33 U.S.C. § 4251 — Incentive for fishermen to collect and dispose of plastic found at sea

(a) In general. The Under Secretary^* must establish a pilot program to assess whether it is feasible and advisable to provide incentives, such as grants, to fishermen based in the United States who accidentally capture marine debris^* at sea. The incentives would support tracking or keeping the debris aboard and properly disposing of it on land.

(b) Support for collection and removal of derelict gear. The Under Secretary must encourage United States efforts, such as the Fishing for Energy net disposal program, that support collecting and removing derelict fishing gear and other fishing waste; disposing of or recycling that gear and waste; and preventing the loss of that gear.