U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell has expressed concerns over the impacts of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, as well as the consequences of budget cuts to NOAA on American fishing families. During a hearing by the Senate Committee's Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime and Fisheries, Sen. Cantwell highlighted how illegal fishing affects honest commercial fishing families by harming fish stocks and posing seafood safety risks to consumers.
"One study found that one third of fish imported from China was actually Russian fish, and we need to keep up the pressure to stop this illegal Russian seafood from disrupting the markets here in the United States," stated Sen. Cantwell.
In Washington state alone, fisheries support nearly 88,000 jobs and contribute almost $4.5 billion in economic value. Sen. Cantwell criticized the Trump Administration for its approach to managing these issues.
"So, the Administration, though, is calling for us to be seafood dominant," said Sen. Cantwell. "That's great. They say they care about stopping illegal fishing and yet they are gutting the core of NOAA programs and staffing."
The President's Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposes a 27 percent cut in funding for the National Marine Fisheries Service compared to 2025 levels. This has resulted in a significant reduction in staff numbers at NOAA.
"So far, the administration's action[s] have led to 576 employees at the National Marine Fisheries Service being lost," continued Sen. Cantwell.
Senator Cantwell also raised concerns about NOAA's ability to participate in international fisheries management due to restrictions placed by the administration on travel and speaking engagements for career employees.
Further issues were noted with recent decisions by the Coast Guard not flying critical IUU missions in areas like the Bering Sea.
"And I'm concerned that the Coast Guard has temporary reassigned ships and aircraft away from those core missions without a concrete plan," said Sen. Cantwell.
Gabriel Prout, President of Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers echoed these concerns: "When you start losing necessary infrastructure... it makes it extremely difficult for fishermen to make safe and sound decisions."
A video of this hearing is available online along with a full transcript.
