Fisheries Innovation Fund

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), commercial and recreational fisheries had combined sales impacts of over $253 billion in the United States in 2020. However, some U.S. fisheries are struggling, both biologically and economically. As of 2022, NOAA reported that 48 stocks are categorized as overfished and 24 are categorized as subject to overfishing.

Fisheries Innovation Fund RFP

NFWF launched the Fisheries Innovation Fund in 2010 to foster innovation in fisheries and seafood production in order to sustain livelihoods, working waterfronts and sustainable access to fisheries while rebuilding fish stocks. The most recent Fisheries Innovation Fund RFP was released in 2019 and there are no immediate plans to release another. The fund supports the participation of fishermen and their communities in securing sustainable fisheries in the United States.
Fisheries Innovation Fund funding priorities include bycatch reduction, recreational fisheries and offshore aquaculture, including activities to build community capacity and encourage sustainable use practices. Most projects have originated locally to address needs, challenges and opportunities at the community level. 

Electronic Monitoring and Reporting RFP

The Electronic Monitoring and Reporting Grant Program was launched in 2015. The program seeks to advance NOAA’s sustainable fisheries goals to partner with fishermen, stakeholders, state agencies and Fishery Information Networks to systematically integrate technology into fisheries data collection and observations, and streamline data management and use for fisheries management. The program aims to improve the quality, quantity, and timeliness of fisheries-dependent data. Projects awarded under this opportunity catalyze the implementation of electronic technologies for catch and compliance monitoring, and improvements to fishery information systems. 

Since 2015, EMR has awarded more than $32.9 million for 112 projects in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Coast, Alaska and Hawai‘i. These awards leveraged matching contributions of more than $49.3 million, generating a total conservation impact of $82.2 million.

Major funding for the Fisheries Innovation Fund is provided by NOAA, the Walton Family Foundation and the Kingfisher Foundation. Mitigation funds received through NFWF’s Recovered Oil Fund for Wildlife have also contributed to the program, with grantee organizations and additional public and private funders providing matching funds.

New England Gear Innovation Fund RFP

NFWF launched the New England Gear Innovation Fund RFP in 2023 to support the development and adoption of innovative gear technologies that reduce the risk of lethal or sub-lethal fishing gear entanglement for the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW). The New England Gear Innovation Fund received funding from the 2023 Consolidate Appropriations Act and represents a partnership between NFWF and NOAA, with additional funding support from Shell. Click here for additional information on the New England Gear Innovation Fund.