Safety at Sea: Funding Cuts Bring Increased Risk and Uncertainty

Posted on August 28, 2025

Alaska’s seafood harvesters noticed stronger headwinds this summer as the impacts of Trump Administration cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) reached the fishing grounds. For those who depend on timely, accurate information and training to plan their sets and keep crews safe, these cuts are not just policy debates in Washington; they are lived realities on the water.

Unreliable Storm Prediction

Fishermen across Alaska reported greater uncertainty about the strength and duration of storms this season. In high latitudes where weather systems form and shift quickly, unreliable forecasts force hard choices: risk going out in conditions that may worsen, or lose income by staying tied to the dock. For small-boat fleets, every lost day matters. No catch is worth a life.

Cuts to NWS staffing have ripple effects across the country, but Alaska is uniquely vulnerable. As meteorologist Rick Tomen explained in a March interview on Alaska Insight:

“Alaskans need to keep in mind that we have three forecast offices for a state the size of Alaska. The same land area in the Lower 48 would have 25-30 forecast offices… Our offices have been understaffed, and now there are even fewer people.”

Our vast geography and limited communications infrastructure mean that fewer forecasters on duty can directly translate into delayed warnings or missed updates. For harvesters making decisions far from port and cell service, those gaps carry heavy risks.

Safety at Sea Training Programs

It’s not only forecasting capacity that is under threat. Safety at sea training programs, which provide fishermen with critical survival, emergency response, and risk-reduction skills, are also facing cuts and uncertainty. Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA), a cornerstone of fisheries safety in Alaska, is set to operate next year on limited state funding and the remainder of last year’s national grants. Without renewed federal investment, training availability in FY2026 will be sharply reduced.

Congress must act to fund the Commercial Fishing Safety Research and Training program, alongside the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). These programs save lives, plain and simple. Weakening them risks reversing decades of hard-won progress in making fishing a safer profession.

Read AMSEA’s August 11 Update here. 

Weather Buoys and Critical Data

Alaska’s weather and tide monitoring buoys are also aging without funding for maintenance and replacement. Weather buoys and observing platforms provide essential, real-time information on winds, seas, and icing which is the kind of data that turns models into actionable safety tools. Funding reductions threaten the maintenance of these systems, leaving fishermen with fewer reliable points of reference at precisely the time they need them most. Concern for this crucial infrastructure was echoed by the Alaska legislature, which passed Senate Joint Resolution 12, “Urging the United States Congress and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to address outages of the National Data Buoy Center stations.” 

Public Radio: A Lifeline for Fishermen

In rural Alaska, where cell service is limited or nonexistent and internet connections are unreliable, public radio remains one of the most consistent and trusted lifelines for safety information. For decades, coastal residents have relied on local public radio stations to broadcast marine weather forecasts, storm warnings, fisheries openings, and urgent updates from the National Weather Service.

The value of this service is hard to overstate. A fisherman on a remote stretch of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, a skiff crew in Bristol Bay, or a longliner preparing to cross the Gulf may have no other reliable way to receive up-to-date information. Radio forecasts and alerts often determine whether boats leave the dock, change course, or return to shelter.

That lifeline is now under serious threat. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the federal agency that distributes funding to stations nationwide, is being dismantled after Congress rescinded over a billion dollars in support. CPB will shut down operations by early 2026, and most Alaska stations will see dramatic budget losses this fall. For example, KSDP in Sand Point, which depends on CPB for 70% of its budget, is preparing to shut down its AM transmitter, cutting off a vital service for communities without internet. Across the state, public stations collectively stand to lose more than $20 million in federal support, forcing reductions to local programming and, critically, the emergency alert systems that coastal residents rely on.

Philanthropy has stepped in with an emergency bridge fund, but it cannot fully cover the gap. In Alaska’s unique geography, where communications are sparse and dangerous weather can develop quickly, maintaining this broadcast link is not simply about convenience. It is about survival.

Broader Impacts: Climate, Equity, and Response

Cuts to forecasting and safety systems come at the very moment climate-driven volatility is increasing. From sudden icing events to stronger storms, fishermen face more hazards than ever, and accurate forecasting is the frontline defense. The impacts are not felt equally. Small-boat and rural fleets, which often rely solely on public forecasts, buoys, and public radio, are hit hardest. Larger vessels may be able to afford private services, but most cannot.

Public radio plays an especially vital role in Alaska, where many communities rely on it as their only reliable connection to marine weather. Funding cuts here compound the danger of weakened forecasting capacity.

Finally, weather prediction is not only about prevention, it is about response. The U.S. Coast Guard depends on NOAA and NWS data for search and rescue operations. Gaps in forecasting accuracy slow response times and increase risks for both fishermen and rescuers.

AMCC’s Takeaways 

At AMCC, we know that safety at sea is not optional. It is the foundation of every sustainable fishery. Alaska’s fishermen deserve reliable forecasts, well-maintained buoy networks, and access to safety training programs that keep their crews safe. We will continue raising our voices in defense of the tools and investments that coastal communities rely on. 

Safety at sea cannot be bargained away.

Photo courtesy of ASMI