Unalaska, AK – Commercial fishing remains one of the most dangerous occupations in the country. So safety experts are crying foul over the Obama administration's proposal to cancel a program run by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health that's working to reduce fisheries-related deaths and injuries.

This year $1.5 million went toward NIOSH's Alaska regional office that studies commercial fishing.

Jerry Dzugan is the executive director of the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association. He credits NIOSH's research in helping the Coast Guard design programs that have reduced deaths from overloaded crab boats. His sentiment is echoed by Ken Lawrenson, the Coast Guard's commercial fishing safety coordinator for Alaska who notes that NIOSH's research is methodical in ways his office isn't equipped to be.

NIOSH epidemiologist Jennifer Lincoln's recent research has been in developing emergency shut-off switches on decks to decrease fatalities from crew being caught in fishing gear. She says if the funding is cut the industry stands to lose the expertise provided by her office since 1992.

The funding is scheduled to go before House committees next month. Nothing has been scheduled in the U.S. Senate, but Democratic Sen. Mark Begich released a statement Monday crediting NIOSH with saving lives in the fishing industry. He notes that this will be a difficult budget year but pledged to make restoring NIOSH's funding high on his list of priorities.