Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015
Latest action · Nov 5, 2015 Became Public Law No: 114-81.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedFeb 5, 2015
- Passed HouseJul 27, 2015
- Passed SenateOct 21, 2015
- To the PresidentOct 26, 2015
- Became lawNov 5, 2015Public Law 114-81
Summary
Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015
(Sec. 101) This bill amends the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act to direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Coast Guard to enforce specified laws to address illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing. NOAA and other federal and state agencies are given the authority to enforce those laws, including enforcement through vessel forfeiture and civil and criminal penalties.
NOAA may: (1) help other nations combat IUU fishing and achieve sustainable fisheries; (2) disclose information to government agencies, international fisheries management organizations, and foreign governments to enforce or assist in enforcing fisheries policies; and (3) publish a list of vessels and vessel owners engaged in IUU fishing and take action against listed vessels and owners.
This bill subjects a nation to sanctions only if NOAA certifies that the nation is not addressing IUU fishing or activities resulting in bycatch of a protected living marine resource. Currently, such nations are subject to denial of port privileges and other sanctions unless NOAA has certified that they are addressing such activities.
NOAA must consider the activity of vessels of a nation in the last three years when identifying a nation as having vessels engaged in IUU fishing. Currently, NOAA considers only more recent activity.
(Sec. 112) This bill amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to expand enforcement authority to include violations of a treaty or binding conservation measure.
TITLE II--IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ANTIGUA CONVENTION
Antigua Convention Implementing Act of 2015
(Sec. 202) This bill amends the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950 to implement the Convention for the Strengthening of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission Established by the 1949 Convention Between the United States of America and the Republic of Costa Rica, also known as the Antigua Convention.
(Sec. 210) The Eastern Pacific Tuna Licensing Act of 1984 is repealed.
TITLE III--AGREEMENT ON PORT STATE MEASURES TO PREVENT, DETER AND ELIMINATE ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED AND UNREGULATED FISHING
Port State Measures Agreement Act of 2015
(Sec. 302) This bill implements the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing signed by the United States November 22, 2009.
Cosponsors 39
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 5, 2015 to Jul 27, 2015; 4 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-AK | Don Young | Original | Feb 5, 2015 |
| D-CA | John Garamendi | Original | Feb 5, 2015 |
| D-OR | Peter A. DeFazio | Original | Feb 5, 2015 |
| R-VA | Robert J. Wittman | Original | Feb 5, 2015 |
| D-CA | Alan S. Lowenthal | Feb 10, 2015 | |
| R-CA | Duncan Hunter | Feb 10, 2015 | |
| R-CA | Edward R. Royce | Feb 10, 2015 | |
| D-PR | Pedro R. Pierluisi | Feb 10, 2015 | |
| R-TX | Randy K. Weber, Sr. | Feb 10, 2015 | |
| D-MP | Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan | Feb 25, 2015 | |
| D-CA | Lois Capps | Feb 25, 2015 | |
| D-CA | Mike Thompson | Feb 25, 2015 | |
| D-CA | Jared Huffman | Mar 3, 2015 | |
| R-AS | Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen | Apr 13, 2015 | |
| R-TX | Blake Farenthold | Apr 13, 2015 | |
| R-FL | Carlos Curbelo | Apr 13, 2015 | |
| R-FL | David W. Jolly | Apr 13, 2015 | |
| D-CA | Grace F. Napolitano | Apr 13, 2015 | |
| R-TX | Roger Williams | Apr 13, 2015 | |
| D-MA | William R. Keating | Apr 13, 2015 | |
| R-FL | Ileana Ros-Lehtinen | Apr 28, 2015 | |
| D-TN | Steve Cohen | Apr 30, 2015 | |
| R-FL | Mario Diaz-Balart | May 13, 2015 | |
| D-HI | Mark Takai | May 13, 2015 | |
| D-MD | Chris Van Hollen | May 14, 2015 | |
| D-FL | Kathy Castor | May 18, 2015 | |
| R-FL | Curt Clawson | Jun 4, 2015 | |
| R-TX | John Abney Culberson | Jun 9, 2015 | |
| R-AL | Bradley Byrne | Jun 12, 2015 | |
| D-CA | Michael M. Honda | Jun 12, 2015 | |
| R-TX | Michael T. McCaul | Jun 12, 2015 | |
| D-MA | Seth Moulton | Jun 12, 2015 | |
| D-WA | Derek Kilmer | Jun 15, 2015 | |
| R-TX | Lamar Smith | Jun 15, 2015 | |
| R-FL | Gus M. Bilirakis | Jun 17, 2015 | |
| R-TX | Ted Poe | Jun 17, 2015 | |
| R-AL | Mo Brooks | Jun 23, 2015 | |
| D-RI | David N. Cicilline | Jul 27, 2015 | |
| D-AZ | Raúl M. Grijalva | Jul 27, 2015 |
Committees 4
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Natural Resources Committee | Referred Feb 5, 2015Markup Apr 30, 2015Reported Jul 20, 2015 |
| Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee | Referred Mar 16, 2015Discharged Apr 30, 2015 | |
| House | Transportation and Infrastructure Committee | Referred Feb 5, 2015Discharged Jul 20, 2015 |
| Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee | Referred Feb 6, 2015 | |
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Jul 20, 2015 |
| Senate | Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | Referred Jul 28, 2015Discharged Oct 21, 2015 |
Actions 25
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Nov 5, 2015Signed by President.
