endangered species trafficking. It is fundamentally an enforcement and diplomatic tool, not a subsidy, tax provision, or deregulation. The character reflects its true function: expanding executive authority to combat transnational environmental crime.

What the text implies

• The bill grants broad discretion to the President to determine what constitutes 'complicity' in illegal fishing, potentially enabling sanctions against entities with only tangential involvement (e.g., a shipping company that transported fish caught illegally).
• The definition of 'foreign person' includes any person located in the United States who is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, meaning temporary visa holders and undocumented immigrants could be sanctioned under this authority.
• The bill's focus on China's fishing practices, while justified by real enforcement concerns, may create diplomatic friction and could be used as a tool in broader U.S.-China competition beyond environmental protection.
• Sanctions authority under IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act) is typically reserved for national emergencies; this bill normalizes its use for environmental/fisheries enforcement, potentially expanding the scope of executive emergency powers.
• The humanitarian exception carves out food and medicine but explicitly excludes food obtained through illegal fishing, creating a potential gap where sanctioned entities cannot legally provide humanitarian aid even in crisis situations.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill empowers the U.S. government to sanction foreign actors engaged in illegal fishing and endangered species trafficking—activities that deplete shared marine resources and harm global ecosystems that U.S. citizens depend on. Ordinary Americans benefit from stronger enforcement against transnational environmental crime and from diplomatic coordination that protects fisheries. No direct cost to citizens is imposed; the bill does not restrict citizen rights, impose new taxes, or create priva

Named in the bill

President of the United States, Secretary of State, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Homeland Security, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Defense, People's Republic of China, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Endangered Species Act of 1973, Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforcement Act

Where it stands

5 cosponsors: 4 Republicans, 1 Democrats.

• Apr 9, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Apr 9, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on Foreign Relations · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations”
• Jan 29, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute…”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

15 lobbying clients named this bill on 15 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $344,499 in lobbying spend. A filing names 4 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 95% of bills with at least one filing.

Tim Kaine, the sponsor, reported $125,658 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• World Wildlife Fund, Inc. — $220,000 on 1 filing
• International Labour Organization — $50,000 on 1 filing
• City of Unalaska — $19,599 on 1 filing
• Aleutians East Borough — $18,900 on 1 filing
• Ocean Peace, LLC — $15,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.