Alaska Fish Factor

It’s a mixed bag in America in terms of bankrolling ‘the best available science’ for our nation’s fisheries.

Based on the preliminary federal budget released last week, funds for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration went from $4.7 billion to $5.5 billion, an increase of about $750 million.

Within the NOAA budget, funding for the National Marine Fisheries Service comes in at $1 billion - a drop of $15 million from its actual budget for the last fiscal year. Out of NMFS’ FY13 budget, $174 million will fund science and management of US fisheries. NMFS oversees more than 80% of Alas...