Federal fire and emergency safety training for commercial fishermen may be reduced or ended as soon as July 2025, according to Reuters.
The outlet reported that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which funds training programs for high-risk jobs such as fishing and logging, has been hit by severe staffing cuts under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Fisherman Robbie Roberge, who evacuated his crew safely during a fire on his boat in August 2024, credited his training from Fishing Partnership Support Services (FPSS) with the successful rescue.
He told Reuters that he now makes a point of attending the courses regularly.
Reuters stated that NIOSH lost approximately 875 of its 1,000 employees as of April 1.
Although 300 staff were later reinstated, they do not include personnel responsible for the oversight of safety centers serving fishing, farming and logging industries.
The Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety, based at the University of Florida, has begun preparations to shut down direct worker education and research by the end of its funding cycle on September 29, according to its director J. Glenn Morris.
The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association may lose NIOSH funding as early as July 1, according to executive director Leann Cyr. FPSS expects to lose its funding by September, said its executive vice president Dan Orchard.
In interviews with Reuters, staff at seven safety centers confirmed they are preparing to close operations.
These centers have provided both emergency response training and broader public health services. FPSS instructor John Roberts, a former Coast Guard member, told Reuters: “If they give us this money to do this training, it’s going to lessen how much money has to be spent to rescue the untrained.”
The Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health at the University of Iowa has worked with rural healthcare providers on health risks faced by farmers.
T. Renee Anthony, the center’s director, said their work has included hearing loss education and other occupational hazards.
Erika Scott, deputy director of the Northeast Center, has partnered with the Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast (PLC) on field research into hypertension among loggers, according to Reuters.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, fishing, farming and logging accounted for the highest fatal injury rate of any U.S. occupation in 2023, with 24.4 deaths per 100,000 workers.
While mechanization and regulation have reduced overall risks over the past two decades, training programs remain an important factor, said Matt Keifer, a safety expert at the University of Washington.
Reuters reported that the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety trained over 5,600 workers in 2024.
In addition to injury prevention, safety sessions now include instruction on administering Narcan in response to opioid overdoses.
Reuters has reported that fire and safety training for U.S. fishermen could end as soon as July.
The cuts are linked to federal staff reductions at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
The Fishing Partnership Support Services program is one of several that may lose funding by September.
Over 875 NIOSH employees were terminated, including most support staff for safety centers.
Safety centers in Florida, Alaska and the Northeast are preparing to wind down.
Programs offer training in emergency response, health education and addiction support.
NIOSH funding also supports logging and farming worker safety in rural regions.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a fatality rate seven times the national average.
In 2024, over 5,600 workers received training from one Northeast-based center.
The Department of Health and Human Services has stated that safety work will continue.
