Saving Seafood

ALASKA: Trollers help track what’s driving Southeast Alaska’s catch

October 22, 2026 — Twenty Southeast Alaska commercial troll vessels will help researchers investigate how changing ocean conditions influence where salmon and other fish are found as part of a new nearly $600,000 research project.

According to the Juneau Empire, the Sitka-based Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust announced the project Oct. 1 after receiving a $293,600 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Combined with $300,000 in matching funds, the project is valued at $593,600.

The effort will recruit 20 commercial troll vessels for the 2028 and 2029 fishing seasons, pairing fishermen’s catch information with measurements of underwater temperature and depth.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

ALASKA: Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust secures federal grant to strengthen data collection capabilities

October 6, 2026 —  The Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust (ASFT), a Sitka, Alaska, U.S.A.-based fisheries advocacy organization, has received a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) grant for USD 293,000 (EUR 260,479) to expand its fishery data collection capabilities across 20 salmon troll fisheries in Southeast Alaska.

According to an ASFT release, the organization is planning to work with Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A.-based fishing data firm Real Time Data’s (RTD) application called “Deckhand,” which allows salmon trollers to collect and aggregate catch and observation data on a daily basis.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

ALASKA: Alaska troll fleet to expand electronic logbook, data collection

October 5, 2026 — The Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust (ASFT) has received a $293,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to expand electronic logbook and oceanographic data collection aboard Southeast Alaska salmon troll vessels.

The project will put data collection tools aboard 20 Southeast Alaska troll vessels, where fishermen will record catch information while deploying temperature and depth loggers. Paired with satellite connectivity, the system will allow information on catch composition and ocean conditions to be transmitted regularly during the fishing season.

The goal is to provide fishermen, researchers, and fishery managers with near real-time information that could improve stock assessments and support more adaptive fishery management decisions. For participating trollers, the electronic logbook will also provide a daily fishing record and a way to compare variables that may be affecting their catch.

The effort draws from an earlier era of industry-led data collection. From 1971 to 1991, Southeast Alaska trollers participated in a voluntary paper logbook program, recording similar information and sharing it with researchers and fishery managers.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

CFF Receives New Funding to Expand Electronic Monitoring in the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery

July 1, 2026 — The following was released by the Coonamessett Farm Foundation:

The Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF) recently received additional funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s competitive Electronic Monitoring and Reporting Grant Program to further expand the use of electronic monitoring (EM) technologies in the Atlantic sea scallop fishery.

In addition to the $449,000 award from NFWF to support project objectives, fishing partners have pledged a combined cost-share of $756,000 underscoring their commitment to these efforts during the project period.

Stock assessment biologists with NOAA Fisheries have identified a decline in scallop biomass over consecutive years, likely influenced by environmental factors including rising ocean temperatures in addition to a predator population surge in species like sea stars and crabs that prey heavily upon juvenile scallops. Fishing practices such as prolonged tow-times, deck loading, and high grading are also known to negatively impact scallop beds and the survivability of discarded animals.

The use of EM is widely considered a successful tool for reducing monitoring costs while improving data collection, vessel trip coordination and safety. This project seeks to develop a better understanding of implementation costs while also evaluating an incentive-based approach that could provide a broader range of data to support management decisions.

Read the full story on: Electronic Monitoring in the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery

 

 

NFWF Announces $3.4 Million in Grants to Modernize Data Collection in U.S. Fisheries

April 9, 2026 — The following was released by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation:

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and NOAA Fisheries today announced $3.4 million in grants to support data modernization and electronic data collection in U.S. fisheries. The grants will leverage $4.2 million in matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of $7.6 million.

The grants were awarded through the Electronic Monitoring and Reporting Grant Program (EMR Grant Program), a partnership between NFWF and NOAA Fisheries.

“Innovative technologies have always helped advance the science and practice of wildlife conservation,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “The grants announced today will support the continued development of advancements in the use of artificial intelligence and other technologies to modernize how vital fisheries data are collected, shared and analyzed. These conservation investments will benefit vital marine wildlife populations while also supporting more effective and efficient fishery management that will benefit the people and communities that rely upon them for their way of life.”

The 13 projects announced today will expand proven electronic monitoring and reporting to new fisheries, deploy artificial intelligence onboard vessels to make electronic data collection more efficient, and improve the timeliness of data collection in some of the nation’s largest fisheries. Projects will support sustainable management efforts in federal and state fisheries in Alaska, Alabama, California, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington, along with the territory of Puerto Rico.

