This legislation, known as the Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025, aims to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing globally, specifically targeting its sources and addressing links to forced labor and human trafficking. It establishes a comprehensive policy for the United States to partner with foreign governments, civil society, and international organizations to counter these harmful practices. A central provision is the creation of a public "black list" of foreign vessels, fleets, and their beneficial owners involved in IUU fishing or related activities. The Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with other agencies, will develop and maintain this IUU vessel list, including entities found to be undermining international fishery management, using forced labor , or fishing illegally in U.S. waters. Criteria for inclusion range from being listed by an international fishery management organization to having beneficial owners linked to other listed vessels or subject to U.S. sanctions for transnational criminal activity. The bill outlines procedures for adding and removing entities from this list, ensuring transparency and due process. Vessels placed on the IUU vessel list face significant consequences, including prohibitions from accessing U.S. ports and services, traveling through U.S. territorial seas (with exceptions), and receiving supplies or transshipment in U.S. waters. Crucially, the import of seafood or seafood products caught, processed, or transported by listed foreign vessels is strictly prohibited. The legislation also directs U.S. delegations to advocate for similar safeguards in new and updated international fishing treaties and agreements. Beyond the black list, the bill authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to impose sanctions on foreign persons or vessels involved in IUU fishing or the trade of endangered species. These sanctions can include the blocking of property and rendering individuals ineligible for U.S. visas or admission . Exceptions are provided for national interest waivers, intelligence activities, international obligations, safety of vessels and crew, and humanitarian assistance. Further provisions encourage the President to consider IUU fishing and forced labor impacts in international negotiations and urge the Federal Government to promote ratification of relevant treaties. The Coast Guard is directed to increase observation and boarding of suspected IUU vessels on the high seas, while the Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing is tasked with developing strategies to leverage enforcement capacity against IUU fishing and associated abuses like forced labor. The bill also mandates strategies for optimizing data collection and sharing to prevent IUU and forced labor seafood from entering U.S. commerce, and calls for increased investment and technical assistance to nations' fisheries sectors. Finally, it requires several studies, including on the impact of new technology on IUU fishing, the influence of Russian and Chinese fishing industries, and a comprehensive assessment of the economic costs and effectiveness of strategies to counter IUU fishing and forced labor.