Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program Archives

Sullivan reintroduces sweeping bill targeting bycatch, seafloor impacts

July 8, 2026 — U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) has reintroduced the Bycatch Reduction Act, legislation that would expand federal efforts to reduce bycatch, limit seafloor impacts from trawl gear, improve fisheries monitoring and increase transparency in fishery management.

According to Sullivan’s office, the bill builds on recommendations from the Alaska Salmon Task Force, which was created through legislation he authored and signed into law in 2022.

The proposal would establish new standards and monitoring requirements designed to keep both midwater and bottom trawl nets off the seafloor, require proven salmon excluder devices on pollock vessels, invest in salmon tagging and genetic sampling, expand ecosystem research, and create a new flume tank testing facility to evaluate fishing gear under simulated ocean conditions. The bill also would reauthorize NOAA’s Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program and encourage fishermen to test new gear and technologies aimed at reducing bycatch and habitat impacts.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

NOAA Fisheries Announces $2.4M to Support Bycatch Reduction Projects

December 17, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is pleased to announce the 2022 federal funding opportunity to support applied management projects and activities under the agency’s Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program, also known as BREP.

The funding opportunity outlines five high priority areas including developing innovative and effective technologies, further testing and development of technologies or gear modifications that have already been piloted, improving understanding of post release mortality, developing techniques to reduce interactions between corals and sponges, and international bycatch issues. Non-federal researchers working on the development of improved fishing practices and innovative gear technologies are eligible to apply for funding.

The deadline for pre-proposals is January 20, 2022. Full proposals are due April 4, 2022.

Bycatch reduction is a priority for NOAA Fisheries because bycatch can contribute to overfishing, threaten endangered and threatened species and protected marine mammals, and can close fisheries, significantly impacting U.S. economic growth.

For more information on the FFO and program impacts to date, visit our BREP webpage.

NMFS funding $2.2 million for bycatch reduction projects

September 17, 2021 — NMFS funding $2.2 million for bycatch reduction projects. Federal officials announced $2.2 million in funding is being awarded to partners around the U.S. to support innovative research through the NMFS Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program.

Incidental bycatch of non-target fish, protected marine mammals and sea turtles “can have significant biological, economic, and social impacts,” NMFS said in announcing the awards.

“Preventing and reducing bycatch is a shared goal of fisheries managers, the fishing industry, and the environmental community. Working side-by-side with fishermen on their boats we’ve developed solutions to some of the top bycatch challenges facing our nation’s fisheries.”

At the top of this year’s list are projects to develop so-called ropeless gear for the Northeast lobster and other fixed-gear fisheries, to reduce entanglement incidents with the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale population, recently estimated to number less than 400 animals.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

NOAA Fisheries Awards $2.2M to Support Bycatch Reduction Projects

September 9, 2021 —NOAA Fisheries has awarded approximately $2.2 million in grants to support 12 projects under our Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program. Out of the 12 awarded projects, 5 were awarded to the Greater Atlantic Region totaling $1.07 million. Bycatch reduction is a top priority for NOAA Fisheries, as outlined in our National Bycatch Reduction Strategy because bycatch can contribute to overfishing, can threaten endangered and threatened species and protected marine mammals, and can close fisheries, significantly impacting U.S. economic growth. This year’s projects focus on several priority bycatch issues related to a variety of species, including whales, turtles, sharks, sturgeon, and halibut.

Projects in the Greater Atlantic Region will focus on developing gears to reduce interactions between whales and turtles in vertical buoy lines, reducing the capture of Atlantic sturgeon in large mesh gillnets, and increasing our knowledge of porbeagle bycatch in the groundfish bottom trawl fishery.

NOAA Fisheries’ Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program has resulted in innovative technological solutions to some of the nation’s top bycatch challenges. NOAA Fisheries is proud to continue to partner with fishermen, fishery managers, industry, and the environmental community to avoid and minimize bycatch.

For more information about this year’s recipients and selected projects visit our website.

NOAA Fisheries Awards $2.3M to Support Bycatch Reduction Projects

September 10, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Bycatch reduction is a top priority for NOAA Fisheries and this week the agency announced over $2.3 million in grants to support 13 projects under our Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program. This year’s projects focus on priority bycatch issues related to a variety of species, including whales, turtles, sharks, sablefish, and flounders. Left unaddressed, bycatch can contribute to overfishing, can threaten endangered and threatened species and protected marine mammals, and can close fisheries, significantly impacting U.S. economic growth. Three projects in the Northeast were chosen for funding.

NOAA Fisheries’ Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program has resulted in innovative technological solutions to some of the nation’s top bycatch challenges. We are proud to continue to partner with fishermen, fishery managers, industry, and the environmental community to avoid and minimize bycatch.

For more information about this year’s recipients and selected projects visit our website.

2019 Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program Awards Announced: 7 out of 16 for Regional Projects

October 22, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries has awarded more than $2.3 million to 16 projects under the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program. We are pleased to announce that seven of the awards are for projects in our region, and total about half of the overall funding.

