NOAA Fisheries recommends 40 projects for USD 11 million in grant funding

NOAA Fisheries has recommended 40 projects to receive USD 11 million (EUR 10.3 million) in grant funding.

“These grant awards support the promotion and marketing of U.S. fisheries which supports U.S. fishing and aquaculture industries and our nation's working waterfronts,” NOAA Fisheries Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations Jim Landon said in a statement.

Established in 1954, the Saltonstall-Kennedy Program is a U.S. Department of Commerce fund used to distribute funding for fisheries research and development projects related to harvesting, processing, and marketing, with the top priority being marketing and promotion. Grants range from USD 25,000 to USD 500,000 (EUR 23,000 to EUR 466,000).

This is the first year recipients were selected by the American Fisheries Advisory Committee, a new group established by Congress last year. The 22-member committee includes members from across the U.S.A. with representatives from the harvesters/processors, recreational or commercial fishermen, regional fishery management councils and the science community.

“We were pleased to help stand up the Committee so quickly so that we could incorporate the expertise of committee members from around the country into the grant selection process,” Landon said. “It was a successful experience all around.”

NOAA received 230 requests for funding for 2023.

NOAA and the Department of Commerce will need to give final approval before funding is rolled out. A full list of the 40 recommended projects can be found here.

The 2024 iteration of the Saltonstall-Kennedy grant competition opened last week, with the notice drafted by the American Fisheries Advisory Committee for the first time. Competitors must first submit a two-page pre-proposal for review before completing a full application. Interested groups or individuals until 24 July, 2023, to submit a pre-proposal. Full applications need to be completed by 21 November, 2023.

NOAA Fisheries will host an informational webinar on the grant application and selection process of 15 June, 2023.