FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 7, 2025
CONTACT: Jo Knight, jo@conservefish.org

Research and Data on Chopping Block Needed for Successful Science-based Fisheries Management

Arlington, VA – On May 2, 2025, President Trump released his recommendations on discretionary funding levels for fiscal year (FY) 2026. The White House reduced NOAA’s total budget by at least $1.52 billion, with $1.31 billion of that reduction coming from “climate-dominated research, data, and grant programs.” The budget also called for moving parts of the National Marine Fisheries Service into the U.S. Department of Interior, cancelling NOAA contracts for climate measuring instruments and eliminating the Marine Mammal Commission. Robert Vandermark, executive director of the Marine Fish Conservation Network, released the following statement:

“President Trump’s proposed reductions to NOAA’s budget would destabilize thriving American coastal economies and communities. The long-term success of America’s fishing and seafood industries depends on timely, accurate, and reliable research and data to sustainably manage U.S. oceans and fisheries. Without accurate accounts of how fish stocks are faring or how changing ocean environments are impacting fishing opportunities, for example, fisheries managers can’t have the information they need to prevent overfishing or adjust regulations to account for shifting fish populations, which could severely impact the businesses and industries that depend on these marine resources. Congress should fully fund NOAA’s work to support science-based fisheries and ocean management, which is crucial to America’s fishing future.”

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The Marine Fish Conservation Network is a coalition of commercial and recreational fishing associations, regional and national conservation groups, aquaria, and marine science organizations committed to sustaining fish populations, healthy marine ecosystems, and robust fishing communities.