“By investing in emerging technologies, NOAA is continuing to provide fishermen with the high-tech tools necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of our nation’s seafood sources,” said Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “These emerging technologies will improve data and increase the speed and transparency of information, allowing both managers and the fishing community to respond more effectively to the evolving challenges of our marine ecosystems.”

This year’s grants include multiple projects to transfer proven concepts and technology to new fisheries, spreading the economic and conservation benefits of electronic technologies further. One example is a project working to bring electronic monitoring to the scallop fishery in the U.S. Atlantic coast. Additional projects will continue the growth of electronic monitoring and electronic reporting in fisheries around the United States.

The EMR Grant Program was established in 2015 and advances NOAA Fisheries’ goals for productive and sustainable fisheries and safe sources of seafood by working to partner with fishermen and other stakeholders, state agencies, and Fishery Information Networks to incorporate technologies that modernize fisheries data collection and management. To date, the program has awarded more than $40.6 million to 139 projects in U.S. fisheries and has generated an additional conservation impact of $58.6 million through matching contributions. In 2025, Congress appropriated $3.5 million to NOAA Fisheries for this program’s 2025–2026 slate of awards.

A list of the 2026 grants made through the Electronic Monitoring and Reporting Grant Program is available here.

About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) works with partners to foster sustainable and impactful conservation solutions so that people and nature thrive together. Chartered by Congress in 1984, NFWF has grown to become the nation’s largest conservation foundation. Since its founding, NFWF has funded more than 23,900 projects that have generated a total conservation impact of more than $12 billion. Learn more at nfwf.org.

About the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Weather, water, and climate affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources. See how NOAA science, services, and stewardship benefit your community: Visit noaa.gov for our latest news and features, and join us on social media.

USD 12 million awarded for restoring fish habitats, growing oysters in Long Island Sound

Decemeber 4, 2025 — The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has awarded USD 12 million (EUR 10.3 million) in grants to support the health of the Long Island Sound, with much of the funding supporting improvements to fish habitats, marine debris removal, and oyster recovery.

The grants will also leverage USD 8 million (EUR 6.9 million) in matching contributions from recipients of the funding, bringing the total investment to USD 20 million (EUR 17.2 million). The grants were awarded through the Long Island Sound Futures Fund, a project launched in 2005 in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to improve the health of the sound and conserve habitat.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

ALASKA: As inflation continues to rise, some fisheries turn to artificial intelligence to lower costs

August 18, 2025 — New technology is coming to Alaskan fisheries thanks to a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The grant was to the Alaska’s Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) and the $485,000 will be used to develop technology to incorporate artificial intelligence into the existing electronic monitoring (EM) program.

ALFA is partnering with the Canadian company Archipelago Marine Research to enhance its FishVue AI tool, training it for Alaskan sablefish and halibut fixed gear fisheries. This move is expected to help increase efficiency and lower costs for the fishermen.

“If you participate in federal fisheries, your vessel is over 40 feet, you’re required to have either an onboard observer or an electronic monitoring, an EM camera system, on your vessel for a percentage of your trips that get monitored and that’s federal regulation,” ALFA policy coordinator Lauren Howard explained.

Read the full article at Alaska News Source

ALASKA: Grant will aid use of AI in electronic monitoring for Alaska halibut harvesters

August 4, 2025 — Longline fishermen in Southeast Alaska are embarking on a new program to advance use of artificial intelligence technology in their fishery monitoring program, thanks to a $485,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The plan announced by the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) in Sitka on July 28 calls for partnering with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) and Canada’s Archipelago Marine Research Ltd. to enhance Archipelago’s FishVue AI tool and train it for the Alaska sablefish and halibut fixed gear fisheries.

The project will focus on increasing efficiency and lowering the fleet’s overall observer cost. “Many small boat fishermen prefer EM systems over human observers, so increasing the usefulness and effectiveness of EM should have direct benefits to our members and Alaska’s fixed gear fleet in general,” said Lauren Howard, policy coordinator for ALFA.

Archipelago, based in Victoria, British Columbia, is an industry leader in fisheries electronic monitoring. The firm works with the fishing industry, non-government organizations (NGOs) and regulators to implement sustainable practices through at-sea and dockside observer programs, electronic monitoring technology, and marine environmental services.