These awards support key partners in the research and development of innovative approaches and strategies for reducing bycatch, bycatch mortality, and post-release mortality in our nation’s fisheries.

2019 Projects in NE/MA Region

University of Missouri – $195,000

Project: Quantifying and reducing post-release mortality of shortfin mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus) captured as bycatch in the Atlantic coast pelagic long-line fisheries.

Gulf of Maine Research Institute – $127,329

Project: Improving the selectivity of the ultra-low opening trawl (ULOT) to reduce bycatch of Atlantic cod.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Announces FY18 BREP Funding Opportunity

December 29, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program! Today we announce the availability of approximately $2.4 million for projects that increase collaborative research and partnerships for innovation in bycatch reduction. The 2018 federal funding opportunity is now open. Pre-proposals are due by January 31, 2018, and full proposals due March 30, 2018.

Through BREP, we support the development of technological solutions and changes in fishing practices designed to minimize bycatch. Our mission is to find creative approaches and strategies for reducing bycatch, seabird interactions, and post-release mortality in federally managed fisheries.

There are four high-priority areas for the Fiscal Year 2018:

Developing innovative and effective technologies
Improving understanding of post-release mortality
Developing techniques to reduce interactions between fishing gears and corals, sponges
Addressing international bycatch issues

Learn more about NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region here.

NOAA Accepting Bycatch Grant Proposals

January 16, 2017 — WOODS HOLE, Mass. – Over the last 40 years NOAA Fisheries has been working to reduce bycatch during commercial fishing, and the organization is accepting applications for projects to receive grant funding.

The Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program supports new technology and changes in fishing practices to minimize bycath.

NOAA’s mission with the program is to find creative ways for reducing bycatch, seabird interactions and post-release mortality in federally managed fisheries.

Pre-proposals for projects are due by February 10 with full applications due by March 31.

Proposals should fall within high priority areas which include innovative technologies, gear modifications, avoidance programs and improved fishing practices to reduce the impacts of bycatch.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com

$2.5 Million Available from NOAA for Bycatch Reduction Solutions

February 17, 2016 — NOAA Fisheries’ Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program supports the development of technological solutions and changes in fishing practices designed to minimize bycatch. Our mission is to find creative approaches and strategies for reducing bycatch, seabird interactions, and post-release mortality in federally managed fisheries.

$2.5 Million Available For Innovative Bycatch Solutions

NOAA Fisheries is now accepting applications for the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program.

Projects must address bycatch research priorities by:

Developing innovative and effective technologies, gear modifications, and/or improving fishing practices in commercial and recreational fisheries to reduce bycatch impacts. Proposals that specifically reduce impacts to catch share fisheries, protected species (those species listed as part of the NOAA “Species in the Spotlight” campaign), highly migratory species, fish stocks that are overfished, where overfishing is occurring, or are under prohibited species catch limits, or seabirds are particularly encouraged.

Improving understanding and reduction of post-release and other indirect mortality, including barotrauma, predation, and unaccounted mortality in commercial and recreational fisheries including target and non-target species.

Determining the degree and nature of interactions and developing techniques to reduce interactions between fishing gears and corals, sponges, and other structure-forming invertebrates.

Read the full story from The Outdoor Wire

NOAA Fisheries Awards More Than $2.5 million for Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program

October 1, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries has awarded more than $2.5 million in grants to 16 projects under our Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program.

Working side-by-side with fishermen on their boats, NOAA Fisheries has developed solutions to some of the top bycatch challenges facing our nation’s fisheries.

As just one piece of NOAA Fisheries’ larger national strategy, the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program helps identify and foster the development of innovative technological solutions to increase collaborative research and partnerships for innovation.

NOAA Fisheries is proud to continue to partner with fishery managers, the fishing industry, and the environmental community to avoid and minimize bycatch.

In the Greater Atlantic Region, four projects received grants:

University of New England

Project Title: Quantifying and reducing post-release mortality for dusky sharks discarded in the commercial pelagic longline fishery

The Research Foundation for the State University of New York

Project Title: Development of an Analytical Tool to Allow Fishermen to Reduce Bycatch of Short-Finned Pilot Whales in the Mid-Atlantic Bight

New England Aquarium Corporation

Project Title: Identifying bottom trawl bycatch hotspots and capture-and-handling practices to reduce the incidental mortality of an overfished Species of Concern

— the Thorny Skate — in the Gulf of Maine

University of New England

Project Title: Determining the post-release mortality rate and best capture-and-handling methods for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) discarded in Gulf of Maine lobster industry

Visit our website to learn more about the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program and our other bycatch efforts.

Questions? Contact Kris Gamble, NOAA Fisheries Office of Sustainable Fisheries, at 301-427-8509 or Kris.Gamble@noaa.gov.

Introduced in November 2014, the BREP grant-funded collapsable-wing pot allows West Coast fishermen to catch lingcod, but exclude protected Pacific rockfish. Credit: NOAA