HYANNIS – NOAA Fisheries has awarded $1.1 million in funding for seven New England and Mid-Atlantic projects through the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program.
The awards support key partners in research and development of innovative approaches and strategies for reducing bycatch, bycatch mortality and post-release mortality.
The New England Aquarium was awarded $125,000 for a project to study whale release ropes as a large whale bycatch mitigation option for the lobster fishing industry.
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries received $176,572 for a bycatch reduction of red hake project in the Southern New England silver hake trawl fishery.
There were also a few projects related to the critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, which only number around 400.
Maine Department of Marine Resources was awarded $198,018 for a project to assess the feasibility of Time Tension Line Cutter use in fixed gear fisheries to reduce entanglement risk for right whales.
Sea Mammal Education Learning Technology Society received $225,000 to develop and test ropless lobster fishing gear to reduce right whale bycatch.
Other awards include $127,329 to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute for improving the selectivity of the ultra-low opening trawl to reduce bycatch of Atlantic cod; $195,000 to the University of Missouri to quantify and reduce post-release mortality of shortfin mako sharks captured as bycatch in the Atlantic coast pelagic long-line fisheries; and $75,169 to Cornell University to advance bycatch reduction technology in New England small mesh multispecies fisheries, and outreach and technology transfer of the large mesh belly panel.
More than $2.3 million was awarded to 16 projects nationwide.
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