March 17, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center:
The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) are pleased to announce 17 projects that are recommended for funding through the Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program.
AWARDS: The 2017-2018 awards are expected to generate more than $15 million — $3.5 million to fund the research itself and $11.5 million to compensate industry partners who will harvest the 1.25-million-pound scallop set-aside quota. More than 30 researchers from 15 organizations will be conducting the projects.
VIEW THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND LIST OF PROJECTS: 2017-2018 Recommended Scallop RSA Awards
RSA PRIORITIES: The projects address 2017 and 2018 research priorities established by the New England Council, which include: intensive and broad-scale surveys to estimate scallop abundance; bycatch reduction initiatives; and work to improve understanding of scallop biology, scallop meat quality, and area management.
REVIEW PROCESS: All proposals were evaluated by: (1) technical reviewers for technical merit; and (2) a management panel comprised of scallop fishermen, fishery managers, fishing industry representatives, and others closed involved with scallop fishery management issues.
NEFMC CHAIRMAN DR. JOHN QUINN: ”The Scallop RSA Program continues to be integral to the successful management of this fishery. We genuinely appreciate everyone’s long-standing engagement with this program. We have many industry members, managers, institutions, and researchers who help us set our research priorities, and this collaboration has fostered a constructive feedback loop between science and management.”
NEFSC DIRECTOR DR. JON HARE: “The Research Set-Aside Program funds science projects that are directly applicable to the management of Atlantic sea scallop — a highly valuable resource. The selected projects complement research and monitoring that is ongoing at the NEFSC and this collaborative approach — enabled by the RSA program — is a real strength for scallop science and management.”
LEARN MORE ABOUT RSA PROGRAMS: RSA and everything you ever wanted to know
QUESTIONS: For more information about the the 2017-2018 awards and the Scallop RSA Program in general, contact Ryan Silva, (978) 281-9326, ryan.silva@noaa.gov; or Cheryl Corbett, (508) 495-2070, cheryl.corbett@noaa.gov.