Citizenship Standards for Vessel Ownership and Financing; American Fisheries Act

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The Coast Guard amends citizenship requirements for fishing vessels of less than 100 feet in length that are eligible for a fishery endorsement, by increasing the percentage of interest in a vessel required to be owned and controlled by U.S. citizens in corporations. The percentage increased is from more than 50 percent to at least 75 percent. We add provisions making fishery endorsements of documented fishing vessels chartered or leased to a person who is not a citizen or to an entity which is ineligible to own a documented fishing vessel invalid. We also prohibit fishery endorsement for a fishing vessel mortgaged to a trustee if the mortgage interest is issued, assigned, transferred, or held in trust for a person not eligible to own a documented fishing vessel, even if the trustee is eligible to own a documented fishing vessel.