Bob you’re making the correct distinction between FY26 approps (votes happening between now and Oct), and this budget reconciliation bill, which is a different sort of beast. And agreed the approps fight is incredibly urgent to save science funding.

Oh no Will, this is such a mess. Thank you for hanging in there

I think the overall cuts to NOAA services and staff are going to have more immediate and lasting impact than losing this advisory body. Definitely telling your senators about your concerns there is important!

MAFAC was special because it was a forum where fishermen, seafood processors, conservationists, aquaculture experts, scientists, and more would sit down and work together to solve tough problems facing marine resource mgmt. We built recommendations together with increased respect and understanding.

I am so grateful to the NOAA staff who worked every day to build sustainable fisheries. Their services and programs support jobs, business, trade, coastal communities, and food security. NOAA also supports ocean science, habitat restoration, protection of vulnerable species and places, and more

We haven’t recieved any formal emails letting us know.

It was an honor to get to serve with people from a wide range of experiences and expertise to offer consensus recommendations on how to make sure marine resources could support present day uses while conserving them for future generations.