Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has vetoed half of the funding the state's legislature allocated to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) as the government struggles to deal with revenue shortfalls.
In a special message announcing his line-item vetoes, Dunleavy said a drop in tax revenue from oil companies – on which the state is largely dependent – has left the state unable to fund many programs approved by the legislature.
“The oil situation has deteriorated. The price of oil has gone down; therefore, revenue is going down,” Dunleavy said in a 12 June video message on the state's budget. “Basically, we don’t have enough money to pay for all of our obligations. So, as a result of that, you’re going to see some reductions in this year’s budget.”
Funding for ASMI, which relies on federal support and a voluntary tax to promote Alaska seafood, has been a frequent victim of Dunleavy’s veto pen. In 2022, Dunleavy vetoed USD 5 million (EUR 4.4 million) in funding for the institute, arguing that it had already benefited from Covid-19 relief funding. Last year, Dunleavy vetoed USD 10 million (EUR 8.7 million) in fiscal year 2025 funding for ASMI, deferring it to a supplemental budget.
While Dunleavy included USD 10 million for the project in his fiscal 2026 budget proposal, the spending was again cut short due to revenue constraints. Dunleavy vetoed USD 5 million of the funding set aside, leaving another USD 5 million in the budget.
“Those things that we can live without – at least for a little while – will probably be removed,” Dunleavy said.
The institute receives roughly USD 40 million (EUR 34.8 million) in funding annually from a variety of sources, including a voluntary tax on the Alaska seafood sector and the federal government. The institute was awarded USD 4.5 million (EUR 4.2 million) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in March 2025 for international seafood marketing efforts.
“The timing of the new federal funds is well-aligned with the Alaska seafood industry’s needs to combat numerous global economic pressures,” ASMI International Marketing Director Nicole Alba said at the time. “While these funds will help ASMI grow our international efforts, they will also allow ASMI to direct the Alaska seafood industry contribution, as well as state funds, toward the U.S. market, where significant opportunity exists due to the Russian seafood ban.”
