South Carolina shrimpers weigh costs, vote in crucial US midterms

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina – For Mark Marhefka, the weather can be the difference between a profitable fishing trip and a dangerous one.As a shrimper and fisherman for 49 years, Marhefka relies on forecasts, weather buoys and data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to decide when it is safe to take his boats offshore. With storms and warm water temperatures disrupting this year’s fishing season, he worries that President Donald Trump’s proposed funding cuts could further reduce the services fishermen depend on.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3China to suspend imports of Japanese seafood amid diplomatic row: Reportslist 2 of 3Trump administration aims to cut regulations on US commercial fishinglist 3 of 3Lobster industry caught in Maine’s political headwinds before US midtermsend of list“They’ve already started cutting back on NOAA, and they’re looking to do more in this next fiscal year,” Marhefka, who owns Abundant Seafood, told Al Jazeera. “It’s definitely something that we need to fight against.”Since Trump returned to office in January 2025, NOAA has lost roughly 20 percent of its workforce, according to an analysis of federal emplo...