U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) on Aug. 28 unveiled the Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforcement Act to counter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, or IUU fishing.
“The United States faces a host of threats to maritime security, including those from foreign actors who fund their activities with revenue derived from [IUU] fishing,” Sen. Wicker said on Aug. 29.
Such illegal fishing, he added, damages U.S. interests “by undermining lawful fishing activities at home and abroad, and provides an opening for lower-quality, fraudulent products to enter the global seafood supply chain.”
The bill, known as the Maritime SAFE Act, would promote a government-wide approach to address threats to maritime security, according to a statement released by Sen. Wicker’s office.
Every year, according to the statement, IUU fishing incidents cause an estimated tens of billions of dollars in unlawful or undocumented revenue, threatens the national security of the United States, and imperils global food security.
At the same time, IUU fishing criminals oftentimes are also involved in other illegal activities, including the trafficking of humans, weapons and drugs, according to the statement.
“This legislation allows the United States to combat a multi-billion dollar criminal industry that undercuts the economic livelihoods of legitimate fishermen and threatens food security for communities around the world,” said U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), who joined Sen. Wicker in introducing the measure.
If enacted, the proposed bill would establish an interagency working group and authorize federal agencies to improve law enforcement, information sharing and coordinated actions that could give the United States “the requisite tools to address this important issue,” Coons said.
Sen. Wicker added that he’s “glad to work with Senator Coons” on introducing a bill to help address a complex threat using a coordinated government approach.