About
Successful applicants are awarded pounds of scallops that have been “set aside” to pay for research expenses; no federal funds are provided. Researchers and fishermen partner to harvest awarded scallops, and the proceeds are used to fund the research and compensate fishing industry partners.
The New England Fishery Management Council sets the research priorities, and NOAA Fisheries administers the competition, oversees awarded projects, and oversees set-aside harvest activities. The research set-aside programs are designed to inform resource management decisions and improve stock assessments. Proposals are evaluated for scientific merit and for relevance to scallop fishery management.
Updates
Recent health emergencies related to COVID-19 may affect surveys scheduled to occur in 2020, which could influence survey selection decisions under this competition. Details will be posted here as they become available:
- March 15, 2021: Program awards announced
- August 17, 2020: A Stellwagen Bank dredge survey planned for 2020 has been delayed until next year. Funding an additional Stellwagen Bank dredge survey under the solicitation for 2021-2022 projects is therefore not a high priority.
Questions?
Contact Ryan Silva or Cheryl Corbett.