NOAA Fisheries employees have been told to suspend communication with international collaborators until senior officials can review and vet partnerships with non-U.S entities, according to former agency officials.
Experts say a Trump administration prohibition on communication with foreign contacts — even if temporary — could hamper NOAA’s research, which is not bound by U.S. territorial waters. It also makes it more difficult to engage with foreign allies on pressing international issues, including illegal fishing and managing highly migratory species like tuna. NOAA is also responsible for enforcing dozens of laws and treaties governing seafood imports, including codes of engagement between foreign-flagged fishing vessels on the open oceans.
Four former NOAA officials who were granted anonymity because they feared reprisals against current staff said they heard about the directive from employees inside the agency.
As of Tuesday, two of the officials said they heard the order was revised to allow staff to reply to emails from international counterparts who didn’t know about the communication ban.