ALFA, Archipelago and PSMFC also have EM expertise in the Gulf of Alaska where the project will be based.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Opportunity: New England Gear Innovation Fund 2023 Request for Proposals

April 27, 2023 — The following was released by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation:

NFWF is excited to share that our New England Gear Innovation Fund Request for Proposals (RFP) is now available here and accepting pre-proposals through May 22, 2023. The program seeks to promote the development and adoption of innovative gear technologies in New England fisheries, including fixed gear fisheries like lobster and Jonah crab. We encourage you to share this funding opportunity with colleagues or constituents who may be interested. Please note that work with fisheries, like NE Mobile Gear fisheries, to address innovative gear marking or other issues would be eligible for funding.

Full information on the funding priorities of the New England Gear Innovation Fund is available in the RFP, but high level priorities include:

  • Develop, test, or deploy innovative gear technologies that meet fishery participants’ needs in a viable and economically feasible way and that reduce entanglement risk posed by vertical lines on lobster traps and other fixed gear fisheries.
  • Conduct outreach with fishermen to encourage participation in the process of developing, testing, and voluntarily adopting innovative gear.

The program is assessing the funding need of the region and NFWF will award grants towards that need, providing up to $18 million in grants. Awards are anticipated to range between $250,000 and $2,000,000, but applicants seeking grants larger or smaller than that are still encouraged to apply and are eligible.

Short (2 page) pre-proposals must be submitted through NFWF’s Easygrants system no later than May 22, 2023.  This RFP is also accepting early pre-proposals, with all pre-proposals reviewed as they are submitted on a rolling basis. If you feel that you have a project concept that is well developed and would benefit from earlier access to funds, please contact Gray Redding (gray.redding@nfwf.org) immediately for information on these early submission deadlines. All interested applicants must submit a pre-proposal in order to be invited to the full proposal process. Full proposals will be due July 13, 2023, with an earlier full proposal deadline for those seeking the early submission process.

NFWF is hosting a webinar on May 2nd, at 3 PM (Eastern). The webinar will include information about the application process and funding priorities. To register, please follow this link: Webinar Registration. Applicants are strongly encouraged to participate, but if you are unable to attend live, the webinar will be recorded and posted on the RFP page. In addition to the webinar, interested parties can schedule time to speak with NFWF staff regarding their pre-proposal at this link: Schedule Pre-Proposal Appointment.

$25.2 million for emergency coastal resilience

June 6, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Communications:

Contact

Jennie Lyons, jennie.lyons@noaa.gov, 202-603-9372

Rob Blumenthal, rob.blumenthal@nfwf.org, 202-857-0166

June 6, 2022

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with NOAA, today announced $25.2 million in grants to help coastal communities affected by hurricanes and wildfires in 2020 or 2021 increase their resilience to future natural disasters. The new grants will leverage $4.9 million in additional funding to generate a total conservation impact of $30.1 million.

Sixteen projects will help communities better withstand natural disasters and recover more quickly afterwards, all while improving habitat for fish and wildlife. Restoring and protecting natural systems will help protect coastal communities from the impacts of storms, floods, sea-level rise inundation, erosion and wildfires.

“Coastal communities around the country are feeling the effects of climate change in profound ways,” said Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., NOAA Administrator. “These grants are strategic investments designed to help communities become more resilient in the face of persistent change and will help build a Climate-Ready Nation.”

“The projects funded through this program showcase the interconnectedness of coastal habitats and human communities in the face of a changing climate,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “With this funding, natural systems will play a key part in bolstering these areas against future natural disasters, benefiting both people and wildlife.”

Congress granted the funding through the FY 2022 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. NFWF is leveraging these funds with additional support from the Bezos Earth Fund.

Projects selected are employing a number of different nature-based activities that support wildlife such as wetland habitat restoration, living shoreline construction, dam removal and wildfire fuels reduction. Communities across 10 states will benefit from this work, and, when fully implemented, these projects will also benefit over 60,000 acres of habitat.

This grant slate represents the second slate of Emergency Coastal Resilience Fund projects administered by NFWF in partnership with NOAA, the first having been awarded in 2020 in response to the storms and wildfires of 2018.

Grant projects will take place in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey and New York.

About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal, corporate, foundation and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 6,000 organizations and generated a total conservation impact of $7.4 billion. Learn more at www.nfwf.org.

About the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Climate, weather and water affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources. See how NOAA science, services and stewardship benefit your community: Visit noaa.gov for our latest news and features, and join us on social media.