The appropriations committee of the United States Senate has voted to reduce the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s 2018 budget, but the cuts are less severe than those requested by President Donald Trump.
The Senate Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations subcommittee agreed to a USD 85.1 million (EUR 72.3 million) cut to NOAA’s budget to USD 5.6 billion (EUR 4.8 billion) – much less than the nearly USD 900 million (EUR 764 million) in cuts requested by Trump, according to a press release put out by Senate Republicans.
The committee voted to fully fund NOAA operations including ocean monitoring; fisheries management; coastal grants to states; aquaculture research; and severe weather forecasting, according to the press release. The bill also provides full funding for NOAA’s flagship weather satellites, and their planned successors, the committee
The bill rejects the proposal to eliminate NOAA programs including Sea Grant, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS), Coastal Zone Management (CZM) grants, and the Regional Coastal Resilience Grant (RCRG) program, according to a press release from Senate Democrats. The bill also provides USD 75 million (EUR 63.7 million) to begin building a new NOAA survey vessel, according to the press release.
In an email to SeafoodSource, National Fisheries Institute spokesperson Gavins Gibbons told SeafoodSource his organization, which represents the U.S. seafood industry, supports full funding for NOAA.
“It’s important to fully fund NOAA The sustainability oversight provided by the National Marine Fisheries Service is world renowned,” he said. “Executing on the tenants of the Magnusson-Stevens Act that provide strong federal oversight is an important mandate that should be supported.”
