AFS Statement on Government Shutdown and Impacts on Natural Resources

The American Fisheries Society (AFS) extends our support to the furloughed fisheries and aquatics professionals affected by the U.S. federal government shutdown. This was caused by Congress being unable to reach agreement on the federal budget for the coming fiscal year. This means that critical conservation operations of our federal partners will halt. AFS urges Congress and the White House to work together in a bipartisan manner to reach an agreement on fiscal year 2026 appropriations to end the government shutdown and allow natural resource agencies that support important fisheries research and management to resume operations.

The shutdown is negatively affecting many federal natural resource agencies, scientists who work at those agencies, state and Tribal partners, as well as the science community at large. These agencies fund the work of their staff scientists who work collaboratively with other researchers, operate facilities that are critical to fisheries research, and collaborate with academic and other nongovernmental organizations. Important monitoring, data collection, and research to inform management, along with education and training of natural resource professionals, is disrupted and delayed with each additional day that these agencies are disrupted. This includes efforts to recover threatened and endangered species, detect and control invasive species, conserve and restore habitats across our nation’s public lands, and steward America’s public trust resources for the benefit of current and future generations.

The detrimental and ongoing trend of the loss of scientific and technical expertise from the federal workforce, and the devaluing and defunding of federal conservation programs, are exacerbated by this shutdown. Across the U.S., thousands of dedicated civil servants have already departed from federal natural resources agencies since the start of this administration. These losses, combined with years of programmatic budget cuts, have left remaining personnel stretched beyond capacity and unable to fulfill their legal mandates.

AFS is working alongside other scientific societies and conservation organizations to urge policymakers to reopen shuttered government agencies as soon as possible. We stand with The Wildlife Society in saying that “our sympathies are with the thousands of furloughed fisheries and aquatic professionals who will now face greater uncertainty and financial strain because of this shutdown and with the conservation partners, states, Tribes, private landowners and others who rely on cooperation and support from the federal government.”