Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, a top threat to ocean ecosystems and global food security, is inextricably linked to human rights abuses at sea.
The Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act represents a significant step forward in explicitly linking illegal fishing to forced labor in the seafood industry, enhancing traceability and transparency in seafood supply chains, and strengthening enforcement against IUU fishing and associated labor abuses.

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, a top threat to ocean ecosystems and global food security, is inextricably linked to human rights abuses at sea. Workers on fishing vessels around the world routinely deal with multiple abuses at sea—withholding of pay, debt bondage, beatings, excessive working hours, and much more. IUU fishing, human trafficking, and forced labor in the seafood industry are human rights and environmental crises that demand swift action.
The Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act represents a significant step forward in explicitly linking illegal fishing to forced labor in the seafood industry, enhancing traceability and transparency in seafood supply chains, and strengthening enforcement against IUU fishing and associated labor abuses.