Protect American Fisheries Act of 2025

This bill significantly amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act by introducing "economic cause" as a new basis for declaring a fishery resource disaster. This expansion allows for a broader range of qualifying events beyond traditional natural or anthropogenic causes affecting the resource itself. The legislation defines an "economic cause" as any activity carried out by a foreign person that distorts the market for a fishery resource, disrupts its sustainable harvest, or hinders the operational or economic viability of a fishery. A "foreign person" is broadly defined to include foreign individuals, governments, international financial institutions, and foreign-controlled entities. When requesting a disaster declaration based on economic cause, the bill mandates the inclusion of information documenting adverse effects from foreign person activities, such as illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing , predatory pricing , or subsidies that distort markets or negatively impact seafood prices. This change allows the Secretary to consider a wider range of factors, including prices in U.S. or export markets and specific foreign activities, when determining if a fishery resource disaster has occurred, providing a mechanism for federal assistance to U.S. fisheries suffering economic harm due to certain foreign actions.