Thank you for your Advocacy: NIOSH Commercial Fishing Safety Staff Were Reinstated, Strengthening Safety Efforts Nationwide

By: Leann Cyr, Executive Director

AMSEA is excited to share fantastic news for the future of commercial fishing safety in the U.S. On January 14, 2026, the Department of Health and Human Services rescinded all layoffs of NIOSH employees who had been placed on administrative leave since last April due to restructuring at HHS. Critical employees in the Center for Maritime Safety and Health Studies (Commercial Fishing Program), Western States Division, and the Office of Extramural Coordination and Special Projects (who administer the USCG/NIOSH Fishing Safety Research and Training Grant Program and more) have all been called back to continue their critical work. 

AMSEA is grateful to everyone who stood up for the reinstatement of NIOSH employees. We especially want to share our gratitude to Senator Lisa Murkowski and Senator Dan Sullivan, along with other U.S. Senators and Representatives and Alaska legislators for listening to the fishing community and responding with urgency. 

We want to thank fishermen and their families, fishing organizations, safety partners, industry advocates, and AMSEA members and instructors who shared testimonials, made calls, wrote letters, and never stopped advocating for the importance of commercial fishing safety and the work that NIOSH does. 

"Key staff at the Center for Marine Safety and Health Studies and the Fishing Safety Research and Training Grant Program at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have been reinstated - an important step for commercial fishing safety nationwide,” said Noah Oppenheim, coordinator of the Fishing Communities Coalition. “Commercial fishing safety programs across the country depend on the expertise and resources these agencies deliver. We’re grateful to HHS Secretary Kennedy and his team for recognizing the importance of reinstating these offices, and to our champions in Congress for their advocacy. Having these experts back in place strengthens safety efforts and helps ensure fishermen return home safely to their families.”

"AMSEA’s work is vitally important to the safety of America’s commercial fishermen, and AMSEA depends on NIOSH for resources critical to that work," said Linda Behnken, executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association. "With NIOSH personnel reinstated, AMSEA can do their part to keep our fishermen safe.  Our members are grateful to Alaska’s Senators for watching out for our fisheries in DC." 

NIOSH has been a cornerstone of commercial fishing safety in the United States since the 90s. Their work helps fishermen return home safely, reduces injuries at sea, and lowers the need for costly and dangerous search and rescue operations for our USCG.

For additional exciting news, AMSEA has been awarded a 4-year grant from the Department of Education that will fund the program: “Capacity Building for High-Quality Commercial Fishing Safety Training.” The Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) in the U.S. Department of Education has awarded $2,850,104 to AMSEA, ninety two percent of the total cost of the program, with the remaining 8% funded by nongovernmental sources.