The U.S. government has begun laying off staff at NOAA as part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to shrink the federal workforce and roll back the government’s climate-related spending.
The Trump administration began laying off NOAA employees on 27 February, with more cuts expected. According to the Associated Press, the layoffs targeted employees with probationary status – who have less protections than employees who have worked with the agency for more than two years. Hundreds of employees, possibly as many as 10 percent of the agency’s staff, have been let go, former NOAA chief scientist Craig McLean told the publication.
The move was quickly criticized by conservation groups, which claimed the cuts could hinder the agency’s vital missions.
“The indiscriminate firing of employees is going to sabotage NOAA’s ability to do essential work that every single American relies on,” Ocean Conservancy Vice President of External Affairs Jeff Waters said in a statement. “NOAA is the eyes and ears for our water and air – the agency tracks our weather and climate; monitors tides and surf forecasts; allows for the safe deployment and navigation of satellites, ships, and doppler radar. It acts as a first responder with its weather and hurricane emergency alerts; its tsunami warning centers; its oil spill response capabilities; its marine mammal stranding network; and its harmful algal blooms early warning systems. NOAA even keeps seafood on the table. Americans depend on NOAA each and every day, and so does the health of the ocean.”
It’s not immediately clear how many of the laid off employees worked within NOAA Fisheries, or how a reduction in the agency’s workforce will impact its fisheries work.
Conservation NGO Oceana called on Congress to step in and reverse the cuts.
“Our oceans have become political carnage, but the real victims are hardworking Americans – the people you care about – and our future generations,” Oceana Vice President for the United States Beth Lowell said in a statement. “These are American jobs that warn us about severe weather, protect our most vulnerable marine life like whales and turtles, ensure abundant fisheries, and maintain a healthy ocean for those whose livelihoods depend on it. We’re calling on Congress to save NOAA from these disastrous cuts, while also protecting American jobs, communities, and the oceans.”
The mass layoffs occurred immediately after …
