The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced the fourth round of grant awards from its Fisheries Innovation Fund, a program launched in 2010 to support sustainable fisheries in the United States.
The goal of the Fisheries Innovation Fund is to sustain fishermen while at the same time rebuilding fish stocks. The grants announced today will aid in the design and implementation of projects that provide technical and practical support for fishing communities across the country.
“With this fourth round of Fisheries Innovation Fund grants, we continue to invest in new technologies that will assist communities dependent on sustainable fisheries to survive and thrive for many years to come,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “The 12 grants we announce today will enhance the resilience of fishing communities and the viability of working waterfronts across the nation.”
The 12 grants for 2014 total USD 1.23 million (EUR 913,331), and will be matched by more than USD 1.39 million (EUR 1.03 million) in additional support from the grantees. NFWF’s Fisheries Innovation Fund is supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Walton Family Foundation, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
“We congratulate the 2014 grant recipients and their novel techniques and solutions to improve fisheries management and to support fishing communities across the U.S.,” said Eileen Sobeck, NOAA Fisheries Service assistant administrator. “Many of the projects that the Fisheries Innovation Fund supports originate directly from commercial and sport fishermen to address fishing community challenges and opportunities. Our public-private partnership with NFWF and the foundations is the ideal solution to support fishermen’s initiatives. We look forward to working with project leaders as they conduct their work to support fisheries sustainability.”
