What does Preamble of Protecting U.S. Fishers from Illegal Foreign Flags Act of 2026 do?

This bill amends the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act. It authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to consider nations with open registries when identifying nations engaging in or endorsing illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing.

What does SHORT TITLE. of Protecting U.S. Fishers from Illegal Foreign Flags Act of 2026 do?

This bill is formally titled the Protecting U.S. Fishers from Illegal Foreign Flags Act of 2026.

What does AMENDMENTS TO THE HIGH SEAS DRIFTNET FISHING MORATORIUM of Protecting U.S. Fishers from Illegal Foreign Flags Act of 2026 do?

This section amends the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act. It adds a condition to subsection (a)(2) regarding nations that fail to confirm a genuine link between the nation and vessels operating under its laws, impacting flag state responsibilities. It replaces paragraph (2) in subsection (e) with a provision requiring the Secretary to amend the definition of 'illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing' within 90 days of the Protecting U.S. Fishers from Illegal Foreign Flags Act of 2026. The amendment to the definition of 'illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing' must be consistent with section 3532(6) of the Maritime SAFE Act.

Back to bills

Protecting U.S. Fishers from Illegal Foreign Flags Act of 2026

Last updated: 6/9/2026 · Introduced: 6/9/2026

Author: Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

TL;DR (AI)

This bill amends the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act to allow consideration of nations with open registries when identifying those engaged in illegal fishing.
The bill adds a condition to flag state responsibilities, requiring nations to confirm a genuine link between the nation and vessels operating under its laws.
It mandates the Secretary of Commerce to update the definition of 'illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing' to align with the Maritime SAFE Act within 90 days of the bill's enactment.

119th Congressin committeeOfficial page

Verified Votes

No verified votes yet.

Community Votes

No community votes yet. Be the first!

Voting as guest · Sign in for verified votes

Other Sections

Includes provisions on preamble, short title., and 1 more.

3 sections

Click "Show details" to explore individual sections. Use the community vote above or visit All Sections to vote per section.

Read official text

Want the full experience?

Create a free account to cast verified votes on each section, get a personalized summary, and track your voting history.

Create Free Account