Monkfish Research Set-Aside Program Seeks Research Proposals

August 1, 2019 - The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Competition for monkfish research support has opened under the Monkfish Research Set Aside Program. Projects selected through the competition are awarded fishing days rather than dollars, and the proceeds generated from those days are used to fund the research.

This year’s priorities include monkfish life history; stock structure; relative abundance; surveys; bycatch and discard mortality; interactions with other species; gear studies; ecological studies; and trophic research.

Monkfish are one of the highest valued finfish in the Northeast. This federal fishery is managed primarily by limiting the number of days and trips that the fleet can use to target this species. Under the monkfish management plan, 500 of the allowable days-at-sea are “set aside” annually by the councils and then awarded through this federal grant competition.

NOAA Fisheries and the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils have managed the Monkfish Research Set Aside Program since 2006. Since then, 27 projects have been conducted under this program.

In addition to the monkfish, there are active RSA programs for Atlantic sea scallop and Atlantic herring.  RSA programs support applied research that responds to priorities established by the fishery management councils, and are designed to inform resource management decisions and improve stock assessments.

To learn more and apply, visit grants.gov

Questions?

Media: Contact Cheryl Corbett, Cooperative Programs Specialist

Scientific and Statistical Committee to Meet March 13-14, 2018

The Council’s SSC will meet March 13-14, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. Topics to be discussed include blueline and golden tilefish specifications, NEFSC clam dredge survey redesign, NEFSC State of the Ecosystem Report, and a discussion paper on coefficients of variation for estimates of the overfishing limit. 

NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office Accepting Fisheries Science Proposals Through April 26

The funding opportunity focuses on links between habitat in the Chesapeake Bay and offshore to the health of black sea bass and summer flounder.

2018/2019 Monkfish Research Set Aside Funding Opportunity -- Due Dec. 21, 2017

NMFS, in coordination with the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, is soliciting Monkfish research proposals to utilize monkfish RSA Days At Sea that has been set-aside by the Councils to fund monkfish research endeavors through the 2018/2019 Monkfish Research Set-Aside Program. 

October 2017 Council Meeting Summary

The following summary highlights actions taken and issues considered at the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s October 2017 meeting in Riverhead, NY. Presentations, briefing materials, and webinar recordings are available on the Council website at http://www.mafmc.org/briefing/october-2017.

Open October 2017 Council Meeting Summary (pdf)

Publication: A Framework for Incorporating Species, Fleet, Habitat, and Climate Interactions into Fishery Management

The following article was published in Frontiers in Marine Science, section Marine Ecosystem Ecology.

A Framework for Incorporating Species, Fleet, Habitat, and Climate Interactions into Fishery Management

Sarah K. Gaichas, Richard J. Seagraves, Jessica M. Coakley, Geret S. DePiper, Vincent G. Guida, Jonathan A. Hare, Paul J. Rago, and Michael J. Wilberg.

Abstract

Marine ecosystems are characterized by many complex interactions. Fisheries managers face the challenge of maintaining or restoring sustainability for individual living resources which are affected by both ecological and economic interactions with other species, through processes like predation and fishing fleet interactions. These species interactions are further complicated by interactions with habitats that are changing due to both human activities and climate change. Often, fishery management systems designed to promote sustainability of individual resources have few tools or processes that also address interactions between species, fleets, habitat, and climate. Here, we review existing and potential fishery assessment and management information and tools, and we develop a potential framework for addressing interactions in management at the request of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The structured framework can be used to first prioritize interactions, second specify key questions regarding high priority interactions, and third tailor appropriate analyses to address them. The primary tools for the initial steps in the framework are risk assessment and Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE). Finally, implemented management would be evaluated to ensure that objectives are being met, or to adjust measures as conditions change. In the final section, we outline an example to illustrate how a structured decision making process within the framework could work.

Full Article:

Read Online / Download PDF

NOAA seeks applications for $9 million in community-based habitat restoration

As part of its efforts to promote healthy ecosystems and resilient coastal communities, NOAA is seeking proposals for habitat restoration projects that will improve the recovery and conservation of protected resources, and help promote productive fisheries. 

NOAA Fisheries: $2.5 Million Available for Innovative Bycatch Solutions

NOAA Fisheries is accepting applications for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program (BREP).  Pre-proposals are due by March 1 with full applications due by April 15, 2016.

Request for Proposals: Black Sea Bass Habitat Research Needs in the Mid-Atlantic (Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership)

The Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership is seeking research and/or restoration proposals to address black sea bass habitat issues in the Mid-Atlantic region, with an emphasis on the use of natural and/or artificial reefs and their ability to maintain and enhance fishery productivity. Proposal are due by February 1, 2016.

October 2015 Council Meeting Summary

The following summary highlights actions taken and issues considered at the Council’s meeting on October 6 – 8, 2015 in Philadelphia, PA.

June 2015 Council Meeting Summary

The following summary highlights actions and issues considered at the Council's June 8-11 meeting in Virginia Beach, Virginia.