South Carolina shrimpers weigh costs, vote in crucial US midterms

In Mount Pleasant, Mark Marhefka, a shrimper and fisherman for 49 years, relies on forecasts, buoys and NOAA data to decide when it is safe to go offshore. Storms and warmer water are disrupting the season, and he fears Donald Trump’s proposed cuts could weaken services fishermen depend on. NOAA has lost about 20 percent of its workforce since Trump returned to office, while the proposed 2027 budget would reduce ocean monitoring. Ahead of the midterms, shrimpers are also facing higher fuel and equipment costs and competition from imported shrimp; Marhefka voted Democratic and supports Annie Andrews.