STATEMENT: House Budget Would Slash NOAA Fisheries Budget by 40%, Threatening American Fishing Industry

Cuts to NOAA Fisheries Would Hobble Sustainability, Hurt Marine Wildlife

WASHINGTON – Today, the House Committee on Appropriations is marking up the Fiscal Year 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies bill, and is expected to pass it out of the committee. The draft bill contains severe cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that threaten critical services, with especially draconian cuts to the National Marine Fisheries Service, or NOAA Fisheries. The proposed funding for NOAA Fisheries in the House budget proposal is $686 million, compared to the more than $1.1 billion appropriated in Fiscal Year 2024. Ocean Conservancy’s Senior Director of Fish Conservation Meredith Moore released the following statement:

“The House bill proposes a staggering 40% budget cut to NOAA Fisheries. Simply put, a cut of that magnitude would destroy our world-class fishery management system and trigger the decline of our coastal communities. NOAA Fisheries ensures that U.S. fisheries are healthy and well-managed for the benefit of all Americans. These cuts would deeply undermine the foundational science and management needed for sustainable fisheries, hamper seafood safety, and weaken the protection of marine wildlife and habitats.” 

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