FPSS Video and Funding Update

FPSS - Kino West Media

Funding Update 

Many of you know that funding for AMSEA is under threat, along with funding to other great training and educational organizations who provide essential services to reduce commercial fishing fatalities and injuries. With AK state funding and a small amount of funding left over from last year’s national grants, AMSEA will be able to offer limited commercial fishing safety training for FY 2026.   

Thank you to everyone who has shared testimonials that we can use to demonstrate the importance of this funding. Please share an AMSEA training testimonial if you haven’t done so. 

Thank you also for reaching out to your state senators and representatives. Many of them are not aware of the ongoing threat to the commercial fishing safety program. Please pass this information on to your Congressional Delegation: 

1. Call the Capitol Hill switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

2. A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the House or Senate office you request based on your state or zip code.

3. Share your address so you can be logged as a constituent in your state.

4. Once connected, share your name, the request, and why commercial fishing safety is important to you/ how you are impacted. See below for what we need them to advocate for: 

5. 
   

Here is who we need at NIOSH to be rehired for the commercial fishing safety program to operate. We are one injunction away from these essential employees being officially RIFed: 

• The NIOSH Office of Extramural Coordination and Special Programs (OECSP). The admin code is HCCA3. This has 18 employees. This staff manages the funding that organizations like AMSEA receive for commercial fishing safety training and research.

• Center for Maritime Safety and Health Studies (CMSHS). The admin code is HCCQ. HCCQ has 22 employees. These staff do critical intramural research such as managing the commercial fishing incident database that has been tracking fishing fatalities since 2000. This is under the Western states division. 

  
  

For extramural safety training and research (i.e., AMSEA USCG-required training) to continue, we need the following congressional appropriations:

• $6 million to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Commercial Fishing Safety Research and Training Program. This is currently authorized through 2029 in H.R.4275-Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 which passed the House and still needs to pass the Senate. 

• $29 million for Agriculture, Forestry, & Fishing in the NIOSH budget.

  
  

Please also watch and share this great video that Fishing Partnership collaborated on to showcase the importance of commercial fishing safety training!