- Nov 5, 2015Became Public Law No: 114-81.
- Oct 26, 2015Presented to President.
- Oct 22, 2015Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Oct 21, 2015Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S7407)
In the Congressional Record 3
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S7407 | David Vitter R-LA, Sheldon Whitehouse D-RI | Oct 21, 2015 |
| House | Debate and remarks H5478–H5486Text printed H5479–H5484 | Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen R-AS, Madeleine Z. Bordallo D-GU | Jul 27, 2015 |
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E175 | Madeleine Z. Bordallo D-GU | Feb 5, 2015 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- Jun 12, 2015H.R. 774, Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015As ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on April 30, 2015
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 161, no. 20, February 5, 2015, page H857.
CRS reports 7
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 7
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R48215 | Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing: Frequently Asked Questions | Report | Dec 23, 2025 |
| R47065 | China’s Role in the Exploitation of Global Fisheries: Issues for Congress Archived | Report | Apr 12, 2022 |
| R44581 | Trafficking in Persons and U.S. Foreign Policy Responses in the 114th Congress Archived | Report | Aug 5, 2016 |
| R44208 | Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2016 Appropriations Archived | Report | May 19, 2016 |
| IF10368 | Forced Labor Trafficking in the International Fishing Sector Archived | Resource | Feb 29, 2016 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 1334 | Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015 | Related bill | Nov 10, 2015 |
Titles 16
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To strengthen enforcement mechanisms to stop illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, to amend the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950 to implement the Antigua Convention, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015
- Short Titles as Reported to House
- Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015
- Short Titles as Passed Senate
- Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015
- Short Titles as Enacted
- Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015
- Short Titles as Introduced for portions of this bill
- Port State Measures Agreement Act of 2015
- Antigua Convention Implementing Act of 2015
- Short Titles as Reported to House for portions of this bill
- Antigua Convention Implementing Act of 2015
- Port State Measures Agreement Act of 2015
- Short Titles as Passed House for portions of this bill
- Antigua Convention Implementing Act of 2015
- Port State Measures Agreement Act of 2015
- Short Titles as Passed Senate for portions of this bill
- Port State Measures Agreement Act of 2015
- Antigua Convention Implementing Act of 2015
- Short Titles as Enacted for portions of this bill
- Port State Measures Agreement Act of 2015
- Antigua Convention Implementing Act of 2015
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Advisory bodies
- Arctic and polar regions
- Assault and harassment offenses
- Atlantic Ocean
- Caribbean area
- Civil actions and liability
- Costa Rica
- Crimes against animals and natural resources
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Customs enforcement
- Department of Commerce
- Fishes
- Fraud offenses and financial crimes
- Government information and archives
- International law and treaties
- International organizations and cooperation
- Latin America
- Licensing and registrations
- Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
- Pacific Ocean
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Seafood
- Trade restrictions
- Wildlife conservation and habitat protection
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Jul 28, 2015Referred in Senate
- Jul 27, 2015Engrossed in House
- Feb 5, 2015Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
