Pentagon gets new authority to train foreign coast guards on fishing enforcement.
S. 2674 — HARPOON Act · Filed by Todd Young (R-IN) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Aug 1, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill authorizes the U.S. Secretary of Defense and Coast Guard Commandant to fund and conduct training programs for foreign military and coast guard forces to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing) in international waters. The bill requires annual reports to Congress on which countries are participating, what resources are needed, and how effective the programs are.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is authorization for the Secretary of Defense and Coast Guard to conduct or support training and joint patrols with foreign security forces. The stated purpose—countering illegal fishing—is the actual mechanism, not a wrapper around a hidden provision.
What the text implies
- Expands DoD authority to conduct military-to-military engagement in maritime domains beyond traditional counterterrorism or great-power competition, potentially increasing U.S. naval presence in regions where fishing disputes are economically or geopolitically sensitive.
- Annual reporting requirement creates a public record of which countries receive U.S. security assistance for maritime enforcement, potentially affecting diplomatic relationships or revealing intelligence priorities.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who it affects
The bill expands U.S. capacity to address a genuine transnational crime problem (illegal fishing) that depletes shared ocean resources and destabilizes coastal economies.