ALFA Receives Grant to Improve Longline EM Program

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Kingfisher Foundation announced a third-year round of funding for the Electronic Monitoring and Reporting Grant Program projects, awarding a total of more than $3.59 million in grants.

The 12 awards announced generated $3.15 million in match from the grantees, providing a total conservation impact of more than $6.75 million. The Electronic Monitoring and Reporting Grant Program seeks to catalyze the implementation of electronic technologies in U.S. fisheries in order to systematically integrate technology into fisheries data collection and modernized data management systems for improved fisheries management.

ALFA was awarded a NFWF Award Amount of $577,959, with Matching Funds of $600,000 for a grand total amount of $1,177,959. ALFA will improve Alaska’s longline electronic monitoring program for vessels participating in sablefish, halibut and Pacific cod fixed gear fisheries by providing electronic monitoring hardware, field service support for vessels, and support for stakeholder engagement. The project will result in electronic monitoring of up to 120 hook and line vessels that will reduce bycatch and improve the utility of electronic monitoring data for fishermen and fishery managers.

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