Saving Seafood

Monkfish RSA Accepting Proposals

November 7, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Competition for monkfish research support opened today in a program unique to Northeast fishery management. Projects selected through the competition are awarded fishing days rather than dollars, and use the proceeds from catch made using those days to fund their work.

This year’s priorities include monkfish life history, stock structure, migration patterns, interactions with other species, population surveys, bycatch, sources of catch mortality, and gear studies to reduce unwanted bycatch.

The full description of the program, its priorities, deadlines, and how to apply can be found here.

To learn more about NOAA visit their site here.

 

2016-2017 Monkfish Research Set-Aside Awards Announced

June 7, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA Fisheries is pleased to announce, in coordination with the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, the selection of two cooperative research proposals submitted to the 2016-2017 Monkfish Research Set Aside (RSA) Program.

Overall, five researchers from four different institutions have been awarded grants to investigate monkfish biology to help improve the stock assessment for one of the Greater Atlantic Region’s highest valued commercial finfish. The researchers will work on two projects involving dozens of commercial fishing vessels, supported by awards valued at approximately $3.77 million.

Both grant recipients propose to build on previous research in an effort to identify monkfish stock structure through genetic studies and to estimate growth and movement of juvenile monkfish. These projects address the monkfish RSA program goals for stock structure/stock identification and implications for stock assessment and fisheries management.